oncrn17

I worked at a larger suburban hospital south of Chicago and they has a great tuition reimbursement program for the staff. They paid for staff to attend college for nursing, respiratory therapy, lab degree, Xray degree, IT degrees, etc. It just had to be a job that could be in the hospital when you graduated even if you did not stay after you earned your degree.

I worked FT while going to school and if I got a C or better, the hospital I worked at as a nurse aid paid my tuition. They paid 100% of tuition if you were FT for ADN and a portion of it if it was a BSN or MS program. They also had scholarships that you could apply for and use for books and gas money. It was worth it because I also got lots of experience while I was a nurse aid plus the other nurses would let me watch wound care, IV starts, suctioning, etc. so I would be more knowledgeable in clinicals and not so frightened in front of the instructor!

You will never have trouble finding a job with an ADN degree. Nurses are in high demand with bonuses everywhere! I have one and when I was hired 26 years ago, there was only 25 cents difference between ADN & BSN. ADN is more bedside learning and practicing while BSN is more paper and managerial driven. You can always get your BSN later. Most hospitals will pay your tuition or at least a portion of it. Good luck and welcome to nursing!

Pts in bed 1 are showered on odd nights and pts in bed 2 are showered on even nights. We have only 4 private rooms, while the rest are semi-privates, so 2 of the privates are showered on even nights. By this, I mean the showers are done by the 3-11 PCTs. The PCTs also do the shower after the bowel program is done. Most have a nightly suppository even if they are showered QOD. There is also a laminated sign in the room informing pts and families of their designated showers. We do computerized charting, so the RN & PCT can chart what is on their task list. If I get to it first, it drops off the PCT lidt, do there is no double charting, but of course, I have double the amount of tasks with wound care, teaching, etc!

Where are you in Chicago? Uniform store on Elston has free parking lot. Uniform store in Water Tower Place has a parking garage, but it may be discounted with a purchase. Catalog shopping is a consideraion, too. :coollook:I have also had luck with EBAY as nurses sell their uniforms because of changes in jobs or colors at work. Good Luck!

Where I work in Chicago, a lot of the hospitals have adopted the weekend program. You work 12 hours every Sat and Sun and get paid 36. Someone else works 2 8's during the week and 2 12's every weekend for a total of 80 hrs every 2 weeks and she is paid for 96 hrs. Not bad if you have kids and your spouse watches them on the weekend. I prefer every other weekend myself.

I always tell the nurses I precept to start with "I am a new nurse and I hope you will understand if I ask you to repeat yourself or spell it so I get it right." I even used that after I left my job after 29 years and started a new job. It makes others stop and realize you are new instead of having "that attitude and voice" if you ask them to repeat themselves. I tell them they can use that phrase for awhile until they are are comfortable with themselves. Believe me, it works! Good Luck!

Some of the nurses who work with me actually live in areas surrounding the downtown area and commute to work via bike, bus, train, or car. The are decent reasonable places to rent or buy in Wicker Park or Bucktown, just to name a few. The Loop, Gold Coast, and Lincoln Park are way to expensive. If you have a car, the surrounding areas are more reasonable and easier to find parking on the street or a lot. Most parking spots in the downtown area range from $25,000 to $55,000 or you can rent a spot for $150 and up. Gas is much pricier in the downtown area, but if I use my car to drive to the outskirts, I can usually save 10-15 cents a gallon. I fill my tank every 6-8 weeks depending on how often I drive. Living in the city makes it easier for me to walk or take the bus/train everywhere for much less. If I was to get rid of my car, I have considered the new car rentals such a Go Car or Zip Car, which includes insurance and several cars to choose from. You can rent by the hour or day or week and just pay for gas and mileage (I think). Lots of the college age kids near me use it as option to drive to their parents or a weekend getaway. Hope this helps a little.

Have you checked out http://www.caudaequina.org website? I often refer my pts to this website when educating them. It is a great support group for the pt and their loved ones. Good Luck!

I have a 1 bedroom condo in the South Loop and commute 2 miles to my job downtown. I can travel but bike, bus, walk, or drive, but parking is about $100 a month. It is possible to find a reasonable condo! I used to reverse commute 20 miles each way to my previous job, but with the price of gas, I felt I should take a job closer to home and have never regretted it! Good Luck in your quest.

I have a friend who works there and she has been there over 20 years. They pay a few dollars an hour less, but make it up in benefits! She gets all the state holidays like Washington's BD, President's Day, Columbus Day, Pulaski Day, etc. because it is a state hospital (as is Oak Forest Hospital). She also pays less in benefits ($11 up from $9 for single insurance premiums) and has the usual vacation time as other hospitals. They have a great pension for retirement, too. Hope this helps.

I have been a nurse for many years. In my experience, most healthcare workers were quite pleasant to work with and loved their jobs and patients because they did not need to work. Now in this day and age of loved ones being sicker, unemployed, etc, the healthcare workers have to work FT instead of PT, pick up extra O.T., and go home to loved ones who crave and demand more attention from us. Just my perception of the change in job status. We have no free time anylonger for ourselves! We are always on the go at home and work!

I hve been an RN for 25 yrs (before fingerprints!) Will I need to get fingerprints if I want to apply for an AZ license? I am currently licensed in Illinois. Thanks for the info.

I work in a hospital where the RNs wear navy and the PCTs wear teal scrubs. This way, anyone can identify who you are because some of the badges are not visible or the staff "forgot" it at home. Most of the patients cannot read your ID badge unless it is 6 inches from them. If the RN chooses to wear a print top, she has to wear white or navy pants. I do think it stinks that you have to wear uniforms from only one manufacturer.

I am a RN who spent 23 years in M-S and moved to SCI rehab 2 years ago and love it. I enjoy spending time with the patients and their families and doing teaching before discharge. Most of the patients spend 3-8 weeks here recuperating. In the acute setting, the patients were in and out in a few days with a minimal amt of teaching.