nancy324

I should just take a picture! I have everything, and I mean everything. I'm the go to person for headaches, stomachaches, sour breath, sore muscles (all OTC). My bag is organized with other bags labeled for their use: Office (pens, pencils, erasers, mini stapler etc.), beauty (ha! lipstick, chapstick, hair ties, bobby pins, etc.), medicines, medical supplies (I often need safety pins, my pulse ox). I tried to go a month without my bag and was miserable and so was everyone else!

I have got to chuckle over this. I went to nursing school when I was 53, finished in record time, and was hired immediately. I'm currently in my 60's and work 12 hour night shifts. My managers tell me that I am an excellent critical care nurse and they wish there were more like me; please don't even think about retiring! I agree. I love my job, my patients, and the ever changing scene in critical care. It stretches my mind. I also enjoy mentoring new nurses and helping them find their flow. I will work until I fall over or my best friend tells me it's time to throw in the towel.

I also wear Alegrias and buy them at the above mentioned link due to the great sales. I have tried so many different shoes and these baby my feet. It's all a matter of personal taste though. What works for one person won't work for you. It may be an expensive search! Danskos kill my feet and I used to wear them. But I found out that they are now outsourced to China and a different last is used to make them. Good luck!

I live in Seattle, home of very slow traffic due to a terrible interstate system. I only drive 10 minutes to work because I chose my home near work. Plus we get free parking AND free health benefits. Not a bad deal!

I love nights. I'm on a scheduled rotation where I work 3, off 1, work 3 then off for 7 days. I can take mini-vacations, catch up with family and friends, enjoy the sun (when it decides to come out, Seattle is notorious for crummy weather). Oh and don't forget you make a lot more money on nights.

I recommend a chauffeur! If you are going to be working nights, especially a 12 hour shift, you are going to be dog tired. Please get a good, solid car and be careful! My prime criteria when I moved to Seattle from Florida was to work at a hospital withing a 15 minute commute. Lucky me, I found a great job at a great hospital and I can get home before I fall asleep at the wheel. Good luck to you in your new career!

You are not too old! I started nursing school at 52 and finished in 18 months with my RN. I was the oldest student in my class which didn't bother me in the least. I worked 24 hours a week (weekends) and studied hard. I have now been nursing for 5 years and love it. I recently moved to Seattle and had no problems getting a job. My change of career was the most worthwhile thing I have done. Good luck and go for it.

I had unexplained leg and foot edema and had a venous doppler of the BLLE and found out that I had incompetent valves :

35 is young! I was 53 when I went to nursing school and have been practicing for 4 years now. I just turned 60 and plan to nurse until I fall over! Go for it!

I was 53 when I started school and have been a RN for the past 3 years. It was hard but worth it. I'm very happy with my career choice. I'm just finishing up my first travel assignment and look forward to traveling again.

Hi Trinh: NO YOU ARE NOT TOO OLD! I was 55 when I graduated from nursing school and started in Med/Surg at a local hospital. My manager was more than happy to hire me because of my age, experience, organizational skills and common sense. Do not listen to your instructor. I enjoy Med/Surg because of the variety of patients I come in to contact with each shift; every day I learn something new. I also train new (younger) nurses and aides, plus I'm charge nurse twice a week. I'm not really interested in charge because I'd much rather be on the floor with patients. To be successful in Med/Surg you need good organizational skills and a good preceptor. From one boomer to another I say - GO FOR IT! Bet of luck to you. Nancy

Congrats on making it through nursing school. I agree with the other comments...most salaries will be non-negotiable. I work weekends only, nights and that has upped my shift differential. My hospital also has OT bonus of $7.50/hour. Also, being ACLS certified adds an education differential to my salary. If you are planning on doing 3 twelve hour shifts, you might consider doing agency after you get some experience. Good luck!

From my own experience, you will burn out within a month trying to keep to that schedule. I tried that for the first two weeks when I started school and was a wreck. I switched to weekends only and that was a stretch too, but doable. Please don't set yourself up for failure by trying that schedule. Find something that works for you, but you need your rest and time to study. Good luck!

There is great shopping in Orlando! Lots of factory outlets - so you're going to have to get a car! If I'm in a shopping mood, I make the trip to Orlando, which is only about 90 minutes from here. There's also a factory outlet in Vero Beach off I-95 (about 45 minutes) and some good outlets in St. Augustine (about 2 hours). :caduceus: Melbourne has two malls, the newest one is in Viera - a part of Melbourne - and it has lots of good shops. Old Melbourne has a lot of boutiques that are fun to browse in as does Historic Cocoa Village.

I'd like to welcome you to the Melbourne area also! I've been here for 4 years, but had visited my Aunt and Grandmother for another 15 years. I live beachside and love it here. It's quiet and safe. There is crime here, but I disagree with newjack13 that it is as serious as he thinks. There is crime everywhere in the world and you just have to be smart about locking your doors and staying away from areas that are crime ridden. Melbourne has changed in the last 20 years and is still changing. Walmart now stays open 24 hours and some of the larger ones have supermarkets. There are also some 24 hour drug stores and supermarkets. Don't worry so much about the hurricanes - it's a fact of life here. 2 years ago we had four in a row, and while there was destruction and devastation, we all recovered. I don't evacuate, I either stay home, go to work, or go to my brother's who lives inland. I'm sure that you've been through the same type of weather with your typhoons. You can get home owners insurance for renters. I hope that your agent has found you a nice location for your apartment - you didn't say what neighborhood it's in. I work for Wuesthoff in Melbourne and I like my hospital a lot. I did the bulk of my clinicals at Holmes and was impressed by the hospital, but I chose Wuesthoff because I wanted a small hospital. I also did clinicals at Cape Canaveral Hospital (part of Health First) and liked the smallness of that hospital.