buenavidaRN

Yes, they have a contract with all the HCA hospitals. Just like anywhere else in TX, all M/S or M/S tele will have up to 5. on more straight tele floors you will have max 4 and I think the PCU is three?? You have an aide, most of the time ... there are the days that they are all sick, or something like that. :/ Overall not bad. HCA in general is fine. They use MediTech comp system, which kinda reminds me of the Apple computers from the late 80's, it's not my favorite computer documentation system, but ok.

I really liked All About Staffing (now it's called Parallon Workforce Mgmt Solutions). Depending on what area you are looking at working in depends on the shift availability. I had ample work (it was my only job at the time and I worked 3-4 shifts per week), and they were easy to work with.

I worked for 3 months in Houston (after a travel assignment and before I left for my next one), I was able to work full-time hours each week and at one hospital. I have worked registry before, and am currently picking up shifts in my new location. The deal in Houston was definitely NOT the norm. In those three months I got cancelled only once. I floated between 8 different units (m/s, tele, step down, obs) at the one hospital. I worked through Parallon Workforce (formerly All About Staffing) and the pay was pretty good. I don't know the yr requirement, I think it might be at least 2 yrs (I have a little over 4). I am not sure if they staff in Dallas, I know they staff all HCA hospitals, so check them out if you want. They were easy to work with and do offer benefits. Good luck!

berna1126: ahhh ... I haven't logged in for quite a while ... so, maybe you already found your answer, but in case you didn't ... It just depends on what state. For CA it's about 5 weeks, for Hawaii it's about 1 week, for WA it's about 3 weeks. Usually the state board site will give you an estimate and they are usually pretty accurate. Good luck.

I thought Kaplan was really helpful. I was consistantly in the mid to upper 60's, but as I got closer to test time my scores kept dropping. Two days before my scheduled test day I got a 55 and about freaked. I took the test anyway and had 75 questions and passed. Make sure you take at least one day off before your test. Good luck!

It's kinda a broad question/statement. I am a travel nurse ... There are so many companies, I don't think you will find a website that says this one is good and these are bad. All have pros and cons and I am sure every travel nurse could tell you about their great or horrible experiences with each company. I researched multiple companies and looked to see where they had jobs at. I submitted my info with multiple companies until one found me a job I was interested in. I have stayed with that company just because they have always been good to me and had jobs that suited my needs. Figure out 1)where you would like to go, does X company staff in that area? 2) what perks are most important to you, and talk to X, Y, and Z company and find out what perks they offer. 3) Do your homework, I got a lot of leads and then called my recruiter with them. I know, this should be their job, but sometimes you gotta do things yourself to get them done. Also, check out the travel nursing forum of allnurses.com PM me if you have any specific questions.

Hopefully you have both found a job ... but I would suggest to stay away from any agency as a new grad. I have a little more than 3 years as a RN and have worked for agency/registry and as a traveler. It is inticing to think about being a traveler and getting your housing paid for. I remember as a new grad I wanted to do that immediately, but experience is essential before doing traveling or agency/registry/per diem. I have worked with Maxim (different state, but same company) and several other agencies. With agency work you are called at 5 am and told to go to XX hospital on XX floor. It may be a floor you have never worked at, it may be a hospital you have never worked at. You get there and get a quick 5 min orientation ... this is the code for this door, this is the clean linen, dirty utility, med room, etc (you get the jist) and then you get report and start your shift. It is up to you to not only organize you day, but figure out where MD #'s are at, who you MD's are for your pts, hospital policy and procedures ... you get it? It's not like a hospital new grad position where you get 3-6 months of help with someone holding you hand at the beginning and showing you the ropes. Ultimately these companies (travel/agency) are getting paid for the hours you work. It is a business and their bottom line is the money. You have to be responsible for you and your license and your hard work getting to where you are. I know bills pile up, but don't jeopardize everything for a pay check. Also, I would question any agency or travel company that hires you without any experience. I have found per diem/agencies that will hire with 1 year acute care exp, but almost every travel agency wants at least 2 years ... Good luck to you guys. Just protect yourself and your patients! :)

I'm a little late, but I got my CA license (originally from TX) and I am assuming the process is the same from CA to TX as it is from TX to CA. Go through all the steps ... background check, fingerprints, nursys license verification, fee, application and if necessary proof of your CE's. Hopefully you got you license by now! :)

I have done two assignments with Aureus and I am about to submit for my third. I would like to stay with Aureus, but I am still decided on a position to go for. I have had a great experience with them. Any pay issues (very few) have been taken care of quickly, issues at the hospital (being totally dumped on) were taken care of promptly and my recruiter is always available or gets back promptly. It is all about your recruiter. If you want names you can PM me. I hope this helps!

Does the nursing school do drug tests? We were all drug tested at orientation. Just a thought ...

If the patient has the med bottles it is best, most of the time (even with AAOx4 pts) they can't remember dosages or things like that. It's no big deal, we just get the info and then send the bottles to the pharmacy, a note is placed in the chart so the staff remembers to get them out before discharge. It's ideal if a family member is available to take home the meds. A lot of times the ED nurses are able to compile the med lists before the patient is even brought up. Sometimes the patients are really organized and carry around a written list of meds and dosages. You just do your best ... call the patient's pharmacy or PCP. It's worth it to get an accurate list together ...

I had a non-nursing job during all of nursing school. Knowing what I know now, especially with the current job market for new grads in many areas, I advise everyone to try to get a hospital job. I agree with TheMrsRN, maybe find a different area, get into a hospital, and really evaluate what is driving you to want to pursue nursing. The tech/CNA experience will only enhance your skills, and it is a great opportunity for networking. You will always have challenging days, whether it's having '30 residents to 3 CNAs' or having 3 out of 4 patients that are really critical. (fyi: many units I have been on have the CNA ratio at 8:1-12:1). If you really want to do nursing, and you are really passionate about it, you will learn to take those days in stride. There are just as many touching moments as there are tough ones. Good luck. Stay in the hospital if you can!

I am a bit late with the reply ... but I worked at QMC and absolutely LOVED it! It is a great hospital, all around. If we ever moved back to the island QMC would be my first choice. I worked on a tele floor (only observed in the cath lab), but I had a great experience with the cardiologists, cardiac np's and staff nurses. It is a teaching hospital, which I like, and everyone was willing to help and explain things (I was a new nurse when I was there). I lived far away from the hospital (1 hr each way), but for me it was ok because I was only going in 3 days a week. You can find decent housing, and we found that we didn't really spend 'entertainment money' because we were always at the beach. I am a bit biased towards QMC, but this is just my two cents!

HawaiiRN808: do you know of any hospitals (especially on Oahu or the Big Island) using travelers? If so, what agencies? I was a perm staff RN on Oahu a couple of years back and have been thinking about traveling back there ... thanks!

jimbr1: how have you liked your assignment at MMMC? I've been looking at it as a possibility ... thanks for any input!