allevi

So glad I am not alone in feeling completely exhausted!!

No, I wish I would have done something different. I love the residents and patients I have worked with, but tired of being expected to be supernurse.

There is a physician day, it was a month or two ago, they recognized that day.

After having nurse's day come and go without our employer even acknowledging the fact that it was nurse's day, am just curious as to how other employers honor their nurses on that day? Look forward to your responses!!

Get most of mine at Jack Marcus scrubs, online site

Tonight I would have to say no way. I am beyond frustration now with being a nurse. Been a nurse for over 8 years and am currently wondering why

we do eat at the nurses station, mainly because there is usually only 2 of us on at night. Know it isn't ideal, but then neither is the staffing here!

Great advice

don't like mucus, drug seeking patients and demanding family members

Cute! I am becoming more addicted as this is one site that I can be on at work during down time.

Milk of Magnesia = MOM Sorry, when I responded, didn't see the other answers

I come from both perspectives here. First as a parent of a medically fragile child. We had home nursing for 16 hours per day. We had both wonderful nurses and nurses that I am not sure how they even became nurses. Examples: Calling 911 because oxygen concentrator unplugged. Wanting to check placement of NG tube by injecting 10 cc's of water and listening for placement, telling new nurse that she just sits in living room and waits to hear footsteps of parents then she gets up and looks busy. Numerous other bad experiences also. At the time I was not a nurse, but I knew my daughter. She is alive today and doing well because of her pure determination and a real persistent and at times ****** mom and dad! She is also no longer medically fragile. Now as a nurse, I can relate to feeling judged. I have been judged by both families and other nurses and it is frustrating. But we never know what is going on in the others person's lives to make them act like they are.

Who do we have here? Nurse from Northeast Iowa, been nurse since 2000 How long have you worked in said position? Agency nursing per diem mostly for past 18 months, full time for past 12 What is your specialty? Med Surg I used to work in small critical acess hospital where you did everything! Did OB while there, am now in process of giving up ob, just not getting enough of it anymore. What are some things you love about your job? The variety of facilities, no politics being agency nurse. Go and do my job and leave. Pay is better also What do you hate about it or would change about it? I do miss my coworkers from my former full time job, they were a great bunch. Sometimes hate feeling "dumped" on. Funny nursing stories? Baby born in stretch pants, before we could get mom into bed even.

I was a CNA for years prior to becoming nurse, you can tell which nurses weren't cna's. I personally think it helped me a great deal in being a nurse.

I live in Iowa, the lowest paid state for nursing! My range for per diem or contract depends on the facility, but has ranged from as little as $28 to $37/hour. I have done med surg and labor/delivery/postpartum

My daughter had a nurse with her for years at school. She had a trach and nurse was needed for that reason. Her nurse did help her with her stuff. But she only helped her. I know at times she got frustrated because she felt sometimes teacher ignored my daughter, thinking that she had a helper. Now that my daughter has no need for nurse after decannulation, the nurse stayed on at the school, but is now working as teacher's aide, she still works with daughter but also works with other kids too.

great topic and great ideas! I havn't started traveling yet, currently work for an agency, doing per diem. Have done some short term contracts 4-5 weeks. Thanks for the info, am getting closer to the time when my husband and I can hit the road!

I am amazed that you havn't had to be at the least acls certified. That is a pretty basic requirement any where I thought! I am doing agency nursing locally right now. Hope to start travelling some day soon. Good luck with what ever you choose

Yes I had this many patients at night when I worked long term care. The aides is who you rely on. I did a visual of all rooms, but then may not have been back to those rooms the remainder of shift unless they needed meds or there was a problem.

I quit my regular full time job in april of this year. I have done several short contracts 4-5 weeks since. Now for the remainder of year I will just work perdiem. I am being selfish and want holidays off for once. I love what I am doing now. I schedule my hours,with the exception of when I am in a contract. I am signed up with 2 agencies however to ensure availability of hours that I want. I don't have to provide insurance. I know in this area that the hospitals charge so much for their insurance that many times you can get it cheaper from outside source. I wish you luck with your decision.

I am still good friends with one of my nursing class members. She now lives in another state, but so far am maintaining the friendship.

Currently am signed up with 2 different agencies. Neither seem to do any shifts in Eastern Iowa cities, just some of the smaller towns. Wondering what agencies, if any, hospital in Cedar Rapids, Waterloo or Iowa City use? Thanks Audrey

Just am curious as to how many of you may work for Grapetree staffing agency based out of Spirit Lake? I have worked for them now since November 2006. thanks

While I agree that it seems nasty to pick up something off the floor and give, realistically the chance that they will get any germs on the pill are very little. The pill is dry and microorganisms aren't going to stick to them. I have done both, have worked both in long term care and hospital, more likely to give dropped pill in ltc due to not having extra.

My son took it for about a year, it was wonderful. Didn't really affect his moods at all. Yes his did get worse before better. And he used a moisturizing body wash and then lotion on his face especially and lots of chap stick. I would reccomend this med to any one with severe acne, it was wonderful for him. He was also one of the ones that prior to accutane had been on antidepressant for awhile, he was depressed because of the acne. We fixed acne and it helped him feel better ab out himself