21strawberry

Hi All, I work on a locked inpatient unit in a community hospital and have been in psych nursing for about a year. I switched disciplines and now feel I can look around and notice some places our unit can improve. Are all psych units blah and ...

Thanks very much, KelRN! Very helpful info í ½í±

Hello All, I was hoping to get some input on the peds hospitals in and outside of Boston. I have PICU experience and ICU float team experience and CHOP and CHLA, possibly relocating to Boston area for husband's job. Would be living outside of the ...

Hi fellow nurses...I am starting my first travel assignment in a CTICU after 3.5 years of PICU nursing. I was told it's primarily a surgical ICU, and I should mention it's also peds. Any words of wisdom other than brushing up on my cardiac notes? My ...

My previous therapist was a tongue depressor and I just couldn't express myself clearly to him.

The PICU I'm from had sleep surfaces in every room. There are certainly pros and cons, but I don't think the family members should be kept away. Were there some who did more harm than good while at the bedside? Sure. But there were also patients who,...

When I give report, I start with the patient's history and what brought them in for this admission. Sometimes I go into "overnight events" before I start my system by system report, just to give a little snapshot of what the issues may have been most...

ASHRN828, maybe it's because I was interviewing for my first travel position, or maybe because one was Kaiser, I'm not sure. It seems most of the others who responded had much less structured interviews.

Where I work, they are very grateful for their experienced travelers and I do get most of my schedule requests. This is my first experience as a traveler so I cannot speak for the majority.

My interview with Kaiser out here in CA lasted about 30 minutes. It was very structured, she was reading the questions from her computer screen. First she asked me about my work experience. Next I had to identify 10 drugs that she gave me, their ther...

Like Esme posted, if you are in one of the states that requires you as a mandatory reporter to report the abuse of an unborn child then you can't very well mind your own business. Personally I would educate her about the harm she is doing.

You are over-thinking the reaction, it seems. The pupil is reactive or non-reactive based on the response to the light initially being shone on it. The pupil will not continue to react as the light shines, unless I suppose the light source was gettin...

hope it went better!

I wouldn't rush to cancel your contract just yet. Take a deep breath. Do you feel any more confident after completing the shift that was out of your comfort zone? Do you feel it was unsafe for you to care for that patient? In general, I have not hea...

NedRN, does the hospital have to pay that hefty commission to bring you on as staff once you are there long enough to be maxed out? I believe the hospital where I am currently only accepts travelers for 1 year. I know you had mentioned before about g...

Well, the first thing that I would think of is that I would never again be able to work a contract for that company. Secondly, if the company who offered you more is aware of your breaking contract with the initial one, they may not be too thrilled t...

Congrats, Alwaysthinking! I just finished my first 13 weeker, took a week off and am starting another this week at the same place. My advice as a fellow first-timer is to be open to learning from the staffers. Soak up the experience, be willing to he...

I am currently traveling with NursesRx and am very happy with my recruiter. This is my first assignment so I don't have much to compare it to, but this recruiter has been very forthcoming and helpful to me throughout the on-boarding process. I feel v...

I have a question about extending over and over again at the same facility. I understand that after a year as a traveler, you start getting taxed. I believe the hospital I am working at now allows one to be a traveler for up to 2 years. After that, i...

Perfect, thank you for the info, NedRN...I was hoping you would respond! I hadn't thought about the last part, that it's the commitment to work 12 months that counts. Appreciate your insight as always.

Along with some of the other mommas who posted, I became a night shift nurse when my son came along. He is now 3 and I am working three nights per week, 7 to 7. I leave before he goes to bed and don't get home until he's having breakfast those three ...

Hey Alwaysthinking...just following up since I had my first two weeks at my first assignment. I had one day of computer class followed by two 12 hour orientation shifts on the unit. Then I was on my own. My first night on my own, I was floated to the...

I'm not sure if others will have different experiences, but I can't imagine that many of the programs are easy. I did Villanova's 16 month BSN Express program and my pre-reqs were also about 7 years out. So it was a lot of work to cram in some classe...

I lost a bet with my doc here, turns out I DO have anal fissures. So it's going to be "Dr. Hugh Jainus rules!" on my lower back.

I appreciate you taking the time to answer, umc...thank you!