Goobstress

Bullies start really young and continue their behavior throughout life. I don't allow them to phase me with it their horizontal and lateral violence at work and have been around that type of unprofessional behavior several times and it irks those bullies when you don't allow them to get to you. Stooping to their level is something I will not do and I just allow themselves to look pathetic in front of others on their own accord. Taking the high road is the better way unless there is blatant horizontal and lateral violence that is ongoing. Documenting the incidents and writing them up and reporting them is key because it doesn't allow them to continue such behaviors unless they desire termination and the facility wants to be part of a lawsuit.

I work in surgery so I must say the ones that are asleep :-)

It occurs in other professions and more so than in nursing and it gets really ugly.

Ladies the joy of traveling is that you will all meet plenty of new people. If your new facility has other travelers which is usually the case, you will definitely find each other. Travelers tend to flock towards each other. If you travel to a large hospital the orientation is usually a 2-5 days of classroom and there you will find each other. Good luck and safe traveling.

I have been traveling for 8 years and have had no problems bouncing from one assignment to the next at all. I have made it a point to take a week or 2 in between assignments to reward myself with a vacation after every assignment. Just make sure to keep your recruiters on top of things and finding you an assignment 2 to 3 weeks before your contract is up. Good luck.

Has he lost his mind? My dog sitter makes more than that!!! What rock has he been living under? Keep looking cause that is EXTREMELY insulting no matter how new you are. Starbucks Barista make more than that and get great benefits!!!

If you go to a more rural place in SoCal they definitely will take you...just look at it as gaining the rest of the experience you need to compete with most of the places that are asking for 3-5 years of experience.

Try Emerald Health Staffing, recruiters are very knowledgeable and they pay for EVERYTHING.

Messaged you some info, hope that helps you out.

It's a social media and if they are comfortable posting their thoughts knowing co-workers, family and friends will see it then it's a decision that they decided or allowed to be made public. It may not be appropriate to some of us but if what they are posting is not work related what they do on their private time should not affect their work life. If you are not comfortable with their posts just unfriend them...I have had to delete several people from my social media site due to uncomfortable or constant negative posts of my co-workers. Social media is just a way for people to reach out and of course express themselves through their posts so most of the time they don't censor their thoughts.

As an O.R nurse I am allowed to wear nail polish as long as it is not chipped and that is according to my AORN guidelines. I'm pretty sure your hospital has a policy regarding nail polish if there is one that states you can't wear acrylics.

Don't let anyone intimidate you. I came from a very small rural hospital and started traveling to L.A where I started working for the best hospitals in here. I found that my small rural hospital prepared me for everything that would come my way and found myself to be knowledgeable in my specialty more so than their nurses because as you said we have to wear different hats in a small hospital. You will find that these larger hospitals might have equipment that are older than you are and that is why they have money. Trust your instinct and just go for it. You can do it and good luck.

Being in the OR is completely different and you will definitely need re-training if you go back on the floor. If it is something you are not sure about, don't waste your time. It takes at least 2 years in the O.R to learn a whole lot and depending on your facility you may get stuck in a specialty within the O.R. It is a constant learning process and if your managers know that you only want to be there for 2 years they might pass you over and look for someone they can retain in the O.R since perioperative courses seem to be dwindling all over the country. It is definitely a specialty that is very different from floor nursing, a lot of technical and legal nursing is what you will be doing in the O.R and if you are not comfortable working with others in a room for at least 8 hours a day you might want to rethink that decision. I can at least say that with everyone there at all times, each team member does not allow one another to fail. Good luck with your decision.

Job market is awful but you can always get in worn a travel assignment...they always hire or try to recruit the travelers. I have been working as a traveler in L.A area strictly for the past 6 years without any lapse with my assignments, so yes it can be done and they always tried to recruit me to become permanent staff. Don't let anyone discourage you from what you want especially since there are tons of hospitals to choose from. Good luck.

I completely agree with The Commuter as far as the job market here for new grads. It would be better if you stayed and entered a new grad program in NY to be on the safe side and then move here to Cali once you gain some experience.

Unfortunately the job market is pretty tough but I have found that most hospitals are taking in traveling nurses first and try to convince the traveler to stay. I know that is how most of my assignments have turned out...it's a way for a hospital to see if you would be a perfect fit for that particular department. At least that has been my experience in the O.R.

Unfortunately they do take awhile to respond and you probably will get your physicals done once you have started. They will take care of it so no need to worry.

Pay rate for Cedars for 8 yrs experience is in the $50's range but of course that would depend on your specialty too. Don't forget about Kaiser Sunset or Children's Hospital too or even Huntington Memorial in Pasadena. As far as living in Woodland Hills it is pretty nice and safe but commute can be horrible, some days 10 miles can take up to an hour on the freeway. Depending where you work make sure you live close by since traffic especially on thursdays and Friday is ridiculous. Good luck.

I agree with Susan. Another helpful tool for all my preceptee's is to take notes especially during the long cases. Most preference cards are not always correct so Keep the tabs from the gowns and jot down notes, nothing irks your preceptor more than anything is telling you the same thing over and over again. The best advice I have for you is to "grow a thick skin", you will need it in the O.R. and NEVER let anyone break you down and NEVER EVER cry in the O.R. Maintain professionalism at all times despite the fact inside you want to slap the crap out of someone. You will learn to pick and choose your battles and learn how to be extremely pleasant, it is a weapon you will find people aren't able to figure out especially to those who are extremely unpleasant and grumpy...it makes them feel and look more like an ass especially to the rest of the team. That should be a start and you will see for yourself the things you need to improve upon...self evaluate at the end of every day. Good luck and you will always learn something new everyday.

Ladies don't worry about having no job history at all. You are going into nursing and not competing for a regular job. I was hired into my specialty against LVN's with at least 5 years of experience and no work history at all. Your nursing program will be taking you to several hospital job fairs prior to graduating where you will be able to meet and greet with department managers for an initial on the spot interview. Being that there seems to be a hiring freeze with some hospitals, there are plenty of options out there if you are willing to sacrifice a few years for experience.

You would actually do great in the E.R or the O.R.

Make every one sign up for 1 major holiday and 1 minor and rotate the following year.

Best way to get in is through a travel assignment at the best hospitals because they always ask you to sign on as regular employee anyway. There are ALWAYS positions available here in Southern Cali but traveling will give you a feel for which hospitals you would want to work for in the end.

Yes if it's being done in hospital setting due to legal issues they have gotten into before but I'm sure if you are in a surgery center setting you don't need anesthesiologist.

It's not what you are expecting!!! Worked there for 2.5 yrs as a traveler and 9 months as a regular employee...it was not fancy as I expected it to be. Not a bad place to work but politics is just awful there. Stay a traveler there before you decide to sign on as regular staff.