BlueBear

I had 4 plus years on an ortho/med-surg floor and then went to the ED. I had to take arrhythmia interpretation first, and once I was in the ED I had to take ACLS, PALS, and I just finished TNCC. I will do ENCP next year. I think it is definitely do-able without a tele background, but it would definitely be to your benefit to have tele. So much of the ED revolves around cardiac monitors! When I started orienting, I didn't even know how to turn the thing on, never mind change settings etc. But, it can be learned, it just might be a little harder for you early on. Just make sure you do your arrhythmia interpretation course FIRST, and know that stuff inside and out. It definitely helped me. Good luck!

I believe this is part of the reason why nurses are not taken seriously and are not respected. For goodness sake, if you have to urinate you notify the charge that you will be "not available" for a few minutes and YOU GO! That is politically correct. As far as I am concerned, if you have to pee, you just go and do what you have to do and I highly doubt anyone will expire in the meantime! I work ED, but really, if the urge strikes then the nurse just needs to go, knowing that everyone can hang on for a few minutes longer!

We wear white. White pants, white top, white jacket. I hate it! Yup I am looking for a new job, not because of the dress code but boy it willbe a relief to finally choose what I want to wear!

Why is it that male nurses tend to gravitate to the ER? I know women are also well represented in the ER, but it seems that whenever you talk to a male nurse (or nurse to be) they want to go to the ER, or flight nursing. Any thoughts??

We don't get paid one cent for the time we are on call. If we are called in to work, we get paid our regular hourly rate (unless, of course, it is overtime in which case we get time and a half).

Since we are a self-staffed unit we must cover our own sick calls. Full timers must sign up for 6 4-hour shifts every four weeks, and part timers sign up for 5. You can sign up for just a 4 hour shift, or sign up for 3 in a row to pull a 12 hour shift. our on call is used for sick call only, not short staffing. Plus we get regular pay only if called in.

congratulations on the birth of your twins! have you given them names yet???? let's see, pete and repeat? anyway, so glad you passed them and hopefully they won't have any siblings heading your way!!!!!!

you are not preachy at all! i love the info-thank you! i checked out the site that you referenced and it has lots of good information. thank you. do you know of any other ortho sites that are as helpful? anyway, celebrex and vioxx are both nsaids, but are they ok for backs and joints? i am beginning to see them written more often.....

p rn, why can't you give nsaids with fusion surgery???

i have seen many of my post op joints and trauma patients get good relief with toradol. but yesterday i was speaking with one of the sugeons about it and he said it should never be given to a post op ortho patient because almost all are being anticoagulated. apparently, toradol cannot be used with coumadin, lovenox, asa, or fragmin as it can cause an intracranial bleed. anyone else have any thoughts on this?

poor you! i truly hope you are feeling better today. what a lousy holiday you had. i personally have not lived through that nightmare but i remember when my dad had a stone and was in excruciating pain. please take good care of yourself and drink your water! :)

Why don't you try NICU, or peds. Sure you have to lift but it is a whole lot easier on your back! ------------------