scott5698

scott5698's Latest Activity

1. 

   Ebola - Another Side of the Story. The Scary Side!

   scott5698 replied to servewithlove's topic in Professionalism

   sorry peeps, but until someone rationally explains how some of the foremost doctors treating these folks while having every protection available, the knowledge and ability to use it correctly, and the stupidity to walk among us while KNOWING they are not absolutely 100% infection free, there will be panic. people, myself included, do not understand how some of the most knowledgable people on the planet about this disease can take risks like this without fully explaining them selves is beyond me. BTW, since you CAN catch this from any bodily fluid like sweat or urine (unlike aids) it is a different animal. And I do not get this nurse…you can go to Africa and live in who knows what kind of conditions and then complain about a tent? Please. Bottom line is that if we had not let one single person into this country from an area affected, there would be NO panic. Perhaps if the government can pull its s**t together enough to provide a single, understandable, coherent argument and policy, there may be time to correct course, but let a couple more infected folks make it though the "screening" or across the border without challenge and you will think you are in a movie.
2. 

   Protocol for resigning

   scott5698 replied to cruisin_woodward's topic in NP

   Tried to give two weeks, but due to hiring company taking longer than either of us expected (no change in start date) there wasn't enough time. No position requires any length of time, though I acknowledge some need to provide notice. Not sure why companies feel that this issue isn't a two way street as are most other issues. I stand by my comments.
3. 

   For Those Considering A Career In Nursing

   scott5698 replied to Ruby Vee's topic in General Career

   well said and still timely. Thank you!
4. 

   What's considered "Job-Hopping" in nursing?

   scott5698 replied to Nola009's topic in Professionalism

   I believe, in most cases, its a combination of the above mentioned things, with neither side being able to recognize their own issues. My current employer (I'm a newbie) told me that they have surveyed the surrounding employers and that they pay equal to or more than most of them, along with better bennies. Yet, after interviewing around, I found them to be lacking. About 2 bucks less is salary, and 3 weeks less paid vacation. Tuition reimbursement was half as much and you had to work twice as long to qualify. The list goes on, yet they believe that they are at the top but can't figure out why they have such a time finding worker bees. Hmmm. I've worked at many large companies over the years and find this quite often. Couple this with some poor policies, sprinkled with a few bad habits, and if someone has standards or aspires to improve things, its easy to see why there is enough dissatisfaction for both sides.
5. 

   The Day Nursing Student Apathy Got to Me

   scott5698 replied to NurseOnAMotorcycle's topic in General Students

   Similar to all the above comments, I would have loved to have you as my clinical teacher. I was lucky enough to have people who did show me the time of day and taught me lots. I was excited to be able to do 6 of 10 med-surge days in the ER and my entire preceptorship in the ER. I, so far, love the ER - the ability to help scared people, the rush of it, the nothing is ever the same routine, all of it. Keep doing what you are doing…there will always be a few bad apples, but most of us students love being able to dig in and really learn if we are helped to overcome the initial nervousness of not really knowing what we are doing. As a newly minted RN I would love tips on how to get into an ER and learn to how to do it. I can barely get a an acknowledgement of existence much less a call back, though all the places I've applied do, in fact, hire new grads for their ER, at least from time to time.
6. 

   What do you know about Obamacare?

   scott5698 replied to Brian's topic in Rock

   So far, there is nothing affordable about the ACA. I like some of the ideas in it, though I like the premise of the original idea brought forth by the Heritage foundation back in 1989. I don't think obamacare will improve healthcare since it was designed to reform health insurance. If you look at socialized medicine in other countries, there is worse care for more money and lots of inefficiency. I used and paid for healthcare for a couple years in the UK and I can tell you that most of the folks in the US have no clue what it will cost them or how much they are going to miss the old system, especially the 10,000/day retiring baby boomers. I have heard that it will add nurses because hospitals are going to transition to more acute care and the less acute care being farmed out to many more clinics, thus providing for more jobs. time will tell.
7. 

   Would you accept this call out excuse?

   scott5698 replied to motherof3sons's topic in Geriatric

   I've always operated under the policy that honesty counts. you don't call in sick if you aren't sick. you know when your days to work are, plan your life accordingly. I worked at one place that got so bad, they just eliminated sick days altogether for anyone not on salary. no work - no pay. if it became problematic, and it did pretty quickly, you just got fired. end of story. the folks fell in line pretty damn quick. I valued my job, so I only called out when it was really necessary, and because of this, I also earned some leeway with management. I think I called out sick less than a total of 7 days over 9 years.
8. 

   Job Fair Hints

   scott5698 replied to dnsonthego's topic in Job Assistance

   There is no shortage of nurses, especially here in Florida. I think the for profit nursing schools keep pushing this line just to make money. Florida pays about 21-25/hr for new nurses while many other states are far more. I think there are just too many of us out there, no employer has to pay more to get a body to fill the slot. Can you tell I'm a previous econ major? If there really was a shortage - meaning more slots than people to fill them - it would force the compensation to rise to get the best candidates, but it isn't happening, at least not here.
9. 

   Stop calling me sweetie! - How to get respect as a new nurse

   scott5698 replied to NurseBerter's topic in First Year

   I learned a long time ago not to worry about what someone called me. If its inappropriate, it will come out and reflect on them, probably at the worst possible time for them. If it does bother me, and it sometimes does, I stop the conversation RIGHT THEN and correct that person. It rarely happens a second time. When it does, I just inform them that if it happens again, I will make a formal complaint. I have never had to do that. people respond to expectations. set your expectations and then show you aren't messing around and things will fall into place pretty quickly.
10. 

    Rasmussen

    scott5698 replied to LizzSchaefer's topic in School Programs

    The land o lakes dean is no BS! if you are serious you will do well under her, she was at tampa when I started. I graduate in December and have passed the predictor test to graduate. Let us know what you decide!
11. 

    New RN Nursing Student

    scott5698 replied to rubyagnes's topic in General Students

    Its exciting and terrifying at the same time. I went back to school at 50. It can be done! Best advice I can give you is to do the work. all of it. those that struggled in my class were always working, tending kids, traveling, etc. instead of doing the work. Guess I'm old fashioned, but its worked for me. If you put the effort into it, you will do just fine. Best of luck to you!
12. 

    New Grad RN in Skilled Nursing/Rehab...5 days orientation?

    scott5698 replied to ISeeYouNurse13's topic in Nursing

    Well, someone should wake up the boards of nursing! I don't feel prepared either, mostly because we aren't. Maybe a little less time on papers and apa format and a little more on skills. Really tired of hearing "read the book" as the solution to everything. When you have crappy clinical sites, there isn't much you can do...
13. 

    Everyone is so secretive about pay? New nurse and I have no idea the average pay

    scott5698 replied to SWRNUSA's topic in Nursing

    Y'all can be mortified if you want, but listen up. I was in the business field prior, and had this inkling I was being underpaid, so I asked around. After just 5 years in the field, I found I was being shorted 25,000 PER YEAR! Don't care (for the most part) what others make, but I do get fired up at being robbed. Got a competing offer for well over that salary and convinced my employer to at least get in the game. I can tell you its never the same after that...but they are out of business and I'm still here, so apparently karma counts. Its not always about trying to one up each other, but about the employer taking undue advantage of employees and I have many other horror stories to share. I couldn't sleep at night sometimes knowing how my employer took advantage of others, especially when they were doing fantastic work. Do what's right and you'll sleep like a baby.
14. 

    New grads being rushed into "nursing maturity"

    scott5698 replied to PA_RN87's topic in First Year

    Man, this hits it on the head! Poor clinical sites with absent teachers, teaching that amounts to "read the book, you're in nursing school", and real restrictions on what we can actually perform at clinicals. I am one of those second career individuals and I find the attitude of some of my younger classmates appalling, yet I know experience will usually teach them just how awful their attitude was. I'm tired of hearing how my previous 25 years of experience and degree don't matter. I WANT to do the best job possible, realize that I'm limited by my experiences and loyal to those who teach/train/prepare me for the real world. If only we could get the corporations to realize it.
15. 

    Florida RN's

    scott5698 replied to reefgeek83's topic in Florida

    I am still in school, but I understand that most RN's get about 20-25 per hour unless you have experience - not sure how much you need. we moved here in '04. schools are rated A-F. there are few A schools in the tampa area - Hillsborough county. we moved near one - Newsome High School. Good school, but waaayyy to rule happy. Last son graduated a year early because he was sick of the BS at school. Nice area, nice beaches, our neighborhood has lots of stuff for kids to do - many pools, activities, etc. check out Fishhawk Ranch. Best of luck - moving is a pain.
16. 

    TO all the NCLEX PASSERS, I need helpp

    scott5698 replied to NewbyLPN's topic in NCLEX

    Our school uses ATI because they (the professors) all seem to say it has the best results; that practicing the questions is the key to passing nclex. my plan is to just keep taking the questions and reviewing the rationales until I really know them. we have to pass a predictor test before they will release us to take the nclex anyway. Do you have access to ATI? It is probably expensive if you don't already have access, but I would just keep doing a couple hundred questions a day, and if there is any way to focus them on the areas you are weak in, I'd do that. Best of luck to you!