bugya90

I'm a clinic charge nurse. I second what others have said about hospital care not being the end all be all of nursing. I have some inpatient experience but the vast majority of my career has been in ambulatory. If the 8-5 hours are what you are aiming for then clinic nursing is great! there is a lot of autonomy and it is a different set of skills compared with what your would use inpatient (telephone triage and advice being a big one). Also not having a "code team" so if something happens you and your co-workers are it and not all of your co-workers will be fellow RNs (clerical staff, medical assistants, LVN/LPNs, lab techs, etc have all assisted in emergency situations in the clinic). The part that worries me about your post is the being able to leave in the middle of the day for your kids. Obviously you will have vacation days you can request in advance but depending on coverage these requests are not guaranteed. I try not to deny vacation requests but it does happen as I still have to appropriately staff my clinic. Also keep in mind you will have to request vacation for everything if you work Mon-Fri whereas with the hospital or NH schedule you can sometimes still work full time hours with day(s) off during the week (kids need check-ups? vacation time. family visiting? vacation time. going for a long weekend trip? vacation time.) I am the only RN in my clinic (primarily staffed with LVNs and CMAs) so if there is a procedure scheduled that requires a RN (such as a central line dressing change) I have to be here or the patient has to get rescheduled. If you are in a similar situation you may also not be allowed to leave work in the middle of the day due to coverage. Just something to keep in mind.

You should be able to contact your translator service and have them translate the message for you. You can also use Google translate. We use this occasionally for generic patient e-mails. I wouldn't recommend it for any PHI but for the generic "Hey we have received our flu vaccines, come get your shot" type of messages it works well.

I am a RN. I am the Charge Nurse in my clinic with 6 LVNs and 3 CMAs. However on paper our clinic manager (who is not a nurse) is the direct supervisor for all of us. Everyone "reports" to the Clinic Manager. I handle any in house clinical issues, daily staffing needs, etc. The clinic manager handles any HR or payroll issues. We also have a Nurse Manager off-site who handles clinical competencies and any charge nurse issues for the 8 clinics in our group but she does not have any direct report employees. I agree with you that I would not be comfortable reporting clinically to someone with less training or licensure than me. She could be your supervisor for HR but clinically the MD would need to be the supervisor.

There aren't many so you will have to really hunt for them. I am the only RN in my clinic and was 1 of 2 RNs at my previous clinic (the other RN had been there for 20 years). Keep in mind that because there aren't many jobs they tend to be competitive so management can be picky with applications. I do the peer to peer interviews for our sister clinics when they have a RN opening and many managers are very particular about what they want (no new grads, previous clinic or acute care experience, previous charge nurse experience, etc). With that said, make sure your resume and cover letter is spell checked and professional. I've seen them skip over application due to poorly written resumes. I found my current position by going to the company website and applying directly to the job posting, not by going through Indeed or any of the other job search websites. Go to the bigger hospital organizations websites near you and see if they own any outpatient clinics and start applying to job openings that way.

KatieMI, I am so sorry for what you have experienced. As others have said, please get a lawyer and contact any programs she has applied to. She knowingly and intentionally exposed you to something you have a life-threatening allergy to. This was not an accident, this was pre-mediated. At the minimum I would think it is assault, if not attempted murder. She (or her father) should at least pay your medical bills at the minimum in addition to any lost wages. You will be doing the world a favor by ensuring this person is not able to become a healthcare provider. I am concerned about her mental state as well and am thinking a psych evaluation may be warranted, might be something for you to discuss with your lawyer.

If you don't have children or other obligations holding you in your current area, I see make the move. It is terrifying to move away from your parents and the support system that you grew up with, however it will also help you grow as a person in the long run. If you can land your "dream" new grad position in Georgia and have family members who are willing to open their home to you I say go for it! You will meet new people and make new friends in Georgia. If after 1-2 years you just hate it, you can always move back home with some work and life experience which will help you get a new job. One of the best things about nursing is how versatile and mobile you can be if you want to be. I would recommend really thinking about what field of nursing most interests you. As others have said L&D and Hospice are worlds apart. You can always change your specialty later, but it would be best to figure out which you like most and start down that road. If you really have no idea, 1-2 years of Med/Surg may help you decide since you can see a little of everything (except L&D unless you are at a small facility maybe).

It depends on your long term career goals. Since you say you want to do ER or ICU in the future, I would recommend you stay or try to find another inpatient job. Though other inpatient units may require 1+ years of RN experience and/or BSN. However 10-12 patients at night is a bit extreme. Are all the units in your hospital like this or just the one you are currently on? How is the management, do they help at all? I was similar to you. Had been a LVN in ambulatory for several years and went to inpatient when I finished my RN. I knew right away inpatient was not for me and went back to Ambulatory after 10 months. I will probably never be able to go back to inpatient but that is fine with me as my heart is in Ambulatory.

I have been in your shoes. I took the scenic route to my BSN. Graduated with LVN in 2011, RN in 2017, and BSN earlier this year. My advice: Get it over with! I regret waiting so long to finish up. It is mentally exhausting and frustrating no matter if you wait or go straight into it. However, now that I am done I have free time again and it is so nice not having school hanging over my head.

I second the scribe in ER if you are able. It will help expose you to more of the provider side of healthcare and show you more of the duties you will be performing as a PA. Depending on the ER schedule, it may even allow you to continue to work some during PA school (some ERs have staggered start times instead of just 7-7). You could also apply to be a tech in the ER. Sometimes ER techs have very different duties from the CNA duties on the floor. I would try to stay in a healthcare related field if you feel like you can't keep the CNA job until next Fall. It will look better on applications in the future as a new grad to show you do have X years of experience in healthcare and that your are not a "job hopper." Good luck and Congratulations on PA School!

I would be vary cautious of working as a LVN with a RN license. I was a LVN for several years before I went back to school for my RN so I understand the draw for it. However, many Boards of Nursing frown on this from a liability stand point. You will be working in a LVN role (along with the limitations placed upon that role by the employer) but if something were to go wrong you will be expected to critically think as a RN. If something terrible were to happen (sentinel event, etc) you will be held liable to your highest licensure (RN) regardless of your current job role. Similar reasons why many nurses (LVNs & RNs alike) do not like working as CNAs when units are short staffed. If "stuff" hits the fan, they will be expected to act as a nurse, not an aide and held liable to the nursing standards. Apply for every RN job you think you may want or be able to live with for 1-2 years. Even if it says experience preferred, apply anyway. the worse they can do is say no. Set up the interviews with SNF and HH and see what they are about. If you don't like what your hear/see at the interview then you can always decline any potential offer. Also apply for those new grad residencies, even though they may not start until February (not preferred but you can work seasonal retail if you need the income between now and then.)

You are still young and hopefully will have a long career ahead of you. the current trend is pushing for more BSNs (rather it is warranted or not). With that said, it may be mandatory for you in 10 years to get your BSN for your employer. I am 30 and just finished my BSN a few months ago. I'm still in my same job (that I love) although I did get a small raise for the BSN. I don't want to go back into management at this point. However, I know I still have 30+ years of working ahead of me. I got my BSN now so I wouldn't have to do it later basically. I'd rather suffer through school now than when I'm in my 50's/60's when it could be come mandatory if the current trends hold up. If you were older and closer to retirement I would say the BSN is not worth it. However, like me, you probably have 20-30+ years ahead of you. Yes it is a lot of research papers and can be mentally exhausting. However, most online programs can be completed in 1 year or less if you go full time. Many employers offer tuition assistance and some schools offer discounted rates if you work for an a partnered institution. Check with your employer and see if you get an education assistance and also apply for FASFA. Being a single mom you may qualify for aid.

As a manager I never used Linked In or any other social media/networking platform. Our recruiters would sometimes look up a person's social profiles as part of the vetting process but I personally never did. However, our recruiters vet the person and do a phone screening before I ever received the application so I had no reason to dig into their social media accounts as the recruiter had already provided me with any of that information. I cared more about their resume, the person showing up on time for the interview, and being dressed appropriately.

I work in a Family Medicine clinic as a Wellness Nurse. Mon-Fri, no weekends or holidays. Occasionally I have to stay late if it has just been one of "those days." However the majority of the time I am home at a decent hour. Pros: Set schedule, no weekends, no holidays, supportive work environment and managers Cons: Having to use PTO for personal appointments, little to no chance for OT shifts, traffic since you will be on the road at the same time as the other 8-5 workers, base pay is comparable to what I made in Med-Surg but I don't get any of the shift differentials so my take home pay is lower.

Personally it would not bother me one bit as a nurse. However, I would not flaunt it with your fellow med students. You don't want to put an unintended target on your back. Med school is tough enough without drama from other students. However as others have said, your experience may come up in conversation and I would not hide it when it is brought up.

Any unused pre-drawn vaccine should be tossed at the end of the work day per CDC policy. Also if you read the vaccine insert that come with the shipments the manufacturers have specific guidelines in regards to how long a vaccine is good for once drawn (some are very short and some are 8-10 hours).

This happened frequently with our old EHR system. Is still happens occasionally now with the new one (Epic) but no where near as often. Majority of the time it is a computer or internet problem, sometimes on clinic end and sometimes on pharmacy end. Keep a log of which pharmacies are not receiving the Rx. If there seems to be one pharmacy (or one chain) that is standing out, your manager or medical director may be able to set up a meeting with the PIC to see if they can find the issue.

Speaking from manager experience, no your manager does not have to work around your school schedule just because Suzie from the next unit did so for her employee. Every unit and every manager is different. The best thing to do is find out what your actual school schedule will be (don't base it off someone else's, get your schedule from your advisor) and then go talk with your manager. The worst thing she can do is say no in which case you can start job hunting or start asking your co-workers if they would be willing to trade shifts with you. Scheduling and staffing was one of the hardest parts of that job. No one fully understands the headache that a manager goes through until you get handle it first hand.

RUN! I worked on a M/S Renal and Cardiac overflow unit for a while. We maxed out at 6 and our Charge usually did not take patients but on the rare occasion she did she was maxed at 2. It was tough but manageable most days. Our unit management would come help out during the day shift when needed (especially at med pass times) and at night the hospital supervisors made rounds on all the units to help as needed. I promise not all M/S units are bad. If you truly love being a M/S nurse there are plenty of hospitals that would love to have an experienced nurse like you. However if you are tired of M/S and the high volumes/acuity there are tons of other specialties out there. You could also look at the outpatient world too. I am now in ambulatory care and loving it. The hourly base pay is more for my ambulatory job than it was hospital but I don't get any shift differentials and rarely have OT so I don't bring home as much most weeks. Have a long discussing with your wife, look at your budget, polish up the resume and take the leap of faith. With your experience, I don't think you will have a problem landing a new job. Research the places you are applying to and ask around about their reputations. Nursing is a small world and you most likely know someone who used to work there ? Good luck!

We have a protocol for lab order for DM. A1c every 3-6 months depending on previous result (if above 8 then 3 months, if below 8 then 6 months), Micro albumin yearly, BMP/CMP and Lipid screening every 6 months. We can also refer for DM eye exam yearly. We can refer to Podiatry for a yearly DM foot exam as well, however most of our PCPs will do the foot exam in office at the follow-up. We do not have protocol for initiating any medications as that requires prescriptive authority and evaluation by a provider. Keep in mind there are many different statins and there are risks with any medication. Our providers use the AVSCD risk score to determine statin appropriateness. For nursing to order, the patient must be an established patient at our clinic, brand new patients must be seen by PCP prior to labs. The patient must have been seen within the past 6 months or have an upcoming follow-up appointment scheduled with our clinic. We require our patients with DM to be seen every 3-6 months so it is usually not an issue.

I started out with the classic III. I used it through nursing school and my first 6 years of practice. The tubing finally wore out 2 years ago and I had to get a new one and opted for a lightweight classic II which is more than adequate for my job now. The classic III can be a little heavy around your neck so I would suggest cargo pants so you aren’t having to wear it all the time. I would also suggest having your name engraved on it as stethoscopes tend to walk away. Ive used a cardio one and an electronic one before. Both are really nice but I wouldn’t suggest either for a student. They pick up every little sound and as a student it can be hard to distinguish what you are actually hearing. The Classic III is great for a student or a nurse on a general med sure unit. Once you finish school you may need to upgrade if you end up on a specialty unit like ICU, Peds, etc

Yes they can. It depends on how your employer is set up. Medical Assistants at my clinic report to the charge nurse (RN) who hires and fires all nursing staff for the clinic (RN, LVN, CNA, and medical assistants).

I'm in Texas. The spot where you sign on the form is just you witnessing that the patient or legal guardian is in fact the person signing the form. Obtaining informed consent is the providers responsibility. The nurse just witnesses the signature, that's it. I always ask did Dr "Smith" talk to you about X procedure, did you have any further questions, are you still willing to have this procedure done? As long as all of those are good then I have patient sign and I sign that I witnessed their signature.

Don't ask about pay at the interview. With all of my managers that has been a big negative. If/when they decide to offer you a position the HR person or manager who contacts you will offer the pay/differentials and that is when you can try to negotiate a bit. Have an idea going in if the pay range you expect so when they do call you are not caught off guard. At the end of the interview we typically tell the candidate that we will be making our decision within the next couple of weeks and should hear something by X day. If we want to hire the person we contact HR the next day to start their process but it can sometimes take them a couple of days to reach out. If they don't offer up this info at the end of the interview just ask when you may hear something from them when they ask if you have any more questions for them.

Great! I'm happy it all worked out.

I grew up around firearms and own multiple firearms myself as an adult. I knew growing up not to touch the gun safe or play with any of my parents guns or ammo. I don't remember my parents ever having a specific discussion about it, just something I grew up knowing (guessing it was ingrained early in in my childhood). Today my guns are locked in a safe. It's called responsible gun ownership. I live in the south in a hunting and farming community. I work in Pedi. I educate all of my parents about gun safes and gun locks when they check yes on "is there a firearm in the home?" question on the intake forms. A vast majority tell me their guns are already locked up, very few say they don't own a gun safe of some sort. I am a firm believer in the 2nd amendment, however I am also for smart gun control. A big step would be enforcing the laws and restrictions that are already in place before trying to add mountains more of legislation. I am in the camp of try to pry the gun from hands, however there is a very long road before we as a country get to that point.