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I should edit to say that my pay within my health system is equal whether in OR or WA. I'm not sure what other companies are offering. But I'm making 10$ an hour more than I was in Maryland so I am happy.

I was offered a position in both Portland and Vancouver and made the decision without doing too much research to live in Vancouver. I'm glad because my cost of living is lower, my pay is equal and I don't have 10% taken out of each check for income tax. If I want to shop tax free I can go across the river or show my oregon ID.

I gave two weeks at my last job and was put on the do not rehire list. Apparently I should have given 3. Good thing hell will freeze before I consider going back. Exciting times! Where on the east coast will you be?

I'm done here. I'm glad I don't know many people with such a lack of humor in real life. Ever heard of sarcasm? Susie, we are talking about a very specific type of behavior. Did you read the thread? I was trying to encourage the OP. If you're a bit dry that's too bad. But I'll explain it again: you can bet that I will have security throw everyone out of the room except for my patient, whom I will sedate as needed to prevent complications arising from being a cracked out, violent shell of a person. If you don't know what I'm talking about, lucky you. If that's you or your family I will not be offended if you ask for a different nurse. :)

Tokmom, I definitely agree. It's just easier to manage with 2 pts

OP, I know med surg is demanding and full of endless tasks, but I encourage to practice letting the callous ignorance of certain patients bounce off of you as if you have a firewall. Laugh at it instead, and thank God you are not them. I have to practice this on a regular basis and at one point I even had a piece of gauze in my mouth as a kind of bite block to keep me from clenching my teeth so hard. Haha. And get on meds for your BP if your doc says so. You can do this. The next three months will be easier as you know what to expect. Then go to ICU, where you can sedate them and kick the family out of the room.

OP, your decision to leave will of course hinge on how bad you want it. You may find a job with your experience that you want, or you may have luck with sub acute rehab or relocating. I think my turning point was when we had to code our charge nurse after she was punched in the face and knocked out with a head bleed in the middle of a rapid response. If your nose was bleeding and your health is suffering, I say there are better things in life. I call it ghetto. Who cares. It has to do with much more than racism and intolerance. I'm not white and I can see it for what it is.

As someone who worked in the inner city, was told by administration to 'not even stop at the red lights, just slow and go,' was nearly carjacked twice going to and from the hospital, and had my nose broken by patient violence, I support the OP in her need to change situations. My ICU had a k9 security team for the family and friends of the patients who frequently grabbed the bags of fentanyl off the pole and ran. Our hospital warned us that they would not be accountable for our decision to step outside for a walk, as the street people would look for scrubs and routinely assault and rob for iPhones. Sometimes you need a change, and calling it as it is may not be politically correct, but it could be accurate. I spent two years there and when my hair started falling out and we had saved enough I took the first job I got 3000 miles away, back home. I have a new sense of appreciation. By the way it's been heaven. OP, get out of there when you can.

I started on a medsurg floor after 7 years in LTC/subacute rehab/hospice (CNA-RN) and I was startled by the pace of things. I also had a hardcore preceptor and it was torture. Just buckle down, stay humble, and confidence will come. Fake it till you make it. Don't let families ruffle you. I still struggle with that as I feel I am surrounded by idiots at times but it's really not their fault. When you are out of your element you tend to reach for reassurance.

Like the others said, you know the important skills. You are coordinating care and prioritizing! Everything else can be taught on the fly. You are doing great, so lose the worry. I started out on in LTC as an LPN then subacute rehab then medsurg/Ortho and now I'm in critical care. No one has ever begrudged having to teach me a skill specific to the unit. I was horrible at drawing blood and starting IVs in the beginning (like incapable) and now I love it. A good preceptor or coworker will take the time to teach you in a comfortable environment so there is nothing to be concerned about.

Being able to wear sweatpants to work and then change into scrubs and then back into sweatpants when I'm done.

This is kind of ridiculous. If it's in your scope of practice and in your job description, what's the problem? If you are refusing on the grounds that you are 'higher than her' I would still see it as subversive and insubordinate and even counterintuitive to the purpose of AN, which is to support each other as nurses. I cringe to think of how you might view your contributions to the 'team.'

Strike 'a' from my sentence citing 'handfuls of grads'

GrnTea, Essentially, she will start with a license to learn just like everyone else when she passes her boards at the end of the program. That's what I meant. Not all new grads are the same; that is a precise and truthful distinction. Having lived and worked in Baltimore in close proximity to the Johns Hopkins University, I know more than a several handfuls of grads who interviewed and were weeded out based on more than just their school's name. Of course it is up to the OP; and by the way, OP congratulations on your acceptance to both programs! It's so competitive out there.

Hopkins is a brand name and they command big bucks to be part of their 'legacy.' However, I worked with many many JHU nursing grads who were unable to land a job even at the JHH or Bayview (affiliated) facilities despite it being their alma mater. This leads me to believe that the tangible benefits of paying such a huge sum of money for their education would equal that of pursuing the same education elsewhere. Personally, I would choose the cheaper school. Yes, it's a big name, but you'll be the same nurse as everyone else when it's over.

My least stressful job was as an LPN in a clinic for the students on a Job Corps campus. It was 8-5 M-Thurs. I had an hour long lunch break and would go take a nap in my car at the waterfront listening to sea lions and seagulls or walk the river walk that was less than 5 minutes from the facility. I did intake paperwork, saw students for complaints during walk-in hours in the morning and afternoon and escorted them to exam rooms for appointments with the doc or NP during the day. Once a week I would do the UA's for the new students. I coordinated the mental health program and worked with the psychiatrist and made sure the kids had their meds and was available during office hours for those having issues. One guy stabbed himself in the throat with a pencil and that was as stressful as it got. I was so sad when I left to go finish my associates. Back to the nursing home. That was work.

I should add that in the year I worked as an LPN I lived in a room above the garage of a little old lady whose family wanted someone there in case she had another stroke. It was only 300$ a month and all I had to do was peek in on her. If you could find a setup like that it could be worth the cost of ducking out of your lease. Even people willing to give you a room for some level of availability to a little old man/lady or couple.

These are all good ideas. I drove a POS car and worked doubles on the weekends and shifts wherever I could and used student loans. I ended up taking a year off to work as an LPN so I could pay for the next year. You are so close. There will always be someone out there willing to share the rent with you even if it's a one bedroom. Last year when we started Dave Ramsey's debt elimination program we downsized big time. Gave my husband's Camaro back even though we had to pay 2k out of pocket but it was worth it to not have that car payment. We moved into the basement of my friends house who was a single mother and for a year we lived in one room with no kitchen or bathroom of our own. I had the duty of cleaning the bathroom we shared with three teenage boys. It was traumatic. But it's been a year since we started and we've hacked off almost 30k of debt. I know the stress that you are experiencing is as well. I wish you all the best.

Two years ago we had a movie star in her 60s come to my floor in Baltimore for treatment by a renowned foot and ankle surgeon. There was extra security including someone posted by her door to make sure no one but her nurse or our nurse manager got in. Techs could not come in and our manager catered to her. Her nurses were hand picked and they reduced the normal ratio from 1:5-6 to 1:2 for those lucky nurses. Not a single nurse chosen was black or brown. We were all pretty offended. I'm Mexican and was out of luck, but by the time I realized how it worked I didn't care to catch a glimpse of her anyway.

Well, you may find yourself having to choose a nursing home depending on how the market is doing when you finish. But once you have experience you'll be able to get where you want to be. Long term and skilled nursing nurses work incredibly hard and master their time management skills. I wouldn't be so quick to eliminate a valid option for gainful employment. Good luck!

So RT and RN prerequisite are the same. If you are just starting them you should have some time to further consider your options. RNs make more money and have more jobs available to them than RTs in the Pacific Northwest so I think it's a pretty simple decision. If you want to work Nicu then you should plan on continuing to your bsn after the two year program since it is a very competitive field. I do think that it would be better to go the community college route though, because the other poster is right about those tech schools and sometimes misleading statements about credit reciprocity.

Yes you can always do an online Rn-bsn but with rt a Bachelors won't equate to much. In my opinion you can do much more with an RN and being open to continuing ed

Do nursing. I'm near PDX and make almost 20$ an hour more than my husband, who is an RT at OHSU. You'll find a job.

Do you clench your teeth or chew gum all day/night? I grind my teeth when asleep and clench them when I'm awake. Hurts. Good luck

Congrats! Best of luck to you!