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I'll never forget having a flex sig and not being able to have any medication due to other conditions. The male nurse held my hand and told me to squeeze all I needed. He never whimpered although I clearly saw marks on his hand afterward. I honestly don't think that I could have survived without him.

I totally understood what you meant, JC0C0, and thought it a great response. Just goes to show....

This sounds like me! I was an Army wife who went back to school at age 50, graduated with my ADN three years later. I've been working as a floor nurse for 6 years, love it! Yes it's hard on my back, but it's what I wanted to do. I'm in school now for my BSN. You shouldn't ever stop if you want something. Your maturity will be an advantage to a future employer; at least, that's what my first employer told me. And it's moved me up the ladder. I have no regrets!!

Congrats on the new job. You have a great opportunity to learn a lot! I'm not familiar with that company, but am familiar with other companies that keep high obs patients. The CMS rules are changing for LTACs so the acuity that you will see in all the patients will be higher. However, you probably won't be given the vent patients without warning, training or experience. The advantage to LTACs is that you have an RT with you for those patients, maybe two RTs to the floor depending on the acuity. I've been in LTAC for six years and love it.

Viva, I'm so sorry! Praying for you and your family.

I'm about to turn 59 & am feeling no outside pressure to complete my BSN. However, I have been experiencing a strong desire to finish my education, to finish what I started with my ADN. As well, I want to have more options as I'm getting too old to be flipping these larger patients, no matter how fit I am. So I'm starting my BSN at Colorado Tech University next week. I'm nervous, but the reason that I chose this program is simple. It's less than $13,000, it's all online, and it doesn't require a new biology or chemistry class. I just can't do a in-class lab with my schedule. I've looked into all the mentioned programs & many more. I'm just hoping that I can do this. It's been many years since I did the formal writing thing, and I know I've forgotten all the formatting rules. Time to buckle down!

ixchel, beautiful post! I learned that I'm way more excited about starting my BSN than I thought I would be. I learned that speaking up when a co-worker is getting himself in deep doodoo is well worth the risk. I also need to do a better job of not getting emotionally attached to my long-term patients. And boy, I wish I could learn to have a better filter on my expressions!! Evidently no poker face here!

Oh, Far! So sorry for your loss. Prayers!

Im so sorry!

I've been in LTAC for over five years and I love it!! Like mentioned before, there is a wide variety in types of patients. And the CMS rules are changing so that the acuity will be higher. You'll learn so much! I've worked for Select, too, as well as two other LTACs. (I haven't moved, the hospitals have!) If you want, PM me and tell me about your new job. I'd be interested in knowing where & who & comparing notes.

Come on, Far! I'm way out in West Texas, but you're welcome to visit anytime 😊

I've read this posting religiously for a long time, but this is my first time posting. So here goes... 1. I've learned that no matter how long I've been nursing, something will come along that will make me feel like a new grad. 2. I've been worried about the toll that floor nursing is taking on my 58 yr old body, but Im not ready to leave the floor quite yet. Too much to learn. 3. The title 'Charge Nurse' doesn't entitle you to take charge - of everything, every time. 4. That even though I know I need to get my BSN, if not my MSN (see #2), it's really hard to get motivated to do so while working two jobs, (with house, husband, addict son, custody problems with grandkids, etc). Not to sound whiny, I know I can do it, just need to get off my butt. 5. I really, really appreciate the nurses who post on here for their advice, honesty, humor & the chance to 'let our hair down'!

And probably doesn't gag when you talk about procedures being done, cool wounds, or anything thing else that goes on at work! I am not allowed to have coworkers for dinner anymore! LOL

We are every other weekend, same as OP. I hate it. But unless you're in a specialty unit or in school & need accommodation, that's the way it is at all 5 hospitals in the area. So we all just deal. The 3 12s in a row are tough on this old body, but I do it. Just hate missing my grandkids games & activities. One thing that helps me is to never wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. My feet just aren't as tired at the end of the day when I rotate shoes. But we still work days through the week, too. That's not it for the week, unfortunately. Our weeks end Saturday at midnight.