Jesskanurse

Do any of you travel RNs have significant others who stay at home while you travel? I would love to travel but I have a boyfriend (we live together) who would have to stay home and work. I have heard varying opinions... from "you shouldn't leave him for long periods of time like that" to "if you travel you'll meet someone else" (yeah right)... to "just do what you want." I know this ultimately comes down to what he and I discuss and feel comfortable with, but I'm just looking for some personal experiences from other RNs to see if this does happen, and if it does, how does it work out? I guess I see travel nursing as something that mostly single people do. :) Thanks in advance, Jess

I think the thing that bothered me the most (and mostly the reason for posting it) was the fact that it basically calls us doctor's assistants. ***? You would think the people who write articles for Yahoo (a huge company) would be a little more educated than that.... ugh

http://education.yahoo.net/degrees/articles/featured_top_jobs_for_the_young.html Nurse The healthcare system is in the midst of a boom, and nurses are among those to benefit the most. Nurses assist physicians in examining patients and administering treatments. As medical care facilities become more impacted, nurses are increasingly called upon to act independently and perform a wider range of tasks. The learning curve is high, and opportunities for advancement abound for qualified candidates. Job Growth: 29% Median Pay: $59,800 Education Requirements: Qualification for nursing includes an associate's degree and RN certification, at minimum. Registered nurses who go on to a Bachelor or Master of Science in Nursing (BSN, MSN) or a master's in master's in healthcare administration will have their pick of nursing career options: patient care, case management, or healthcare administration. hmm...

She told me there isn't one RN in the total facility. I actually did sit down and teach them the rights and told them to get a drug book. Just very scary to me. She said no one there is a nurse. I asked her if she knows the signs of an allergic reaction and she's like, "haha... NO"

anyone??

My friend works at a group home for children with autism. She told me that she and her friend who also works there give PO meds on a daily basis to these children. (Seroquel, Risperdal, Lexapro, etc). She told me that they administer these drugs to the children and they got maybe 5 minutes tops on how to administer them. OMG, whats up with this?? She said they even have some sort of 'MAR' with the patients name and the med lists with the times to be given, etc. How is this legal? She said its scary to them because they dont even know what the drugs are for. ahhhh Just wondering. Thanks!

Just curious...what do you think the outlook is for ACNPs?? I am always going back and forth in my mind as to what route to go... Adult NP, Psych NP, Acute Care NP, PA, CRNA.... ahh!! I like them all.

Whats the difference between an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and an Emergency Nurse Practitioner?

Yes, you're right....lol....there are a lot of things wrong with this: First off, it's not Physician's Assistant, it's Physician Assistant. Singular. A PA does not belong to a physician, and too many people put that darned apostrophe 's' at the end. It doesn't belong there, period. $28/hour does not sound like a PA salary at all, it sounds more like an experienced RN salary. Some PAs were RNs first, but it is not a requirement (like it is for a Nurse Practitioner). There should never be an RN license requirement for a PA position. Whoever made this ad must be a little confused. It's all messed up. It sounds like they don't know the difference between an RN, NP, and PA. Where did you find this????

Noooooooo. My patient was not A) A 'drunk' or B) Drunk as in intoxicated. He was going through ETOH WITHDRAWAL. This is not a state of being intoxicated. This means he hasn't had a drink which is causing him to go into withdrawal. Please people lets read what I originally wrote. Please.

Oh, and thank you Sanctuary for your kind words. You made me feel better. I feel this way as well, but sometimes feeling something is much easier than proving it through your actions. (especially around much more experienced nurses)!

To elaborate on some questions from previous posters: This is a nurse who tends to get very dramatic very easily. If she asks for your help and you say yes but take a few more seconds to finish up what you're doing, she walks away in a huff saying forget it. This nurse has also had warnings for other things in the past (not for this specific type of action). Please... I really can't take more 'grow balls' comments. It's offensive. I feel like I'm getting yelled at by some posters... my goodness! Like I said before, it was almost like I didn't even have the chance to think of how to react with everything that was going on. Again, I am working on this and I know this skill will improve in time. Thank you all again.

Skin Esteem definitely caught my eye as well. Can I ask what education you need to be able to provide such services?? Good luck!

Maybe I didn't make my point very clear. I hhave no problem with the being firm part. I absolutely think it is important to be firm so as to protect safety of everyone. However, I did have a problem with referring to the patient as a "drunk."

Wow... I am just as guilty? That makes me really nervous. I mean, I did realize that it was wrong, I just don't have the 'coating' to bring it up right then and there to her face in front of everyone. I absolutely do not think nursing is a popularity contest. I dont know if anyone can understand how overwhelming it is sometimes for a newer nurse to be in that type of situation. I was trying to process everything within like 30 seconds of what I could say, what the potential things she'd say back to me, etc. and in the meantime I'm still getting things shouted to me from the hall from the nurse who had him on the floor who told me she'd finish up her report once he got up to ICU. I do have a lot of respect for the nurses who would be able to speak up like that. I am going to bring it up with my manager the next time I go to work.

I totally understand... I should have been more tough. I guess I was just wrapped up in the whole situation, there were at least 2 other nurses in the room, as well as security, a sitter, and I know the Nursing Supervisor, and Clinical Nurse Consultant was either right outside the room or just in the hallway. I dont know who did and who didn't see what I saw though. I think I was trying to prioritize in my head what I needed to do (since everyone had hyped me up for this patient) and since I'm fairly new, it's hard for me to balance everything at once. I will definitely work on that in the future though. Do you think it's too late to say something? This happened at least 2 weeks ago.

Recently I admitted a patient in 5 point restraints going through ETOH withdrawal who needed Ativan IVP. A coworker and friend was helping to secure one of his wrists and when the patient wiggled, she slapped him on the hand and said "NO." Right then, at that moment, I wanted to say something, but I bit my tongue. This isn't the first time I've felt guilty about not saying something. A couple months ago, a coworker was verbally demeaning an elderly and demented patient of mine by mocking her to her face, which really ticked me off and I really almost said something to her as well. I guess I just dont have the guts at the moment to say something. I guess I feel like since I'm one of the newest RNs there, that I will get crap for speaking out or criticizing something a more experienced nurse does. Also, the nurse I first mentioned is very very defensive and if I would have said something at that moment, I am quite positive she would have reacted in a 'dramatic way.' However, I am still feeling guilty. I guess I just needed to get it off my chest and hear what advice I could get from you guys. Thanks in advance to all who reply...

I know you don't want to feel 'stuck' by working somewhere for three years, but trust me, that first 1-2 years goes by QUICKLY. Honestly three years sounds bad when you want to get things done, but I would definitely think about it. Also, I didn't read all the posts but $40K for an ADN program is kind of ridiculous to me. I know you want to start and get it over with, but in the whole scheme of things a little waiting for saving that much money might be worth it to you. I owe $23,000 for my BSN program and I live near Chicago where we have kind of a high cost of living, just to put it in perspective. I just know how you feel with being anxious to start, but just make sure you aren't regretting it later :) Look into Perkins Loan as well! :) Jess

Ok... thank you very much for all the input so far. I do have one question though...what exactly IS case management? I honestly don't know. I like the idea of clinical sales better than pharm sales... but then again it's still sales. Basically I'm trying to figure out if I should stick with the Clinical route and go to PA or NP school, OR go business route and explore some of these avenues. Can anyone help guide me? Thanks!

I've only been a nurse for about a year now so forgive me if I sound stupid (haha). I enjoy what I do (ICU), but I am the type who is always thinking about what else is out there. I've heard of certain non-clinical type jobs such as Case Management/working for insurance companies. Besides these, are there any 'corporate world' type jobs that welcome those with nursing degrees? I've thought about pharm rep type jobs but I dont think I would want to do sales. Can anyone give me any ideas? Again, I like where I'm at, I just like to know what else is out there, and right now I feel clueless. Thanks!

Thank you for the nice answer. :)

Ok so I feel like I have to edit my original post since I dont want to look like an idiot. I have never been to Europe, nor do I have any european nurse friends. I am assuming that licensure would vary from country to country, but I honestly dont know. If this makes me an idiot, then so be it... but I'd still like to know from someone who has had experience with this because I am curious about it. geez...

Wow, simmer down there... no need to be rude to me. Shoot, they all have the same currency dont they? Thats why I asked the question. And no, I dont think currency has anything to do with nursing licenses. I'm not an idiot. If you dont have something nice to say, please dont say it at all. I'm sick of getting rude responses to my honest questions/responses on this forum.

Lets say I wanted to go move to Europe (lets say Spain or Germany) and I'm an RN here... what would I have to do to work as an RN there? Would it vary from country to country? I have no clue... and have always wondered if it were possible for me to work as a nurse in Europe.