llb_rn

I didn't grow up dreaming of becoming a nurse... 10 years ago, if you had asked me who Florence Nightingale was, I probably would've guessed she was a Disney character. I decided to become a nurse out of dire necessity and an emotional breakdown when I realized that there were no open doors in my previous career choice… They told me that if I became a nurse that I would have job security, that I would make a decent living, and that I would take care of sick people. That was enough for me to enroll in nursing school... Even during nursing school it didn't hit me.... You know when it hit me?? Falling in love with nursing hit me the first time I ever sat with a patient and let him hold my hands and cry on my shoulder. It hit me when we got a pulse back on a coding asthmatic who was blue.... It hit me when a patient bought me flowers because he made my life a living hell a few days before.... It hit me when I walked my patient out the door today after having her nearly dead on pressors and intubated three days before. It's hard to STAY in love with nursing.... It's kind of like having to blindly eat a skittle out of a bag every day at work when you only REALLY like the red ones.... You put up with the orange and purple ones... You don't mind the yellow and green ones... but when you get a red one you are in your happy place!!! That's how my life is.... Today was my red skittle day and it made up for my crappy orange skittle yesterday.... Get it?!

I would love to, but it isn't that easy. I'm married and my husband's job is a tough field... We kind of have to go where the jobs are for him since I can get a job just about anywhere. We do still have our house in California being rented out, but I just don't think it's in the cards for us to move back. Both of our families are midwest/east coast and at the time, we were the only folks in our families living out west. Who knows, maybe we will move back someday. We both loved it!

I knew we should have stayed in California.... If I had known as a new nurse that the rest of the U.S. treated their nurses like scum, I would never have left California several years ago. I had it made out there- good salary, great benefits (403b matching was great, PTO accumulated at like 8hrs/pay period, maternity leave was good, my health insurance was free, had an EAP that allowed me 5 free counseling sessions for my husband and me)... If only I had known then what I know now...

Just wondering if anyone has dealt with being pregnant on assignment and needing some sort of maternity leave after delivery. What are my options?

I'm not entirely comfortable revealing details about my assignment... I'm sure you can find it if you browse job websites. I just don't know what to do once my contract ends....? I think I will be renewed for the full 9 months but what do travel nurses do after that? I'm not really looking to go back to staff when I can be making three times the pay I made as a staff nurse. I remember reading somewhere that in order to keep your tax home status, you can't travel for more than XX months. Is that true? Where are ya, NedRN?

They followed through, my paychecks are just a touch lower, probably bc they estimated my claiming 1 on taxes when I purposefully claimed zero since I don't know what to expect this next tax season! I'm on my third week and things are good so far! No complaints!

Nope and nope! Contract is in writing, no whammies here! Also, I wouldn't be floating at all... Actually, the manager said that PICU travelers aren't allowed to float from their unit! I'm lucky to have gotten a pretty decent gig :)

I work full time in a large PICU right now and from the interview, it seems like my PICU experience is perfect. Oddly, PICU is easier to me than adult ICU. I am in a level 1 trauma center and we are a huge, very reputable Children's hospital. I've seen some cool stuff. I'm just still so dumbfounded that I'll be making more in Ohio than I would in California! I wonder why? Is it the demand? I mean, Ohio isn't exactly the most ideal place to spend your winter, especially if you're not used to the weather. From the sounds of it, I won't be taking the immediate post-op transplant patients and I won't be allowed to float to other units... Rock on!! I can do trachs, vents, pressors, PD, post-op ENT/general/ortho surgeries and any kind of invasive monitoring... that's my cup of tea. The manager said they don't get much other than those anyway. I'll post later to give updates on the assignment itself, just to see if it turns out to be "too good to be true." I just signed my contract today and I start next month. I'm just excited to get to pay off my consumer debt and student loans!!!

Hello fellow RNs, So I'm new to traveling (~4 years ICU experience, a little PICU experience). I had my heart set on traveling to California where I'd worked before and enjoyed. My California offers were usually $1300-1600/wk take home in southern CA. But recently I was contacted by a recruiter on my LinkedIn page offering me a PICU assignment in Ohio for over $2000/wk! What??? I just got my contract and it seems legit enough... $38/hr taxable, $76/hr OT/holidays, 36hrs/wk, not taking benefits. Housing stipend is $1050/wk. Not too shabby I think... The hospital is great, and cost of living is inexpensive and I've already found a place to live within 10 min of the hospital. 1. Why am I getting paid more in Ohio than I would be paid in California?? It just doesn't make sense! 2. Are there things I should watch out for? I've never brought home this kind of money before! 3. Any tips on how not to mess this up? I need this job!

Thanks, NedRN... What have you found to be the best way to find these turnkey furnished apartments?

Does anyone know how much agencies usually pay per week or per month on extended-stay hotels? It seems like the best thing for my situation, but only if it is discounted. I can't/won't pay $300 per week that these places advertise. And also, does anybody recommend a specific hotel? Or have you had any good experiences with other living situations?

Hi fellow nurses! So I am soon getting submitted for a job in Cleveland making about $2000/wk after taxes. I'm not familiar with the area at all, and the hospital is near Case Western University. I'm trying to figure out whether it makes more sense to stay in an Extended Stay Hotel or find a room/sublet in the area. I don't want to be more than a 25 min drive from the hospital. Is there anyone that has been to Cleveland and have suggestions on specific Extended Stay hotels or nice areas? Also, what is the best way to find hotel deals? I've gone to the individual websites but they don't really give me the cost breakdown... and I don't exactly know if I feel comfortable living with roommates since I'll likely be working nights and need to sleep during the day. I'm also married so my husband needs to know that I'm safe. Anybody know the Cleveland area? Are there any hotels/apartments that have covered parking since it'll be in the winter?

Does the agency pay the RN for orientation? Is it usually included in the contract length or is it additional? (For instance, 13 wks + 1wk orient)