West_Coast_Ken

Well it does take a LONG time to get hired. The position I applied for had a closing date of January 22, 2010. I was interviewed Feb 3. I've been doing their "additional paperwork" (referal verification, VetPro, etc) since they said they were interested in hiring me (no written offer yet, however). Just yesterday I finally had my pre-employment physical and fingerprinting. Still awaiting on the drug screen, TB test, oh...yeah, and the official offer. Way slow... Don't hold your breath and don't give up! Ken, RN 1 year Cardiac Floor 1 year Trauma ER 1 year Intermediate/Neuro

Checking the link on the VA Travel Nurse Corps web site for "Open Positions" returns the following message: "We're sorry. You cannot apply to this job as it has been removed from the site." So it appears the hiring freeze is here, also. Additionally, these positions are (were) temporary assignments, not a full time job with benefits, etc.

Hi Pacificwhales, Thank you for the well (whale?) wishes! I'm moving downstairs to the ER next week so I begin orientation all over again, but at least I have the cardiac part of ER pretty well under my belt (I know the basics, can read a rhythm, know cardiac meds, etc). Regarding moving back to Redding, CA in Telemetry or any other position there simply are ZERO jobs here at either of the two hospitals in town. Census is off about 40% from last year, overtime is forbidden, and even the local college RN grads were offered NO jobs this recent class and it is going to get worse as the economy gets worse. I'm sorry to share this bad news. There might be RN jobs in other areas (SNF, Rehab hospital, dialysis, etc) but even those are likely to be impacted due to no jobs at the hospitals. PM me if you have further questions. Ken

Bingo, it's called a union. However, don't get all excited. Hospitals are strong and agressive, too (ever notice?). Try to find someone to clean a pt (CNA) or even a damn janitor to clean a room. They have cut support staff to near z-e-r-o and demand the RNs to all that crap (literally). I take care of the pts, but I refuse to do janitoral work. That damn trash can just fall out into the halls for all I care. I have never emptied a trash can and it's my goal to never, EVER do it, either. :angryfire

Same at our hospital. All critical labs, which include cardiac enzymes, are called to the floor from our lab. We then have 15 minutes to report these to the MD following that pt (I know, we don't always call, it depends if it's the second/third and if it's trending up or down and what the pt's condition is and what the last set of orders were, etc...oh, yeah, and if it's 3:00 am or not...) How in the world can a busy RN just keep poking into the computer system just to see if the labs have been drawn and when they are completed? This is a design for desaster in my opinion.

Even if you are not a "cardiac girl"?? How about the "cardiac boys"? I thought it was very funny. Regards, Ken (a cardiac guy)

Be careful, be very careful when using any product. READ the manufacturer's instructions and FOLLOW them. We had a pt who had a Fem-Stop applied and it was contraindicated (don't know the specifics; I was not involved) but I did attent the staff meeting where this product was discussed and the mfgr specifically states in their literature what should and should not happen when using this product. Know and FOLLOW their guidelines.

a map will tell you distance but won't tell you a thing about actual commute times. if you are working 12 hour shifts you might get lucky and miss the horrendous traffic problems on one side of your shift but not on both sides. a commute from sf to santa clara can easily be a 1½ hour drive one way (or longer in bad weather or an accident) leaving one quite frazzled just from the drive alone. it's not pretty on bay area highways almost anytime (day or night or weekends). if your husband is working in santa clara my suggestion is you strongly consider living and working in the south bay area to start unless you enjoy "combat" commuting for a couple hours (round trip) each work day. good luck to you and welcome to the land of nurse to patient ratios!

hi gitterbug, i don't know where this notion came from (probably docs) but just because docs aren't on the payroll and nurses are, doesn't change the overall picutre of profits for a business. the only reason i jumped on this one is it sets up the idea we're in the way of profits for the health care system and that's crazy. no business can earn a profit without expenses--none. no hospital can earn a profit without nurses--none!! why do docs, hospital administrators and, sadly, some nurses think since the nursing part of the income statement lands on "expenses", we're in the way of profits? someone needs to take a business 101 course. i suspect docs and admins think nurses don't know basic business economics and it appears some do not. i also agree with sue-bee's comment we're the ones putting up with these ideas and we need to stick together. regards, ken p.s. as for the tag line, it's as much a reminder to myself as it is a statement.

that is utter nonsense! pts bring the money to the hospital, not doctors. also, pts are in the hospital for nursing care, they can be seen by their docs anywhere, but they can only receive nursing care in the hospital (except for home health, i know...) stop putting others on a pedestal and they might not think they are superior.

Just graduating soon here, but I think you'd see a lot of stroke pts. It could be any kind of neuro issues that require telemetry, too.

Hi Cattitude, no flame here but another perspective. If someone is in so much pain, sick, hurting, depressed, etc, that they want to KILL themself, is it possible they can not think of the pain of others, too? This is why the use of the word "selfish" is upsetting to me. These people are so sad they can't save themselves, let alone feel for others. Sometimes people who commit suicide feel their family and friends would be better off if they were gone. That is twisted and wrong, but hardly seems "selfish" to me in the least. Finally, when one is taken to this horrible, final act, it seems perfectly understandable to do it at home which is where we do most of what we do in life: in those surroundings that are most comfortable to us.

You are quite welcome. Few people saw this movie in the theaters because it wasn't shown for very long and only in a handful of theaters. I haven't seen the documentary nor did I see the 20/20 piece but I have heard the buzz about it and rather than focus on the topic of suicide, the story about The Bridge seems to be more "How dare he?" Such a sad commentary on such an important issue. I drove across the Golden Gate just yesterday and it was a lovely day. It never occured to me that some of those people out on their walk might have been thinking of suicide.

i am stunned by how few posts there are to this thread in over one month. suicide is a serious and large issue and for the most part no one wants to discuss it or if they do it is given a quick comment and nothing more. i am looking forward to finally being able to watch a documentary about suicide titled "the bridge" by director eric steel and i'm sure i'll cry like a baby when i do. the dvd will be out june 12th. for more on the movie: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809424483/info regards, ken

i feel for you. i've had many group projects in college and i hate these almost as much as finals. there really isn't anything you can do but keep reminding them over and over the deadline is coming due and hope they come through on their end. it's a shame colleges feel the need to create these silly group scenarios. they're nothing like the many years i worked in large corporations on projects. a real project has something called a project leader and they crack the whip when necessary. a group project done by committee is a recipe for disaster.

I just want to add to what swtooth said: the reason isotonic D5W becomes hypotonic in the body is because the glucose is broken down once it is in the body by insulin so this is not an immediate change but it does happen quickly.

oh, please. another "conspiracy theory"? the only reason i even take up this issue is because when my son was diagnosed with add (not adhd) i did tons of research and attended lectures by nationally recognized mds on the subject and had to wade through tons of junk science in the process. if avoiding twinkies would have "cured" my son i would gladly have fed him carrot sticks instead, but this isn't the cause, and thus can't be the cure, for add/adhd and i can't sit by and not object when i hear this old saw. those who are suffering with add/adhd in their lives deserve to hear the truth and the nonsense claiming "it's just a diet problem" does them a huge disservice on many levels.

The Feingold diet has been discredited YEARS ago in more than one study. If someone's "ADHD" is "cured" by this method, then they had a food allergy, NOT ADHD (and this is extremely rare anyhow). Those touting this old, tired, incorrect notion ("it's the diet") do plenty to harm sufferers of ADHD from pursuing a meaningful, scientifically proven method of treatment.

Good for you!! No one deserves to be yelled at by anyone. I'm not quite there yet, but I didn't work this hard to be any whipping boy for an arrogant SOB. The ones that crack me up are the "Oh, I don't want to call the doctor in the middle of the night" whines. I worked for 15 years in IT and got called FREQUENTLY in the middle of the night and I made a fraction of what docs make. If you don't want to make the call, please, LET ME!!!! :lol2:

If this worked for your son, he did NOT have ADD/ADHD and you are quite right this is a "quack" thing as you said--period.

Here's a link to a story and picture of a 19 year old student. Not sure if it's the same story as you mention, but it's pretty powerful. http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2005/12/07/local_news/02news.prt

Wow, I don't know whether to say "Thanks" or cry. This stuff is giving me a headache already! Honestly, Thank You!

Nope.

Yippie! I've accepted a position as a New Grad RN (I graduate in May) in a 12 bed Cardiac Telemetry unit at Mercy Medical Center Redding, CA. Just wanted to share this news. Ken

The two hospitals in Redding are: Shasta Regional Medical Center and Mercy Medical Center Redding. They're both about 250 bed hospitals (give or take a few).