armychris

I'm very familiar with the teaching prospects in the bay area - My mom is a professor who trains student teachers/credentials teachers. Teaching jobs are not difficult currently, particularly in the SF Unified School District. The school district is so desperate currently that they are taking people on their word, that is, people who claim they have a license to teach and don't. My mom has had to report a few of these individuals. This is mostly due to the low salary compared to the high cost of living for teachers. You'll certainly be looking for a little while, especially as a new grad associates nurse. The Bay Area is highly sought after due to the quality of life and the relative high pay for nurses. There's an ER Nurse I know who pulls in $240,000+. She is a charge nurse, but that's still pretty damn good.

I think there might be some weight in being able to learn in a more "modular" format. If someone wants to take a break from school, for example, they can do that without compromising their end-game (Break at LPN, RN, BSN, Etc). Medical school doesn't have that same benefit. Regarding the OP.. I've met crappy MD's and fantastic NP's. I find more of it has to do with the individual provider than the initials by their name. I know a few PA/NP's in the ER I'd see before several physicians.

I knew someone was going to say it! They didn't give me that one medication that works for me.. Dilaudid I think?

It's not saying anything.. But I've found that every time I walk into the unoccupied psych room of the ER, it will become occupied at night with someone who decides to take a swing at ER staff (usually me).

They had no problem with it. It was actually my Army PA that made fun of me for it more than anything. :)

I'd say it has more to do with where you work than your certification. Some NP's aren't treated very well in their practice. I know as an ER Tech at my hospital I am treated extremely well. If I were to work at our sister hospital 20 minutes away, techs are treated like crap. Guess which hospital retains ER techs for more than a year? I'd attribute why some LPN's get little to no respect to why paralegals rarely get respect as well. Having a good one is invaluable, but people will always look down upon someone who has a lesser/different certification than their own. RN's have felt for years that physicians look down on them, etc. Good luck to you! I'd certainly look to shadowing different levels of nursing. At least in my state, many LTC facilities have a NP as a medical director.

I am also agreeing with Elkpark. Many people will attend the courses they have no interest in, and then forget the material a week later. Even worse is when they require CE's in courses that do not apply to your job. People will be uninterested and absorb little. My EMT required 40 hours of CE. I had 360 hours because I enjoyed what I learned.

When I was in medic training with the Army they'd tell you all the time you weren't cut out for the job. I felt like **** when I missed 3 IV's the first time because my instructor was yelling at me while I was doing them. You just have to drive on and not listen to ridicule (Unless it's to improve you, of course). We can't decide what you want to do with your life for you. I know nurses who both love and hate their jobs. The same could be said with any occupation. You're young and have the ability to both make mistakes and learn from them. When I was your age (I'm 23 now) I worked at a night club and a hotel. I had no idea what I wanted! I joined the Army as a medic with little interest in science/medicine. Now I absolutely love my job and hope to pursue it with advanced degrees. The point is.. Do whatever you feel is right.

Not a problem. I'm currently deployed in Afghanistan so I've got plenty of time. I'll be back in the ER in a month though. I found out a bit more about staffing for you. There is laws (either internal or external I'm not sure) which dictate patient/staff ratio. Certain departments are better at following these than others. The ER in both hospitals typically are well staffed. Often nurses are sent home early (Only if they want to). We have had days where it is just slammed, but they are good about calling in additional resources/using float nurses. Currently both ER's have new Managers. This is due to the Redmond ER manager being let go and the Bend manager relocating to Redmond. Unfortunately I have little insight on the new hiring practices because of this. What I can say is as an organization they value a person who fits well for the job over experience. Be confident and easy to get along with. Know the area and organization. Highlight skills that you obtained during your last job. I know for me I beat out several applicants who had many more years of experience. This isn't uncommon for the nurses either. Good luck to you! I'm always happy to answer questions the best I can.

I'll answer the best that I can. I'm an ER tech at St. Charles but am fairly knowledgeable about ICU nursing (I work in ICU relatively often). 1. Is there a law setting nurseatient ratios? Do hospitals in OR obey these ratios? Can you point me to the law? Not that I am currently aware of. The Bend area has 2 decent hospitals (both under the same health system). St Charles Bend and St. Charles Redmond. Most ICU nurses have anywhere from 2-5 patients depending on acuity. 2. What is the salary range for nurses in Bend? $30 - $50/hr is pretty typical 3. Any places you'd recommend working or not recommend working and objective reasons why? Specifically, are middle and upper management at these employers long-term thinkers & nurse centered or short-term thinkers who have a knack at turning staff over? I honestly prefer management of St. Charles Redmond over St Charles Bend. People choose Bend because it's the bigger hospital, but I've met more people who are happier at Redmond. 4. Do employers recognize BSN over ADN? Both exist. The local community college churns out ADN's which have a hiring preferential as St. Charles loves to promote within their ranks (CNA's and Techs to RNs). When I was hired it was roughly 80% internal hires. BSN's are more typical in management. 5. As a BSN with CCRN, TNCC, TCAR certs, experience in trauma, cardiac, and medical ICU, anywhere I should look? The only hospitals in the area are just branches of St. Charles. 6. Is the ONA union effective Extremely effective. They have stopped hiring freezes, pay cuts, etc over the years. ONA is one of the best unions in the United States.