lavenderskies

Do they require you to pick up a certain number of shifts/weekends/holidays? If so do they pay you differentials for those?

Yeah that’s not happening out west at least in the places I’ve been and have peers at. Minimum shifts to pick up are increasing more and more. They are to be met monthly. There’s a significant push to punish PRN into applying for unfilled FTE positions. I don’t see my peers applying for them tho they’re leaving the profession.

At the last two facilities I’ve been PRN and I make the same exact hourly wage as my peers which is dependent on experience. I have zero benefits and my only compensation is a perdiem pay so I can purchase my own insurance. I am not guaranteed anything including hours. So it’s critical I set aside this perdiem to purchase my insurance. I love how admins and managers see this perdiem pay as extra salary. It’s not. How convenient to not compare apples to apples. An FTE’d employee is a very expensive hourly employee when their benefits are prorated per hour. Staff and managers need us PRN to fill the holes and cover vacations. So didrespectful to treat us like a problem and like they’re doing us a favor. No wonder nurses are leaving in droves.

I just started a new position and found out after I started that the administration had discontinued PRN differential (even though it was still listed as a benefit on the company web page when I submitted my application....they have removed that after I questioned this, I had a screen save). I just found out through other staff that they are no longer paying PRN staff holiday pay either even though it is a requirement to pick up two holidays. My question is: I have never in all my years have heard of either of these things. Has anyone else seen this? Is this a new trend? They also rolled my certification pay into my hourly rate that was quoted to me in my offer letter without specifying that. I’m really discouraged.

I can only tell you what our M/B does. They take 3-4 couplets. But....they have aids/tech/care assists for maternal vs/infant baths, answering call lights, a charge nurse that helps with lights and breaks, and they are not pulled for deliveries. They also have a day shift lactation consultant that screens each bf couplet.

Heres my assessment highlight tool from school lol BUBBLE HE B-reasts (soft/tender/nipple shape/blisters/cracks/pt knowledgeable about manual expression/latch, breastfeeding progress, need lactation referrals?) U-terus (firm/boggy/where is it in relation to the umbillicus) B-owel (has she had a BM) Be ladder (is she voiding) L-ochia (scant/small/mod/heavy/clots/odor) E-pisiotomy/laceration (does she have one, is it healing well, is it swollen, signs of hematoma, is she iced, using peri bottle) H-omans (ok we don't really use humans sign anymore, but you can assess for signs of blood clots, and check reflexes) E-motions (how is bonding progressing, does she need education or SW referrals for post partum depression/anxiety risk)

That's a nasty move by the provider and clearly was trying to make a less than optimal delivery look like someone's fault other than their own. An intervention like a vacuum is not the fault of the nurse even if you couldn't find heart tones. A provider is perfectly capable to handhold the transducer....or apply an FSE.

I'd say if you are here you'd stand equal chance as a resident. I'm not sure about applying long distance but it can't hurt. I don't know about the hospital on Bainbridge. :) I would consider St Anthony's which is part of the Franciscan system and is just north of Gig Harbor towards Bremerton. It's a very nice hospital. If you want to do L&D or NICU you'd have to drive to Tacoma (about 30 mi from Bremerton) but they have residency programs for all areas of the Birth Center and often hire new grads. There are also residency programs for many other areas. I don't know anything about the naval hospital sorry.

I'd have to say that none of what you say sounds good or safe.....but it's likely not uncommon. Try to do your best for a year and then move on.

Unless you have an electric car.....just the fuel costs alone and vehicle wear and tear could put a big dent in the pay difference between hospitals. With that said...you could not pay me enough to spend that much time driving if there was a job I loved 2 min from my home. I say stick with it if you love it and continue to be a positive influence where you work. It makes a difference in retention to have coworkers who like being there sticking around. You can be that person....so long as you do love it.

Once (back in the heparin lock, pre needle-less system days) I sat down next to my patients bed to start her IV and place a Heparin lock. I placed the catheter and the cap. Uncapped my Heparin flush syringe and promptly dropped it on my lap. It slipped from my hand and as I went to catch it the plunger end hit my thigh, the needle was straight up, my hand came down on the needle...impaling my pinkie finger and simultaneously injected the Heparin flush into my finger. So there was with a syringe of Heparin hanging out/off of my hand and it hurt like crazy but I was trying to maintain my dignity by remaining cool. So I was like "whoopsie..haha, well that's no good". I had to un-impale myself, hold pressure and try and get a new flush ready to flush that waiting newly started iv. My finger ended up with a hematoma as you can imagine because of the Heparin. It was a long night.

Wait.... You didn't notice you'd impaled yourself until after as pirating and injecting?! You must have had massive stage fright!!!

I've used both. I prefer the simpler one with the white click retractor button. The other one is fine but it's harder the retract the needle....operator preference.

I work at a 300-400 del/mo facility. We are required to cross train to all areas except NICU. We circulate for sections. We have a transition RN come to the OR w/RT. We train to scrub in and scrub in 1x a year min. We are required to have ACLS to recover patients who have had general anesthesia.

We do about 300-400 births a month. Our L&D is separate from MB. We do 1:1 L&D care and have a transition nurse for baby...ideally for the 2 hr recovery/transition period. If it's crazy we might only have a transition nurse for the birth admit and first set of vitals. During the 2 hr transition period, baby is s2s with initial breastfeeding, 3 sets of vitals, meds, admit exam w/weight and measurements. At 2 hr we transport to MB where they have 1:3 or 1:4 couplet assignments. An initial head to toe is done on the infant. Baths aren't done until 6 hrs of age and not while babies are being monitored for glucose levels. Baths are normally done by our CNAs in the mothers room. We have CNA on MB for maternal vitals, and infant baths/footprints.