Jonesli

I am waiting to hear if I have been accepted to a Nurse Anesthesia MSN program (I interviewed yesterday). While at the interview, I spoke with several current students and they STRONGLY recommended that I take the three courses that are required co-requisites before I begin the program to lighten my load a little. My problem is that the university near me does not offer these classes to anything other than their own accepted graduate students. So, I either have to drive an hour and a half each way (weekly) to the university I will be attending next year (despite working FT ICU and having a 1 1/2 year old) for these courses or find someplace that offers them online (preferably not University of Phoenix). The courses are: NUR 610 - Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Nursing Practice, NUR 602 - Research Methods in Nursing, and NUR 620 - Law, Policy and Economics of Healthcare. Anyone know of schools offering these as graduate level courses online? Thanks in advance!

The area is HOT in the summer. And humid. If you stay in Charlotte proper, you won't see too many Nascar or other rednecks (except for your trauma families at the hospital). Get outside the city 30 miles and it is different story. Charlotte itself is mostly people from everywher else, especially the NE. You'll only meet a few people who are actually from NC and fewer who are from Charlotte.

The travelers were treated fairly- there is a lot of new-grad staff in the PICU, so travelers have more experience than a lot of the staff. That being said, they don't get too much chronic trach GT stuff, it happens, but not enough that you'll get stuck just doing that. Generally, these patients are either rotated so people don't burn out on taking care of them, or given to the less experienced staff. It is a 20 bed unit with about half CVICU and half PICU, though that is not fixed, and it changes from day to day based on census.

I was a staff nurse there until February when I left to go traveling. I don't know what orientation is specifically given, but I know they don't do PBDS or the like. The Children's Hospital is brand new and just opened in November. The staff is very friendly and welcoming to travelers. The unit is a semi-combined CVICU/PICU, so find out if you would be required to work both if that bothers you. I know that when I left, several travelers had just resigned and a couple others went staff on the CVICU side. It has its flaws like every other place, but it is not a bad place to work at all and I'll go back there when I am done traveling. Feel free to contact me with any other questions. Lisa

I am graduating with my BSN in December and hoping to relocate to NC or SC. I would like to work in a PICU or Peds ED in a good sized city (nowhere rural) and I've looked at Charlotte (first choice), Raleigh/Durham, and Charleston. Problem is, I interviewed at CMC and they are offering their new grads $18 starting pay. I am graduating in Oregon (with Oregon sized student loans) and starting pay here is $25/hr plus much better shift differentials. The cost of living here is high, but not enough so that I can take about $12k less per year for moving. Does anyone know of hospitals that fit the bill (PICU, Peds ED, or adult ED hiring new grads) that will pay at least $20/hr? Thanks! Lisa