nfahren05

You will not be able to make a full time paycheck at first, it takes time to build a business of any type so be realistic about the time involved and the barriers to entry. Do some market research in your area before you invest your money and time. I...

I went the ADN route, and eventually added the BSN because my hospital decided that they wanted to insist on this to continue with them. They didn't do much to help, and even made it difficult for me to get the extra clinical experience, but I eventu...

No, doubles would not typically be an issue, but you will be asked to come in on off days. CM also works 7 days per week, and holidays (24/7 in some larger facilities).

It happens. I did that once years ago, and had to work as a nurse tech for a few weeks while things got sorted out. Expensive lesson, and I took much ribbing from my co-workers, but not the end of the world or my career. Just let your manager know, a...

Realize that no one starts out being able to "handle anything that's thrown at them." Most get there eventually, but it takes time and experience. At this point, if you are able to handle a full, or close to full, assignment on a "good" day when ther...

I would consider it, but I would also not spend a great deal of money on it. There are a lot of for-profit schools out there offering programs at top dollar, but it's hard to get a return on investment for the BSN (particularly for those who already ...

Would like to see mandated clerical/unit secretary support on all intensive care units 24/7/365. No way to enter routine orders for labs, consults, answer phones, etc., and manage 2 critical patients at the same time. Preferably would like to see thi...

Overall, while ageism is certainly a factor, I think that nurses (at least bedside nurses) are somewhat protected by the demand for their skills and the relatively high median age of registered nurses in the marketplace. One problem, however, is that...

There are a lot of older (55+) nurses dropping out of clinical positions because the hospitals won't step away from the 12 hours shift requirement. We are losing a whole generation of experience because many nurses are feeling too tired at the end of...

I wouldn't say that the BSN is useless, because it does add some depth beyond the ASN, but given the choice between a BSN and an RN with a specialty certification, I'd take the certified nurse in a heartbeat. The BSN really doesn't do much in the way...

I found that it helped to know a fair amount about the US healthcare system and payer structures before that first interview for a CM position as a non-CM candidate. If you didn't have such a course in your BSN program (and most don't have sufficient...

I can't remember any time when I had to do drug calculations without a calculator so arithmetic ability is less critical than the ability to do the dimensional analysis needed to set up the mg/kg equation to figure out the missing variable. Nowadays ...

Most insurance company positions are either concurrent utilization review or pre-certification, some are retrospective reviews. It's not clear from your comments which you were considering, but since the concurrent review is most common, will deal wi...

Managed Medicaid is one of the most challenging areas of case management, and (due to Medicaid reimbursement,) it's one with the highest ratios of nurse case managers to members. I've done hospital case management, commercial telephonic case manageme...

I am worried that if allowed- I would be liable for a physician error that went unnoticed. Can I become a staff nurse and continue working as a floor RN? You are already liable for physician errors as a staff nurse, but only to the extent that you sh...

Although it's certainly not unusual, have you considered case management? Case managers work in a variety of settings and clinical areas. If you're not entirely though with obstetrics, but just need a break from the hospital, your experience would be...

Withdrawal of care is a team effort, and all members should be involved, don't feel that it's all up to you. Be reassured that familes don't necessarily want you to control your emotions completely: as long as you are able to function, a few tears ar...

L&D/Antepartum and Mother-Baby/Postpartum are different so your approach should be, too. Realize that, at most hospitals, postpartum is fairly popular so it may take patience and many applications to get a position without experience; being open ...

There are many jobs in nursing, though fewer than there were several years ago, and mostly off-shift for external applicants. It will always be hardest to find that initial job, but jobs for experienced nurses will always be there. Other health profe...

Not having ever heard of such a floor, that's a tricky one. There is such a huge difference between the postpartum PIH patient and an ovarian cancer patient receiving chemotherapy that it seems a bit odd for them to be grouped together (although it's...

I never joined because I didn't see that the ANA supported the nurses who provided direct patient care. Recently, however, more of my objection is based on the organization's overt political bias. While it's reasonable for a professional organization...

Most of us put ourselves in the patient's place each and every day in the clinical setting, but part of what allows us to continue to do that day after day, year after year is having our own setting: somewhere that we can vent. Few of us have not bee...

Ditto. I thought #5 was strictly a pediatric thing (along with the fingerpainting part,) even ickier to hear that adults are doing this, too. #1 is even worse when he/she was the one who decked you before getting slapped in restraints...

There are a lot of different "start up" tasks for any business, and many books on this topic. Check out a few at your local library or bookstore. GingerSue mentioned several; getting a tax id, and squared away with the IRS is another biggie. Make sur...

It's very hard to find a part time position in case management; most positions are either full time, or prn. This is mostly due to the need for "follow through" throughout the week on actively managed cases. Part time CMs are more likely to be part o...