MaeRN1

Interested in Moving to Fairbanks. NICU nurse w/BSN and 25 years of experience. Interested in hearing what I can expect.. besides the weather etc. Staff to Patient ratios.. Should I pursue a travel position or should I just take the plunge and move? One of the listings I read, offered transitional housing assistance, and a sign-on bonus. What, exactly, is "transitional housing," and what assistance is offered? Is the licensing process difficult? Currently working in a Compact state with renewal due in April of this year. I know that AK isn't a compact state but, at least I am a current license holder... Just really eager to make this move but I want the low-down, on what I can expect from the hospital.. and what an hourly rate for somebody with my experience would look like.. that is, if they would even consider hiring me. Ageism is alive and well in my current state. Hoping Alaska doesn't follow suit...

I've been a NICU nurse for almost 20 years. I am reading all of these reasons and nodding my head... Been there, done that.. At this point, my reasons for wanting to quit are quite different than those posted here. If I might be Frank here, I'll tell you what those reasons are. I work with babies, and we consider the family unit our patient, but when it really boils down to it, the babes are my priority... And, after almost 20 years and tons of education, I think I know what's best for these kiddos. I've been accused of being controlling and of thinking these kids are mine... No, never by a parent, but rather by women online who insists that the child is theirs, and that they will direct the care of the babes, as if they, these non-medical parents, know what's better for the child simply because it's their child. So, the nurses, myself included, just kind of hang around and do our assessments, while the parents direct the other care of the child. Forget that the babe is less than 34 weeks, and susceptible to IVH's with improper and too much handling. Forget that the kiddo is Coombs positive with a Bili pushing 16 at less than 24 hours of age and needs supplementation for the first couple of days to drive the Bili down rapidly, but rather, let's start an invasive IV on the kid instead, and then yell at me because I stuck your baby and it cried.. I'm tired of all the suspicion, all the disrespect, and of all the times I am ignored because, somehow, these parents know better... Then, what am I there for? That's most of it, but there are other reasons I'm looking to do something else besides bedside nursing... I'm just not going to go into it all...