Job offerings--decisions, decisions, decisions

[LeslieDean]

I am really relying on Jehovah to help me make a right choice. So I thought why am I returning to work??? Insurance!!! It will help to have the added income since our business has been negatively impacted due to a bridge /dam repair that will take an estimated 13-16 months. So our business transfixed is diverted an estimated 28 miles out if the way of many locals. Painful. So I took pen to paper and wrote down my days I can not work--Saturday and Monday for meetings. By eliminating Saturdays I am knocking out full time hospitals because of the requirement for every other weekend commitment. Now that leaves me nursing registry, offices, clinics. I saw on Internet a position stating 'off Mondays and weekends! '. What??? Could this be my answer? Well, it is working for the jail system. The job description states 'this is not a job but a calling' (huh?). Details state not for the faint of heart (lol) and you need to have a 'strong constitution'. Hmmmm. Maybe this is not a prayer answered from Jehovah but a lure from Satan? What do you think? Great pay can mean it has to be in order to attract nurses? There is also a offered position for Women and Children in Crisis. Hummm, I have enough crises in my own life. Then there are numerous positions opened in working with police and sheriffs responding to regency calls and psych interventions and collecting specimens from rape cases and being able to testify in court re: their collection method and being an advocate for victims. Sounds interesting. Maybe a good way to do incidental witnessing? Or might get in trouble if they perceived it as preaching to clients? What are your ideas and what else should I be considering. Also charge nurse positions paid on salary not hourly which alerts me to the fact that it probably translates into lots of unpaid overtime.

[CHecker]

What about geriatric? Surgical? Or do those require other training or weekends?  

[Miss Mouse]

Wow Leslie that's a tough one ........keep praying is all I can say.

[Good-O]

RN or LPN?  Please DO NOT get caught up in those jobs you are thinking about...  and, you do not want to testify anywhere!!!.........you will be disappointed!  If just getting out of school,  please do at least one year of MedSurg or ER - if you can handle that, then you can do any job!   Just out of school I went to NH for about 6 wks, then the State Prison for 6 months  before I could get into hospital.  The prison experience was not bad b/c I had night duty and only went to Cell Block at midnight; had very good guards but never had one bit of problem with the inmates but it still was not what I wanted even tho the pay was great and the job was close to home.   I have retired after doing 15 yrs MedSurg, 4 yrs clinic, several yrs physical rehab (is where I injured the back)  and now to support pioneering I am fortunate enough to do NH PRN and have started some Hospice work........interesting, never thought I'd enjoy Hospice but hospital experience will condition you for anything!  Actually, home health was the BEST job - day job, good pay, am a ppl person but LOTS of wear/tear on your car besides yourself.  Now, if you are a RN you have so many other choices.  RNs do most of the paper work whereas LPNs do more physical work; RN have LOTS of choice so if you are such look around and don't grab the first job that comes by.  I live in very rural area so did not have too many choices but hospital and HH were the best for me - and Hospice is interesting.  Read an article on Medscape saying "these companies should hire more JWs b/c they know how to treat ppl" - I thought that was a nice compliment to JWS.  Anyway, pls keep me posted to what you will be doing.

[LeslieDean]

What about geriatric? Surgical? Or do those require other training or weekends?

And Deborah!! I have been licensed since 1981 but in 2005 when d 'Ed with a rare autoimmune disease and a 'pseudo' brain tumor where are suffered from intermittent paralysis and told I would be deaf and blind if not treated aggressively --I was to sick and undergoing many long hospitalization a and trial treatments, long term high dose Prednisone ;155mg po for two years, and various types of chemo and IV IGA--I let my license lapse because I thought I would never work again and was too sick to care.

My work history includes 10 yrs rotation between ICU and CCU. 1 year in a level 1 very busy Los Angeles trauma ER (quit there (I did not give a proper notice) after working a midnight shift where basically a car with three dead bodies coasted in to the ER after being involved in a gang related shooting spree and chase. From inside the ER the staff could hear a car horn honking but it would loose momento then become very loud again. The armed guard and several of us nurses observed outside to investigate. We found a car still running with headlights on and the backseat door behind the driver was open. With the headlights on and reflecting into our vision we slowly approached the car from the side to discover a man hanging halfway out of the car---a seatbelt holding him in place was the only thing preventing him from falling out of the car. He was dead. The diver was dead---he was spread out across the steering wheel and it was his weight that was making the horn sound in a constant honk. The girl in the front seat was dead with eyes wide open and head thrown back onto the back of the seat. A car came squealing into the ER and we were all trying to run over the top of each other to get back inside. It was another car of gangbangers following them by they were if he same game. This I current was one that changed the way ER's and police respond to gang violence. Now different ER's accept certain gangs so as not to have rival gangs in the same ER. My son, was doing his paramedic course at the time and on a student ride along with EMSA they responded to a downtown skid row shooting. They approached the shooting and it was chaos. They loaded a shooting victim into the ambulance and started on the 10 freeway to a local ER -Centinella Hospital in Ingelwood and three cars pinned them in on the 10 freeway by coming up on their side one in front and one in back of the ambulance. The gang members jumped out and pulled a gun on the driver and others opened the back doors and pulled the gurney out and shot the victim so to finish him off. This was the changing point of student tide alongside. Now theAPD must go in and secure the site before any medical response team can do their work. Jason said it was like right out if a movie. He had so much adrenaline our song through his veins he did not sleep for three days.

I have worked through a nursing registry for three years and worked at aporix 50 different hospitals in Southern Ca. The best experience ever!!! Also worked 10 yrs in adolescent and adult drug abuse and on a lick down physch unit. Another 7 or 8 in orthodox and med surg. Helped a friend with a nursing home she was the director of nursing for and I hated it. No exper in OB or peds.

Since we also live rural I hate to rack up huge mileage and I have a diesel truck which mileage is fair. I interviewed for the Laa county jail and as soon as I walked into the man's office he smiled and asked me to sit down. He said he could tell by my manner I would not be a good choice (how???? I just walked in!). Said that the inmates were con artists and would eat me slug. Said I attracted to much attention (hurt my feelings because I know I was dressed very smart and conservative) and he did not doubt my abilities but the setting was totally wrong for me. I don't know if I should have thanked him or challenged him. My husband said he thought that might be the case because he 'fell in live with me at first sight' and he also has that personality with women at the time that knows who you can get over on. He said it was not an insult and he appreciated the gentleman for not putting me in such a position.

That is why I was wondering could it be a prayer answered since the schedule was exactly what I wanted??? Or a trap

I do plan on taking a few weeks and not snapping at the first just because we need insurance so bad.

Thanks for your support and suggestions!

[Good-O]

@Leslie:  Great day in the morning!!  I could hear some stories from you.  I believe I will stay in the country and not  complain about our working conditions!  You have certainly had an active nursing experience!!  You sound like you can command any situation you are in.....I am curious....how much schooling did you have to do to return to nursing?  I put two other state nursing licenses on inactive status as I got older and just practice in my home state, but I was told all I had to do was pay the fee to renew those licenses.  Also, you have already taken the bull by the horns so I am more than sure you can do just whatever you want to do - probably collecting specimens, etc would be better for you...and maybe a little less on the nerves......I had not heard about that aspect of nursing - could be interesting.  And, an advocate - that would be helpful.  Have you examined the course of Wound Care nurse?  I have done that also these last 3 yrs and it is very interesting also.  Never did that before but it is rewarding to see the advancement in the patients.  Better on my old nerves and bones; can also do this on Sunday A.M., leave for my mtg and then back to finish my treatments.  There is a big demand for that in our area.  I guess it is a specialty in itself.  Well, ole' girl, when you write your book please send me one.....it is true, had we written down everything that has happened to us in our working years it would be a hoot.  Actually, ER is becoming dangerous in our rural area!  Please keep in touch and enjoy getting back into the work place - just don't let it suck you in all the way - that is all that old Devil wants - keep your mind occupied w/anything other than service to Jehovah.   Waiting to hear about you adventures and your new ones.  Later,

[LeslieDean]

Deborah--wound care ---last week took care of a man with gangrene---or I should say he was not my patient but I went in to help do the dressing changes. No one bothered to tell me before entering the room they had placed maggots in his wound to debride the flesh . Removed the dressing and about fainted. I have only seen this two other times on ortho units many years ago. Ewwww! I had a doctor I adored when i was about 23 --very handsome inside and out. He took me under his wing and gave me all sorts of extra attention in a very professional manner. He gave me little tips such as put a mint in your mouth and a mask on with your gown and gloves to help minimize odors when caring for patients with infections, c-diff, etc because bad smells send me into orbit. It is terrible when you are the caregiver and you are gagging and doing everything you possibly can not to vomit. When my patients start their gagging whoops--there goes my gag reflex too. I have vomited in the wash pan right along with them when I was pregnant. I don't mind blood, wounds, diarrhea as long as I never get a whiff. Terrible I know.

In fact at OSU Hospital they are needing several positions filled for wound care. I won't rule it out but am anxious to find a job with a good schedule!!

Thanks for the encouragement'

[Julsey]

Leslie, the only problem I see is that there are so many choices that it will be difficult to make a decision!  ;)

 

Just the opposite here.  Lots of nursing schools all putting lots of new nurses into the workforce every May (and a lesser number every December), and very few hospitals wanting to hire those without experience.  As I have said before, I may have to move!

[LeslieDean]

Check out the opportunities here. ST Francis, st Johns, Hilcrest, OSU so many positions in Ca too. If you really are considering moving try a nursing registry first and get a feel for different hospitals then let them pay for your relocation expenses. Many offer sign on bonus too! You are more than welcome to come spend some time with me and check out what's available . If I were single iI would go to San Francisco or southern Ca. San Francisco is paying top in the nation now.

[Julsey]

Wow, thank you, Leslie.  I love California, but I have heard just the opposite - that no one is hiring because so many nurses have stayed on due to the economy, so turnover is very, very low.

 

Re: the agencies - none of the ones I know of here will hire without experience. 

 

Well, I guess this is the time I just need to put my trust in Jehovah and not angst.  Besides, there's that pesky NCLEX to worry about...  ;)

[LeslieDean]

Lots of openings at UCLA and St Joseph's in Burbank.

[LeslieDean]

How soon will you be able to sit for the boards ?

[Julsey]

Lots of openings at UCLA and St Joseph's in Burbank.

Ah, if only I could afford beautiful downtown Burbank...

[Julsey]

How soon will you be able to sit for the boards ?

It will be some time in June.  I sure hope the NCLEX is less difficult than our nursing school exams.  They about kill me!  ;-)

[Julsey]

On another note, I did my clinical today in ER.  I can only imagine what people say when I leave.  "She couldn't get the vein!" would be around the top, lol.  Couldn't get the foley in, either, but after my preceptor tried (twice), she realized it wasn't me, but an enlarged prostate!  Poor guy.  He was only 63, but he looked about 83.

[Nobody]

On another note, I did my clinical today in ER.  I can only imagine what people say when I leave.  "She couldn't get the vein!" would be around the top, lol.  Couldn't get the foley in, either, but after my preceptor tried (twice), she realized it wasn't me, but an enlarged prostate!  Poor guy.  He was only 63, but he looked about 83.

 

Ouch,   I just shed a tear for him.

[LeslieDean]

I must have a wicked streak a mile wide!!! I love to start iv's and insert catheters! It's like a challenge! Don't like NG tubes!! Don't like to do anything with children--just so afraid of hurting them and being perceived as the bad guy. I got really good with iv's after being on an IV team where that is all you do. When I first started I would warm a moist towel and wrap the arm / hand and then raise the bed up as high ad it would go and position the ext. hanging off the bedside to let gravity do the work, then I would just talk and put them at ease and apply the tourniquet. It would go so quickly they did not even realize it was in. Even hard to stick , frail skin, and chemo pts rarely had a problem. Just don't let your nerves get the best of you! If you were closer I would let you practice on me!

[Julsey]

I must have a wicked streak a mile wide!!! I love to start iv's and insert catheters! It's like a challenge! Don't like NG tubes!! Don't like to do anything with children--just so afraid of hurting them and being perceived as the bad guy. I got really good with iv's after being on an IV team where that is all you do. When I first started I would warm a moist towel and wrap the arm / hand and then raise the bed up as high ad it would go and position the ext. hanging off the bedside to let gravity do the work, then I would just talk and put them at ease and apply the tourniquet. It would go so quickly they did not even realize it was in. Even hard to stick , frail skin, and chemo pts rarely had a problem. Just don't let your nerves get the best of you! If you were closer I would let you practice on me!

Leslie, I am going to have to take a vacation in OK one day and follow you around, lol.  I have started IVs and when I do it, I really feel as though I've accomplished something.  Hate it when I miss, though!  They don't give me time in ER to get a warm cloth, unfortunately.  Just rush, rush, rush!

[Julsey]

Ouch,   I just shed a tear for him.

Sorry, Randy.  I probably posted what could be construed as 'a little too much information,' lol.

[Toy Poodles]

I must have a wicked streak a mile wide!!! I love to start iv's and insert catheters! It's like a challenge! Don't like NG tubes!! Don't like to do anything with children--just so afraid of hurting them and being perceived as the bad guy. I got really good with iv's after being on an IV team where that is all you do. When I first started I would warm a moist towel and wrap the arm / hand and then raise the bed up as high ad it would go and position the ext. hanging off the bedside to let gravity do the work, then I would just talk and put them at ease and apply the tourniquet. It would go so quickly they did not even realize it was in. Even hard to stick , frail skin, and chemo pts rarely had a problem. Just don't let your nerves get the best of you! If you were closer I would let you practice on me!

Leslie, I sure wish I had you doing my IV when I had the accident. I had so many veins blow. I had one guy come in who was a nurse and he said he was an expert at finding a good vein but he tried several times before he got an older lady in to get my vein. 

Are you wanting a night job or a day job? Every time I have been in the hospital the majority of worst nurses are at night. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings but most of them make sure you know that they don't want to be there either which is not fair for someone who is in a lot of pain and just wants to be more comfortable. Many of those nurses are rougher at night when all you want to do is get some sleep. 

In fact the last surgery that you came and visited me, I had the night person switch my IV and I had to argue with them to do it but the old one was getting sore and the person who put it in told me to have it changed if it started bothering me. I was glad that I persisted to have it changed because it sure bruised up and was sore for several days. But why do people have to insist to have a sore IV changed, nobody wants to get poked with a needle again but having an IV get sore is much worse. 

I wish you the best in your search for a job, I wish you didn't have to go and look for one. 

 

Jules if you want to look in my area you are more than welcome to come and stay with us. We are close to NW Arkansas which has much growth in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville. 

 

Love ya both. 

[Julsey]

Leslie, I sure wish I had you doing my IV when I had the accident. I had so many veins blow. I had one guy come in who was a nurse and he said he was an expert at finding a good vein but he tried several times before he got an older lady in to get my vein. 

Are you wanting a night job or a day job? Every time I have been in the hospital the majority of worst nurses are at night. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings but most of them make sure you know that they don't want to be there either which is not fair for someone who is in a lot of pain and just wants to be more comfortable. Many of those nurses are rougher at night when all you want to do is get some sleep. 

In fact the last surgery that you came and visited me, I had the night person switch my IV and I had to argue with them to do it but the old one was getting sore and the person who put it in told me to have it changed if it started bothering me. I was glad that I persisted to have it changed because it sure bruised up and was sore for several days. But why do people have to insist to have a sore IV changed, nobody wants to get poked with a needle again but having an IV get sore is much worse. 

I wish you the best in your search for a job, I wish you didn't have to go and look for one. 

 

Sorry you had this experience, Deenna.  I know a lot of new nurses get put on night shift, because those with more time at the hospital usually opt for days, so you may have encountered someone who just didn't (like me) have the experience.  The only difference is, I would have tried to start a new one or gotten someone who could.  You can't let these things go!

 

Jules if you want to look in my area you are more than welcome to come and stay with us. We are close to NW Arkansas which has much growth in Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville. 

 

That is so sweet of you!!  I will definitely make a note of it.  Thank you, Deenna! 

 

Love ya both. 

[LeslieDean]

Talked to Oklahoma Board of Nursing today.  They have received all my paper work and notarized affidavits plus the MONEY for reinstatment!  I have now narrowed it down to a few interviews.  Hospitals are out because of the every other weekend commitment.  Doctors offices and clinics out because I do not want to work 5 days a week--Monday through Friday from 8-5.  So, that leaves me several physch facilities (some free standing and some within a hospital) --hesitant to interview for afraid they may lock the door once I enter!  No, really.  In the job description it states you must be able to push WC's up and down hills and run up and down hills.  (What?)  Upon further investigation the facility is constructed on a hilltop with classrooms and different dorms scattered around the grounds and down the hills.  They said patient elopment is frequent so you must be able to pursue the patient.  Hummm.  This one troubles me but I think I am fairly good at descalation and would pray it never gets to that point.  And anyway, isn't that what all those young physch techs are for? 

 

When I worked for a well known facility in Canoga Park, CA on their lock down unit,  all the young men who worked there also worked part time at Universal Studios (one was a character actor--Conan the Barbarian)  all had tremendous musclar physiques and the director of hiring told me  it works best that  way to have a strong presence on the unit to keep the patients in control.  My husband asked her if that was how they found all their male techs was by setting up employment booths outside of every Gold's gym.  LOL.

 

The non-profit crisis units allow me the greatest freedom with my schedule and though it pays considerably less the benefits are good and it will allow me the most freedom with my schedule.  So without talking to anyone yet--I am leaning towards this.  Help me pray to make the right choice!  Thanks for all your support and encouragement!

[Julsey]

I will definitely pray for you, Leslie, if you will pray that I get at least an 80 the maternity exam in a couple of weeks! <G>

[LeslieDean]

I have another offer for 7pm to 730 am working ER. I don't think I would have trouble staying awake in a busy ER but I don't know about sleeping days at home with 8 dogs!

I have ruled at the adolescent trauma/addiction unit with the high AWOL risk because during my interview today a kid eloped and everyone responded Quick like a bunny! The supervise left me to attend the front desk while the nurses responded to the TV room and classroom while the techs and one nurse ran out the door in hot pursuit.

Besides, I really can not see me running after 14 year old kids up and down hills. Also, I will only admit this because I am amoung lived ones here I am comfortable with, I tend to sound like I am stepping on frogs when I have to run for very long! :-) shying bashfully

So still a couple interviews tomorrow!

[Julsey]

I would love to work in the ER on the day shift (can't take nights), but I don't think they'll take newbies. 

 

There is a place here that sounds like the psych facility you are talking about, Leslie...with the exception that it houses criminals they are trying to get competent to stand trial.  Pay is great ($32/hour), but something like you describe happened a couple of times while I was there (not elopements but assaults on the unit), and the populace was partially comprised of scary looking adults!  The staff seem to love working there, say that the company takes good care of them, but I found it very depressing.

Edited February 28, 2014 by Julsey