People with Jobs in Nursing (United States)

It all stated many years ago when I was first out of nursing school and was made charge nuse when I was only approximately 4 months out of school. During that time we got minimimal feedback from administration and how they wanted to have things run. I concentrated on the nurses working for me, and making sure those nurses provided appropriate patient care no matter what else happened. When I changed jobs to go in the ICU at the same facility my montra remained the same.. Take care of my patients and their families as best as would could, then help the other nusrses take care of their assignments the same. I have always been oriented about what was best for the patient and the patient family. Not necessarily if it was the perfect administrative way to handle it. I even went to work with school based nursing for approximately 3 years. I really enjoyed that work - one on one with the student trying to make a difference in their daily lives. I feel like I had an impact on the students there and hopefully an impact on the way they will live their lives. I decided to go back to working full-time in the hospital setting in the ER. I had worked some relief there but decided I liked it enough to go full-time. I love how you never know what will come in the door next. It could be a GSW or a tooth ache. In between the trauma, you get really sick patients who need to be taken care of as compassionately and quickly as possible. Their family also needes a moment to try to grasp what is going on with their family member. This is where is am partly my best. Yes I can stablize a pt near the brink of death, but that doesn't mean anything unless the family can be there to be with their loved one. I had to do this last weekend - call a family in Texas and tell them their mother had a massive CVA and would not be able to recover from it. Thankfully, both brother and sister made it to the bedside before she passed away. That makes me feel good that the children were able to be with their mother at the time of their passing. That's what nursing is to me - taking care of the patients and the families. My problem evidently lied where I was too vocal and adament that a pt be moved up stairs quickly so the family and pt would be more comfortable that being in an ER. I also expected alot of my nurses to move patients efficently either toward disposition or admission. If everyone isn't working toward a common goal, it can become lost and gridlocked. Everyone has to be a team member - the doctor, nurse, resp therapist, tech, secretary, radiology, phlebotomist, house keeping, food services, etc has a job to do that helps take care of one pt. All to often there is a breakdown in one of these teams that cane affect how a pt gets cared for. That is where the Charge Nurse comes in. It is his/her duty to make sure everything runs smoothly and everyone gets the job done for the patient and the family. As a charge nurse I worked so hard to get the patients into the er and get them back out of the er as quickly as possible. Find out want was wrong with them along with the other team members, develop treatment plan, and either admit the pt to the hospital or send the pt home with the proper advice and follow up. It has been said that not all nurses appreciate what I am trying to do in moving pts as quickly as possible. They complain that they don't want their rooms filled up with pts again, that they haven't had their smoke break, etc. The floors complain that the patients come upstairs too soon even though the patient has been waiting in the ER on a stretcher for 12-15 hours waiting for their room to get cleaned. I think if you know that a patient is coming to a room you should be ready whether it comes in 5 mintues or 5 hours. Ambulance drivers not knowing what they are bring in or the severity of what they are bring in also makes the life of a charge nurse anxiety ridden. Have they diagnosed the pt correctly and started the apporpriate treatment or have they made things worse. Did the medic bring the pt to the wrong hospital. What was the pt and family's wishes. This can call for heated exchanges between the ambulance personnel and the charge nurse. But no matter in the end the pt is the one we will take care of no matter what. I always felt my job was to #1 take care of the patients and their families, #2 make sure my staff was taken care of and was doing their jobs correctly and efficiently, #3 Be the go to person for when anyone needs advice or a skill leason, #4 was there for my staff when ever or where ever they needed me. They could always count on me to be there for them. Administration just didn't like the fact that I took care of all these people so loudly that I "shook the cages" to often. I only wanted to provided the best care to the patients, the patient families, and to support and care for my staff of doctors, nurses, techs, and secretaries to the best of my abilities. Maybe I was to vocal or took to much one at one time. I would like another chance to concentrate on patient care again. I will miss the ones I concered by extended family.

Nursing appears to be a very territorial profession and sadly, many compete for the favor of our doctors. If you ever have a preceptor who takes more smoke breaks than work assignments, ask to be re-assigned (forget about hurt feelings) your livelihood is on the line.

When switching from one department to another; when asked, be carefull how you portray the old department.

I landed the best job ever. I was good at it, enjoyed it, and gave it my fullest potential. Training my self, researching on the internet, and I excelled. It seems that this threatened and made my boss uncomfortable. I was wrongfully terminated. Having all proof of this it did me no good. This devistated me. Knocked me down so hard I couldn't get back up for months. So do you do your absolute best at all times or just what is required. Is it ok to go above and beyond? What ever you decide, be careful. There are others that don't like to see another get ahead, don't appreciate your efforts, and may even hold it against you. Be sure not to step on any toes. Keep records, documentation, all information to protect yourself. Weather it does do you good or not, you will know yourself that you did your best. Don't let anyone tell you that you are incompitent. Show them you are. Be confident but respectful at all times. Don't over step yourself. And biting your tongue can be beneficial to you. It's ok to go home with a feeling of accomplishment from you days work...

I was hired through a long term care facility. everything semed fine, the people were nice and the co-workers friendly. then the company found out I did not have a wife but am a same sex couple. As soon as they found out this information the write-ups started. not a day went by after this that the bosses didnt find some excuse to write me up for things I was never even told about. This went on for about 2 months before I was eventually fired. the reason for firing: "You care too much for the residents"

This company was not only unfair, and cruel about a first time CNA working at their facility but downright discriminatory towards me just because i happen to have a boyfriend. DO NOT!!!! under any circumstances let your employer have private information on you unless you are willing to have them use your information against you.

honestly the pay for what i do and have to put up with doesnt seem fair,were always short handed ,theres always extra for us to do ,stressful situtions

I was asked to "ACT" as unit manager on my unit by my nice boss, she stated that my work ethics were great, and I had all the managerial skills necessary. After 6 months, I was offered the job, which I accepted, and I signed a new job description manual with her and HR. After 3 months, I was told the company had located a potential RN for the position, and I was dismissed from the position of unit manager. I was offered a part time position in my old spot, which I refused, my only option was to resign as there was no longer a full time position available for me. I was used, and I have checked around and there are no labour laws in Florida to protect us from this kind of situation, unless you are a union member. So, don't let the nice boss scam you into the dream job offer with the word "ACT". Only accept positions within the scope of practice of your job description.

I am from the North, so I was in for a shock when I moved South. They have minimal employment rights here in North Carolina; even their Labor Laws says the employer can treat the employee "as they see fit." According to their laws, a dog is better off! In addition to this, I am realizing as other employees talk, more and more employees are making more money than me (a dollar and more) yet some were hired after me. The also have only a few years experience while I have eighteen years experience. This would never slide in the North. However, down here, there is some type of gag law where if you discuss your salary it is cause for immediate dismissal. Isn't this against First Amendment as well as Fourteenth Amendment Rights and Equal Pay for Equal Work rights? My salary as far as payscale.com states, is not even on the Richter Scale and is lower than the lowest marked on the scale. What is my recourse other than moving back North where people have rights?

I would like to move to Wisconsin. I worked in New Hampshere for 23.00 hour and travelled with a company to Philly. With them I got 17.00 hour, however nurses receive about 20.00 hour. Would like to relocate without a company to Wisconsin. What is the pay?

Education and experience are highly valued.

Any position in Healthcare is a plus.

It has advantages most other fields of work do not have.

1: Always in demand all over nation and overseas.

This is the major advantage.

2: Always room for promotion. Most facilities and hospitals offer tuition reimbursement.

3. There are positions in Healthcare which do not require patient contact but may require some medical office education.