Many nurses speak disparagingly about free nursing CEUs as less than optimal training classes for new procedures or information pertinent to their practice as a nurse. True, some of the free CEU classes offered by our employers seemingly have nothing to do with the type of nursing we practice, but in tight economic times, free is better than having to pay for every one of the classes. Many free CEUs are designed for workers throughout the facility, not specifically targeted only to nurses. Employers should, however, offer at least one “nursing law” class to their nurses as a free CEU. Many states require that one hour of the total CEUs required for license renewal, be a one-hour law class. In trying to keep up with areas of increasingly liability, one law class every two years may not be enough, but at least the foundation can be revisited and your knowledge further grounded. Read the rest of this entry »
Nurse Blog
Jobs in Nursing
Posted in Nursing Jobs
The many possibilities for jobs in nursing can be overwhelming to the new graduate as well as the veteran nurse. I am constantly learning about nursing positions that I never knew existed. A professor once said “imagine any industry, any business and I’ll bet you can find a way to work a nursing job into the equation.” And now you can find nursing jobs at Walmart. Yes, that’s nurses at Walmart. They have clinics staffed by nursing professionals, handling everything from coughs and colds to immunizations. These community clinics are simply moving into a more convenient place for the population. What could be nicer than one stop shopping for medical care, a carton of eggs, a new hammer and a set of radials?
This newer concept in medical care has paved the way once again for the home visit nurse. These aren’t simply nurses working through the local visiting nurse association, these are independent contractors working under their own set of practice standards and insurance reimbursement. We’ve returned to the days of old it seems with medical professionals coming to you, instead of you sitting in a germ-filled office just for a check-up. Read the rest of this entry »
Traveling Nursing Jobs
Posted in Travel Nursing
Editor: Today’s post is from a guest RN writing about her experiences in travel nursing.
I have recently been considering a travel nursing job. I love to travel and there are parts of the country that I have yet to see. I have known a few travel nurses, and they all say the same thing, “I love it!” Never one to get stuck in a rut, I decided to do a little research. I searched the internet and found a wonderful site where I could put in one application and it would be sent to 21 travel nursing agencies. I love efficiency so I decided to do that. Then I wanted to know more of the pros and cons about this type of nursing. Since within minutes of applying, I received several emails and a phone call, I talked to the first recruiter and asked about the benefits and detriments to travel nursing.
The pros were numerous. Travel nurses earn, on average, more than 20% than their hospital-based full-time counterparts. There are bonuses of several thousands of dollars for completing the entire assignment (usually 13 weeks). Travel nurses, because of the bonuses, are able to take off 1-2 weeks, or even an entire month, between assignments (I’m still looking for the downside to that!) Traveling the country, full benefits, no mandatory in-service or staff meetings and no hospital politics. Utopia?
Nursing Tips: The difficult hospital patient
Posted in Nursing
We’ve all had them. The patient whose room we would avoid all shift if it were possible. The patient who, when receiving report from the off-going shift, made us groan. What I have found, however, is that frequently it takes a change in nursing staff to elicit a different response or different interaction than the previous nurse experienced. I would need both hands and feet to count the number of times that my experience with a patient was amicable, workable and downright fun when the previous nurse labeled them as “a piece of work that will have you in their room the whole shift.”
Taking a Nursing Job Outside Your Community
Posted in Travel Nursing
Editor’s Note: Today’s post is by a guest RN, if you’d like to write for our blog contact us.
I don’t work in my community. I drive 25 miles to the northern end of another county to work as a cardiac nurse. I didn’t think about the location affecting my interaction with patients and other health care staff when I took the position. I didn’t know it could.
When I first began the job, I struggled a bit with spelling of the doctor’s names and learning their specialties. After a year I still have to ask ‘what type of doctor are they?’ Patients refer to their doctors and ask if I’ve ever heard of them, or if I think they are a good doctor. Sometimes they ask me for recommendations of doctors. I smile and say I’m from a different county and am unsure of the best doctors in the area. I have come to know a few of them well enough to know whether or not I trust their judgment, but in any professional setting I would not recommend one over another.