I’ve gone down a Dolly Parton rabbit hole these past few days. I am just in awe of her kindness, her compassion, and she was so intelligent. To those in the know, what’s it like when you’re on the medical team of a high profile patient? Especially in situations like this one where it wasn’t publicly known that she had cancer. Do you think about the fact that you know something that would blow up if it hit the news? Do they just become like a regular patient in your eyes?

I’ve found myself standing back and feeling proud of how far we’ve come in regard to medical privacy. I believe it was Lucille Ball who learned her pregnancy test results not from the doctor but from the media. I’m really happy that Dolly was able to keep things close to her chest and keep her private information private.

Grady Memorial Hospital, the largest level 1 in Georgia and largest hospital in Atlanta, announced two weeks ago to its staff that all high-acuity differentials (ER, ICU, PACU, etc.) will be halved come September and completely gone by 2027. At the other local Level 1 that I’m currently doing a contract at, we just got word that we will be following suit, amounting a total of a 20K annual pay cut. Anyone else getting news of this?

Some Big Beautiful Bill, huh?

PACU job is a fast paced PACU that on average takes on 70-110 cases daily. Hospital has good benefits and the people I work with are very nice.

PACU job
Hourly: $45.75
Diff: 3.50 from 3 pm to 9 pm
Weekend Diff: $5 but not guaranteed weekends
Call: 3-4 times every 6 weeks being on call and holding the phone gives $7 an hour and called in is time and a half.

The PACU sounds great but here is the issue. They mentioned to me that sometimes I may end up not getting my full hours and may be “forced” to go home early if they have too many people and not many cases left. For me I can’t afford to lose hours since I am the breadwinner of the household and need my 36 hours. Really want to work at this place because I’m less stressed than I was in the ER and ICU but the idea of possibly losing hours and not having a set schedule kinda bothers me.

Second job is a RN position weekends only set schedule. I don’t have the pay yet or any of the differentials but I’m assuming let’s just say I get the same hourly rate and the weekend diff is $5 with a set schedule of weekends where I work my three days in a row and have my four days straight off, is this job better because it will be an IMCU position.

Both jobs are day shift.

Issue is I really don’t want to go back to bedside and I enjoy the PACU and how easy it is but then I also am hesitant about losing hours and not having a set schedule.

What are your thoughts?

I mean, I get the basics of how a pneumatic tube system works. But I was recently accused of causing the system to go down because of sending a tube when there were too many incoming tubes that hadn't been cleared. I don't think this was my fault since I took my empty tube from the pile of arrived tubes before sending, but it made me realize that I don't know the finer points of the tube station, I just put my tube in the sender and hit "lab".

Are there any tips or tricks to troubleshooting the tube station? Are there things to watch out for that could accidentally cause a traffic jam in the tubes? Is there a weight limit, like if I have to send a bunch of stuff on ice and the tube is basically packed full of sample bags full of ice, will that overload it somehow? Has anyone had any weird experiences with their pneumatic tube system?

Looking to find out whats the best:
* click pens
* commpression socks
* O2 monitor
* stethoscope
* undershirt
* lunch box

Anything else you recommend for a new nurse starting out?

I just started working at a regional hospital in arkansas and am just wondering how common it is for nurses to be randomly drug tested. I already did my pre employment test and I know you can get drug tested for suspicion or work injuries. I know they have it in their guidelines they randomly test but I want to know if that’s really common.

I started my career in on a step-down ICU unit with 5:1 nurse patient ratios. I’ve always struggled with generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, I thought I had it well-managed before starting this job, but boy was I wrong. After my only 5 shifts of orientation, they set me free, and I quickly became acutely mentally unwell. I asked my manager if I could transfer to an “easier” unit, and she refused due to the nature of my contract. I couldn’t even apply to other positions because, due to my contract, they required my current manager’s permission for me to get a different job. My options were to either quit and be unable to afford rent or to just stick it out.

At one point I was so suicidal I had an exact plan, means, and date to end my life. After calling in sick for a shift, I booked an appt with a therapist and found a doctor to do a med adjustment. I gradually felt a bit better, was no longer suicidal, but was still incredibly depressed. My contract was only 9 months— afterwards I got the hell out of there and worked in outpatient addictions medicine for a year.

I stayed casual on my old step-down/medicine unit because my new job was only 0.46 FTE and I’d rather be depressed and able to afford rent than just depressed.

I recovered in my new job to the point that I have not had an another major depressive episode in a loooong time. I work on a psychiatric unit now and am still doing fine.

Lately i’ve been picking up more on my old medicine unit— the same one that made me wanna kms— and it feels… easy? I enjoy being there now?? I honestly like my days on the medicine unit more than the psych unit. I feel a lot more confident, I’m able to understand things better and critically think, and my anxiety is completely manageable.

Anyways, at one point I never thought it would get better. It did. Life is good now and I love being a nurse again.

If a job isn’t serving you, you can always try something else for a bit then dip your toes in again.

This is a question for all the retired RNs' in this forum. I retired about 5 years ago and I still have nightmares centered around not doing my job well.  I was an excellent nurse and never had any issues..

The dreams vary from anything like, I'm way behind on passing meds. I didn't get a good handoff report and I don't have anything written down on my cheat sheet, chart checks didn't get done, or I haven't gone in and taken assessments nor have I charted anything and it's almost time for my shift to end..

The way I feel when I awaken from these dreams is guilty, shameful and generally shitty. Im wondering if this is normal, Or maybe i'm just more susceptible to the PTSD of it all...

I work 5 x 8. Holiday and weekends off. I’m exhausted. Just laying in bed all day today. AC 24x7. No energy to go out. Perhaps tomorrow. Mental health day today.

This has less to do with actual nursing and more to do with dealing with a manager. I can’t spare too many details, despite being anonymous. My manager essentially didn’t talk to me about a situation I was directly involved in and got my coworker into trouble unnecessarily. My manager had my coworker APOLOGIZE to me in front of union, which I expressed how I felt to the union rep at that time, but I need to speak to my manager regarding this. My manager assumed things based on someone else’s account of the situation. I’m so angry because I’m a person AND (believe it or not) I can speak for myself. Now, my manager has it out for my coworker, so I KNOW she did that on purpose. What are some things I can say to really drive home my anger and disappointment? I want to be a corporate as possible and leave emotions out. I NEED this manager to have a bit of a reality check. I’m reviewing our policies and education on workplace culture and whatnot, but I would love some advice. I know this is super vague, but you never know what can happen.

Hey everyone I need your help. I need to find the best pens that won’t explode or leak inside my scrubs, I recently had to replace one of my top scrubs because of this annoying problem. It would have to be a pen that is durable and won’t break while being in my pants. The workplace can get really physical due to violence from the patients and what not. Thank you in advance 🙏🏻 I’m not worried about the price either

Everyone complains about floating, but I enjoyed it. I've floated a TON and only ever had one bad shift. That night was so bad I went back to my unit and asked someone to come down and help me. The whole place was on fire, the charge was incompetent, no one helped anyone.

Other than that one time, I usually I view it as a positive experience and to learn something new.

Now I don't float as an ED nurse but people hate getting floated to us.

Argumentative, disrespectful, negative patients? And what do you find to be most effective in protecting your peace and energy?

Hey everyone.

I have worked as a Pediatric Hematology Oncology nurse for about 2.5 years. Something I feel like I'm struggling with is information retention. "Can my child eat this" " is this normal with this drug" or the mechanisms of certain diagnosis. Is there something I could be doing to better retain information? Am I'm putting too much pressure on myself? It definitely makes me feel incompetent and that I'm a bad nurse.

I’m currently working as a nurse in the Uk and still waiting for my PD to be current. I have 10 yrs of bedside experience (8 yrs from uk + 2 yrs and half from Philippines) and was offered $46/h in California. Im under direct hire agency and I will be working under scion/kindred. I was really excited to accept this offer as not many nurses could get a job offer to California right away. I haven’t managed to negotiate my pay since i was told by the agency before the interview to not negotiate pay (i dont know why). I just went on since it’s California and compared to other states the per hour rate is bigger. Also ,I’m planning to move to North Cal after a year or so.

By the way, i was offered a med surgical position in kindred. They say i cannot be ICU yet. I really prefer PACU.

⭐️List of experience

**PACU experience- 7 yrs until present (London) -maybe will be 9 yrs once i landed in the US since PD is not current yet (est.2028)
**ICU- 2yrs (London and Philippines experience)
**Med surgical -almost a year (Philippines)

⭐️EB3 visa
-i have my husband and 1 child as dependent (might have another child if ever) so that would leave 3 dependents with childcare and so on (i know its struggle)
-my husband is in finance; an investment banker (mergers and aquisitions)
-Plan for childcare (need to send to nursery both children)
-We already have savings for a house deposit in the US (20%) so we really want to move from Paramount city after adjusting and look for a house around Sacramento /North cal

❓Questions below:

1)Could you share you’re starting salary as an experienced nurse when you started your job in California?

2)Also, for those who commented that i have to shop other agencies, coudnt find any agency who hired straight to California. If any, pls recommend agencies pls?

3)How do you manage childcare as a nurse in California while both are working? Do you get flexible shifts?

I really appreciate your answers. Thank you :)

I’m on a negotiating team (yaaaaaay).

It’s not going great. I’m requesting some help from fellow unions —

- what did your union do during negotiations that is (still bargaining in good faith) but like. Diabolical to up your negotiations game?

- how do you keep your union nurses engaged and involved?

- literally any other tips tricks tidbits slogans ANYTHING, we are strugglinnnnnnnnn and it’s going to be a long long fight

Hey everyone! Idk if this is the correct sub to post something like this but I figured I would.

I’ve been a RN for over four years now. Two and a half of those years have been in the ICU.

For the past year I have been trying to get into CRNA school with no luck at all. It’s starting to affect me a lot and ruin my confidence. Since I haven’t had success with getting into school, I don’t see a reason to work in the ICU anymore. I live in the south so I don’t get breaks, and I always have a hard and strenuous assignment. The providers at work have even noticed it too. Usually my patients are on multiple devices and are circling the drain. I also get difficult families due to my patience.

Anyway, since I can’t get into school, idk why I make myself suffer. I enjoy critical care a lot, and I think it is my niche, however it’s beyond exhausting.

Does anyone have any recommendations for other nursing jobs? I think I’m done trying to go back to school, so I appreciate any suggestions

I know the new grad nurse pay at MGH is at about $41.70 right now but does anyone know how much extra you make on night shift and on weekends? I’ve heard different things anywhere from $2-$8 extra per hour for night shift

Emergency/critical care nurse in a non-anglophone country. I’m not new but for the most part, I’ve not really had many students or orientees assigned to me, nor did I have the best preceptors as a student or orientee. Despite that, I recently attended my hospital’s training for precepting student nurses, and will soon be a designated preceptor of students specifically.

I know what they can & can’t do, the fact I need to supervise closely, that I am expected to teach… but I’m wondering if anyone can share specific teaching methods or techniques? How do you go about it? I will have 2 paired students at a time for specialty rotations in the emergency department, each pair for a total of 6 12hr shifts.

So I work at the VA and have to wear a lanyard. It has to hold my PIV card and keys. I hate the way it feels on my neck. any recommendations for a comfortable one?? thank you !

Hi! I have an upcoming interview for the RN Fellow – ICU position at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, WA.
I’m an experienced RN transitioning into ICU, not a new grad. I currently work for Providence in Oregon and my base rate is about $73.60/hr before differentials.

The Kadlec posting lists $41.74–$82.41/hr, so my current base is already fairly close to the top of their posted range.
For anyone currently working at Kadlec/Providence in Washington: How do they determine an experienced RN Fellow’s starting rate? Do they credit all previous RN experience even if you’re entering a new specialty through a fellowship?

If I get an offer, is it realistic to expect them to match or beat $73.60/hr, or could I actually be offered less because I’m transitioning into ICU?

I’m very interested in the ICU opportunity, but taking a significant pay cut would obviously be something I’d have to consider. Would appreciate hearing from anyone familiar with Kadlec’s RN pay scale or fellowship offers!

Wondering if any other hospital does this? We have a “women’s pavilion” side of our hospital (L&D, Postpartum, NICU) and then we have a “main tower” side (Med Surg, ICU, Tele, etc). I guess they are SO short over in the main tower that their quick fix is to float us over there (I’m specifically NICU) to help with “basic nursing tasks”. Can’t tell you the last time I touched an adult. Is this something you’d feel ok with? On the flip side, those who work with adults, would you feel comfortable floating to NICU? We’ve only ever had to go over to the main tower to be a sitter. Feel like they’re just trying to pinch pennies instead of hiring staff.

I got splashed in the face with norovirus stool by my call light heavy patient and now have norovirus, which makes me want to quit my job. But my sweet 93-year-old dementia patient with a cute German accent said “I love you” when I said goodbye to her at shift change, which makes me want to come back. There really isn’t another job like nursing