Hey Jenn, I specialize in hemodialysis, acute I'm interested in recovery or the paperwork/business side of nursing I've been a nurse 8 years (holy cow) I'd say it took a couple years to know dialysis inside and out. My dream job would be a domestic engineer...yes really!

Hi Pat, Thanks for posting. It's great to hear form "more experienced" nurses like yourself. Elder advocacy sounds right up my alley-I will start looking into that over the next few years. ~Jenn~

In my hospital we have the lowest nurse:pt ratio in the area... we are 6 or 7 to 1 nurse. Most are 8,10,12 to 1. We rely heavily on our patient techs. Unfortunately these folks are not trained very well and some leave alot to be desired. And then there are some that will do anything and everything they can to help the nurse and the patient. Even with a lighter pt load of 6 or 7 we are slammed with non stop work. I don't know how the folks with 10 or 12 are doing it. And I think that is where part of the problem lies. In California this summer they just passed a nurse patient ratio law and the nurses of this country need to get together and make the ANA work for us in our states and demand these ratios be set to be safe for the patient and the nurse. We, as patients need to let management know of our concerns... they listen to patients alot more than they listen to nurses... if you have the opportunity to write to the CEO, the DON, the Head Nurse or Unit Manager... do it. If you are given a survey to fill out or a phone survey do it!!! Be sure to remember the good ones too. Now with Magnet coming, the hospitals are looking at ways to recognize the positive aspects. As part of your packing for hospital, take a little notebook and write down names of good and bad. It has been my experience that if the staff know you are writing stuff down, they seem to be a little more attentive to your needs. Good luck everyone

I didn't know this was here either. When I finally filled in my "hobbies" on my profile, the list of other message boards came up and viola' here I am. KEWL!!! RN here... 44 yo Virginia... surg date 9/14

Hi Sister Nightengales! I've been a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for 23 of the 33 years that I've been an RN. I've been in collaborative practice for the past 10 years and see about 20 - 25 kids a day newborn to 21 y/o. I work in an urban area now and never know what language I'm going to try to play charades in at every new patient encounter!! Bosnian, Vietnamese, Russian, Chinese, and West African. I was a Department Director (glorified head nurse) for a peds outpatient clinic for a university med school for 5 years -- riding herd on med students, interns, residents and attendings and keeping my nurses from killing them all!! Never again. My Dream Job? Celestial Glory where I'll be out of business! Pat To Jenn: Get some experience dealing with insurance companies and Medicare/Medicaid and become an elder advocate. Elders and their families, that might live far away, need someone to deal with all the bureaucrasy and watch over the bills as much as they need good nursing care! PC