Attn: Nurses - check in here!

[CaptainLeela]

How long have you been a nurse? 8 years. Man, time has flown!

What area do you work in currently? Previously? Currently in Public Health (in a strange combo emergency preparedness/teen family planning role). Previously was in NICU.

Which area would you choose to work? I love what I'm doing but if I had to choose a different area it would be L&D or step-down NICU.

What is your favorite thing about nursing? I love helping the teenage girls that I meet with learn about their reproductive system and how to make responsible choices when it comes to sex/reproduction. I love seeing the light bulbs come on.

[prater2011]

How long have you been a nurse? 9 years this year

What area do you work in currently? Previously? Infusion center/chemo. Previously med surg charge in a critical access hospital

Which area would you choose to work? I really really live what I do now. I also work one sat every 6 weeks in the clinic and that's a nice different side of nursing.

What is your favorite thing about nursing?spending quality time with patients. I love being able to talk about anything that makes them smile. I love soul healing....stupid I know but it's true.

[tomatopie]

How long have you been a nurse? 6 years

What area do you work in currently? Previously? currently home health - previously endoscopy. worked in assisted living as an LPN.

Which area would you choose to work? Honestly, I loved working in AL. I love geriatrics. Home Health is the next best thing for me though. Super flexible.

What is your favorite thing about nursing? I feel like nursing has given me practical knowledge for everyday life. I think anatomy and phys should be mandatory to graduate from high school.

[radtechgirl]

I am going to sit down here if you don't mind. Just cause I think I am the only rad tech on the May board and I love my IRL nurse friends.


How long have you been a nurse?
Been a Rad tech since 2005

What area do you work in currently? Previously?
I work over nights doing CT and X-Ray. Have been on over nights since 2007

Which area would you choose to work?
I love my ER patients.

What is your favorite thing about radiography?
Every day is something different.

[rivers714]

How long have you been a nurse?
Going on my second year. I was an embryologist and research scientist in my previous life.

What area do you work in currently? Previously?
How long have you been a nurse?

What area do you work in currently? Previously? I'm in the ED and moonlight at a tcu. I got a sweet offer on a cardio floor and have an interview tomorrow as a phn

Which area would you choose to work? I love the absurdity and variety of the ED

What is your favorite thing about nursing?
You can see the best and worst of humanity

Which area would you choose to work?
I'm in NP school so in a year I'll be a primary care np. I'd love to be women's health

What is your favorite thing about nursing?

[prater2011]

norsern yup I'm in iowa

[amylee545]

hiiiiii fellow nurses!

How long have you been a nurse? 4 years

What area do you work in currently? Previously? Post-acute rehab unit... It's a rehab floor for inpatient PT/OT. I've been there since I graduated college, but worked in neuro/neuro surg at a level 1 trauma hospital as a CNA for 3 years before while I was in nursing school.

Which area would you choose to work? Probably outpatient chemo clinic. I adored that rotation in nursing school and still think about it to this day.

What is your favorite thing about nursing? So cliche, but I adore helping people and advocating for people. Being their voice when they don't know how to. Just the other day, one of my patients cried to me at the end of my shift thanking me for taking such great care of him, after advocating to the docs for him regarding his terrible unmanaged pain. It's moments like that that keep me ticking!

[jennadesigns]

How long have you been a nurse? 3 years

What area do you work in currently? Previously? I work on a med/surg floor at a hospital. I previously worked in inpatient rehab and as a nursing supervisor in a long-term care facility.

Which area would you choose to work? For the most part I like what I do, but it's very busy and demanding. I often think I'd be happier in day surgery where patients are in and then out and have rather straight forward cases.

What is your favorite thing about nursing? As corny as it sounds, I like that I can make a difference in someone's life during a difficult time.

[slane]

Been a nurse for 7 years
5 yrs in an inner city ER trauma center
1 year as float everywhere in the hospital from ER to ICU to L&D to IV and so on.
1 year home with my being because I wanna be, stress got to me and I needed a break.
May go back after I have this baby, not sure where...I have had a few offers including the local prison. Not sure I want to be a prison nurse though. We will see!

[tomatopie]

slane I've seen some job postings for prison nursing. Sometimes I think it would be interesting, but I've had fellow nurses tell me I'd be eaten alive in that setting.

[slane]

Jan 20, 2015 21:52:22 GMT -5 tomatopie said:

slane I've seen some job postings for prison nursing. Sometimes I think it would be interesting, but I've had fellow nurses tell me I'd be eaten alive in that setting.

I think it may be interesting too, I guess my personality fits there I don't know though...I heard too many horror stories!

[nurserachel22]

How long have you been a nurse? 2 years

What area do you work in currently? Previously? Home Health pediatrics and orthopedics

Which area would you choose to work? Public health!!!!! That's my first love. Educating helping people get their resources..

What is your favorite thing about nursing? Joking with my patients. If you can get a back fusion patient to laugh, you have done a good thing. I love the kiddos and their families that I serve as well. Kids have big hearts.

Eta... Currently in NP school. I'm one of those nurses who likes their job, but doesn't think a nitch exists. It's still early though I guess...

[flyinghorses6]

How long have you been a nurse? 2+ years

What are do you work in currently? I work in maternal/newborn services. I do mostly labor and delivery but do float to mother/baby and special care nursery.

Which area would you choose to work? I am in my dream specialty. I would however like to see myself in a more acute NICU at some point down the road, but I'm not ready to give up L&D quite yet.

What is your favorite thing about nursing? That's easy because I work with mostly healthy patients...so helping them become parents. Helping a laboring woman finally hold, see, hear their baby for the first time is the most rewarding thing in the entire world. Also working with a team of women who help one another in emergencies, resuscitate babies, stabilize women in scary moments...it's a scary when it's happening but damn it feels good when it all works out.

[CaptainLeela]

slane In nursing school one of my rotations was in a women's prison. It was awful. Mostly because it was just so boring. All day long it was just popping pills for patients and dealing with "sick" prisoners who just wanted to get out of work.

[babydsmama]

I've been a nurse 3 years! I currently work FT on a cardiac progressive care unit and PRN on an inpt adult psych unit. My last job I worked on a Geri psych unit.

I would love to do cardiac rehab. I love cardiac! I also like the hospice side to nursing. I think eventually I would love to do home health and hospice.

My favorite thing about nursing is helping my patients and meeting new people every day that I work. This profession you can see an improvement in a patient in one shift. I love being able to see that difference.

[kaybug]

I've been a nurse for almost 2 years.

I'm currently working in L&D, which I love. My first job was in the ED, which was exciting and fun but L&D was where I really wanted to be.

L&D is amazing and I am very happy, but I have always seen my self in an educational role. I hope to eventually become a lactation consultant and childbirth educator.

My favorite thing about nursing is that in L&D, you get to see families change every day. The moment where a mom and dad see their baby for the first time is magical and I feel really lucky to be a part of it.

[jacks2008]

I'm completely late to the party, but since I finally got around to registering I thought I would join in!

How long have you been a nurse? Almost 7 years

What area do you work in currently? Previously? I started as a GN in the ED of a Level I Trauma center and still work in the same place. I am now the Quality person for our department and have a million job duties, but the ED is my passion and I can't imagine going anywhere else.

Which area would you choose to work? I think the ED is totally where I belong. I recently graduated with my MSN in administration, so hopefully one day I will be the director of our department.

What is your favorite thing about nursing? I enjoy being able to make a true life or death difference in patient's lives.

[flyinghorses6]

Anyone else getting totally screwed and bunkering down in their hospital for the next 3 days thanks to this stupid blizzard?

It has been crazy busy here (damn barometric pressure) so I've worked the last 8 days. Tomorrow is my night off but with the snow storm coming Monday evening into Tuesday they might need me to be in the hospital tomorrow night. And I don't work until 3pm on Tuesday. Just the life of a nurse but I can't help but throw a little fit over it. I really was just looking forward to my bed at the same time as my husband for the first time in over a week. Ok I'm done having a pity party. If anyone is going to be affected by the snow...stay safe!

[nurserachel22]

Jan 20, 2015 20:12:21 GMT -5 CaptainLeela said:

How long have you been a nurse? 8 years. Man, time has flown!

What area do you work in currently? Previously? Currently in Public Health (in a strange combo emergency preparedness/teen family planning role). Previously was in NICU.

Which area would you choose to work? I love what I'm doing but if I had to choose a different area it would be L&D or step-down NICU.

What is your favorite thing about nursing? I love helping the teenage girls that I meet with learn about their reproductive system and how to make responsible choices when it comes to sex/reproduction. I love seeing the light bulbs come on.

CaptainLeela how long did you work in Nicu? I want to hear about your experience there!

[CaptainLeela]

Jan 26, 2015 10:29:55 GMT -5 nurserachel22 said:

Jan 20, 2015 20:12:21 GMT -5 CaptainLeela said:

How long have you been a nurse? 8 years. Man, time has flown!

What area do you work in currently? Previously? Currently in Public Health (in a strange combo emergency preparedness/teen family planning role). Previously was in NICU.

Which area would you choose to work? I love what I'm doing but if I had to choose a different area it would be L&D or step-down NICU.

What is your favorite thing about nursing? I love helping the teenage girls that I meet with learn about their reproductive system and how to make responsible choices when it comes to sex/reproduction. I love seeing the light bulbs come on.

CaptainLeela how long did you work in Nicu? I want to hear about your experience there!

Only about 7 months. It was a level 1 NICU so we got the micro-preemies and super sick little peanuts. Oscillating vents, dopamine drips, arterial lines, the works. Part of me really loved it, but it was just way too intense for me. There were other factors in me leaving and switching my focus to public health, but NICU just wasn't a good fit for my personality. If I went back to hospital nursing I would totally go for a step-down unit though where the patients aren't critical. 

[nicunursetomommy]

How long have you been a nurse? Just going on a year. Worked at a patient care tech through nursing school.

What area do you work in currently? Previously? NICU. My one and only love.

Which area would you choose to work? If I couldn't work NICU, I would work either in L&D or nursery. Always babies

What is your favorite thing about nursing? I love my job. Even when I am having an awful day, there is always something heartwarming that happens to make me smile. 

[tomatopie]

Have any of you guys tried to hear the heartbeat with your stethoscopes? I read a few places that after 23 weeks or so the heartbeat can be heard with a regular steth. I've heard nothing. I feel silly trying. Anyone else?