Branching out

Hello again, sorry it's been so long. I've been really busy. The agency nursing thing is going pretty well. There is a state run mental health facility that has been requiring some help. I took CAPE training. (Creating a positive environment) It was 2 days and only slightly helpful. One thing they taught was the CAPE hold...I thought I might not want to work there after learning that. It is a way to hold onto the client without them hurting themselves or you and it's supposed to help them to gain control of themselves. I haven't seen it in practice and after talking to the nurses that work at the facility they haven't used it much either. I was really glad to hear that. The clients are an interesting mix and the staff has been helpful. Just goes to show you can teach an old dog new tricks...I am still working at a hospital as well...it's brand new as of August this year. The ratio is 4 to 1 and they are only using nursing students as nurse aides and using them very minimally. I haven't worked there much yet but I'll keep you all posted. Happy blogging...and remember first do no harm.

Moving on

Well, I sure do miss those staffing ratios in California, not to mention all my friends at Queen of the Valley. I highly recommend it if you get the chance to travel there and I hope to be back there soon. Oklahoma is a different story. It's not bad, there aren't many travel positions to be found and the money isn't so great but, it's not too surprising. We didn't come here for the travel opportunity. We came here to try to be entrepreneurs. My husband and I are opening a resale shop next Friday (that's why I haven't been blogging) in Moore Oklahoma. We are hoping (of course) that it does really well and that I can stop nursing. It's a great profession and has served me well and I hope to do some strike nursing (sorry all you union nurses) soon. I'm just tired...15 years is long enough to be taking care of others...now it's me time...I hope.
The staffing here isn't too bad. The most I have had is 6:1 on a rehab unit. Mostly it's 4 or 5 to one on tele and med-surg. Very little use of LPN's or CLPN's in the hospitals. One hospital is trying all RN and no aides their ratio is 4:1...we'll see how that works. Shift times are different, they start at 6:30 or 6:45 instead of 7...and believe me that half hour or fifteen minutes means a lot at 5 am! Most of the rest of the stuff is the same. One little hospital I have been working at still counts narcotics at the end of the shift...can you believe it? No Sur-med or Pyxis....the agony. If you've never had to do a narcotic count at the end of your shift...you haven't lived...lol.
I have been working with a local staffing agency. I get on average $30/hr. they do offer benefits (at a minimal price) and PTO, so pretty good for an agency but they are short on the day shifts so I have picked up a PRN position at a little hospital in the same city where we will be opening our store. That should be enough to keep our dream alive...until I don't have to work at all!!!!
Well, I'll try to keep you informed...remember first do no harm and happy blogging!!!