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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
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    Land of Brine Shrimp and Magic Underwear
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    6,761

    Nurse Mags: Jobs/agency/travel/experiences/etc.

    Well it seems there are a few of us on here so I thought this could make a good repository for knowledge from the collective.

    I've had my ADN and have been working as a RN for about four years. I have a good, relatively secure full time job here at the U of U hospital in SLC but the pay isn't great. The employment situation in our field is pretty grim around here, out of 75 graduates from the most recent BSN class at the U, 15 got hired. We have tuition reimbursement programs here with a couple other schools with contracts to work at the U upon graduation or pay back tuition. The contracts are being voided because there are no jobs and these kids are getting free tuition but can't work.

    I was about to quit my job two years ago to go with a local agency but then the contracts all dried up when the economy went south so I stayed where I am. I'd like to make more money though and I know there are places out there with demand so I'm starting to look into the travel thing. Problem is the places with the big demand are usually shitty, or California, which wouldn't be bad. Either way I'd still like to be based here and commute by plane a couple or more times a month.

    Other problem is that I'm extremely reluctant to quit my stable benefited position here in favor of a big question mark.

    So Nurse mags, how's the jobs scene in your area?

    Have you ever or do you currently do the travel/agency thing? If so how has that treated you?

    All other nursing related questions and comments welcome.
    There's nothing better than sliding down snow, and flying through the air

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    9,300ft
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    As I understand it (not an RN till '12), there are some jobs in Colorado if you have 1-2 years of acute care experience, preferably with a BSN or currently in a RN-BSN program.

    If you are a new grad with anything but a BSN from a (preferably local) NLN/CCNE school, you are mostly fucked and doomed to LTC. If you do have that accredited BSN, you are somewhat less fucked.

    Dunno what the pay is like.

    Is the pay in SLC really that bad?
    Last edited by Summit; 07-07-2010 at 01:49 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Land of Brine Shrimp and Magic Underwear
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    6,761
    Summit, yeah we are among the lowest pay by State. I get great benefits but we also haven't gotten raises for two years running. Cost of living is fairly low here but still if you want a house and a nice car and nice things, you pay wherever you are. As far as wanting more money, I don't think I'd leave my current position for ten more bucks an hour but a lot of the agency postings I've seen pay DOUBLE what I'm making now plus signing bonuses for every thirteen weeks. That's six figures for full time.

    Also, in my experience, the degree or certificate you have doesn't really matter once you have experience. My hospital doesn't pay any more for a BSN vs ADN. As a new grad these days though, yeah you'd better be a star.

    BTW, we have a mutual friend in the field from my Breck days, John L, who works critical care down in Denver. For reference, I think he makes a couple bucks more than me with less experience.
    There's nothing better than sliding down snow, and flying through the air

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    9,300ft
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    Good info

    And John is awesome! Strong hiker!
    Quote Originally Posted by blurred
    skiing is hiking all day so that you can ski on shitty gear for 5 minutes.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Middle of Norway.
    Posts
    2,777
    As a one-month-old RN, I can tell you that there are indeed jobs in Norway. The pay is not that great (for the cost of living here), and we pay taxes through our noses (I pay 36% income taxes on what will be 310-410.000 kroner - $48-65.000, more or less). On the other hand, everything and anything we work past 37 hrs/week is paid with 100% overtime, which is very sweet.

    The cardiology ward is a great place to work, by the way. Semi-critical care unit with loads to do all the time, patients with STEMI/NSTEMI and other conditions coming in from all of the three Northern counties of Norway. Fkna! (as it happens, directly related to my BSN degree final paper)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Eagle County
    Posts
    12,612
    RN job in Vail at the moment with Steadman...also a patient care manager that must be a RN with Hospice. Also RNs with hospice in Montrose, Junction, and Glenwood...all in the Vail Daily today.

    The wife is a nurse practitioner in Vail...thus this thread caught my eye.
    ROLL TIDE ROLL

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    SFCA
    Posts
    1,354
    So, a wise Mag once told me that, as a nurse, if you aren't making more money or advancing your career somehow, you're stagnate as a nurse. Sometimes, that entails switching departments, cross-training, clinical nurse advancement, doing Charge, going back to school, picking up a few letters(ACLS, CEN, CCRN, PALS, TNCC...) or simply leaving your job. I had several friends last year that left travel gigs in the Bay Area, only to find that they couldn't get another travel gig Anywhere. The travel arena has opened up quite a bit in the last few months, but you will have a hard time making more than $33/hour in this area(+housing).

    I just left my position with the county in favor of a new job at a private hospital in SF. The county hospital employs several people that live out of state and fly in to work six on and eight off. The obvious trick to this is cheap living arrangements in CA. One person I know stays for months at a time, but his marriage is a joke and his family is falling apart. He also routinely works sixteen hours a day, and is making between 250-300k/year. I'm doing a full time position so that I work my 36 hours each week, and get to play the rest of the time. What are your priorities? Do you want to amass a small fortune, or just have a change of pace?

    I moved across the country as a traveller, heading to SLC. I fell in love with SF, and haven't looked back.
    "Yo!! Brentley! Ya wanna get faded before work?"

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Land of Brine Shrimp and Magic Underwear
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    Good info Montanaskier, thanks.

    BS7120, the short answer is, both.

    I'm in the ICU now, current ACLS required of course, and I'm charging most of my shifts. That's not really an ambition of mine but we've got a lot of turnover and it just ended up that way. I'm not really interested in going back to school anytime soon but I might like to do ED, or just a different area. Also, I'm finding that more money would be useful. I've got a mortgage and a car payment and I'm a single income houshold and spread pretty thin. Also I'm a little bitter that I'm very low on the pay spectrum by state. Don't know what I can expect without a BS though.

    Basically I just want to get ahead a little, even if it just means getting OT which I can't really get here. So the travel thing looks pretty good. Prolly do the six on/eight off deal or similar if I did. California seems to be the one of the only markets with demand right now and because of the unions the conditions (from what I hear) are pretty safe, ratio wise(???).

    Anyway, good info, thanks, and if you know of any good agencies that are hiring out there please share!
    Last edited by beaterdit; 07-17-2010 at 05:05 AM.
    There's nothing better than sliding down snow, and flying through the air

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    3,452
    I know a more than a few ambo companies around the bay who are hiring CCT nurses. a few of them seem to be CONSTANTLY advertising for it on cl... although perhaps that's more of a turnover/internal problem? anyways- seems like that is a STRONG and GROWING market, imho.

    sweet gig- $85ish (give or take depending on company) an hour and you sleep most of the shift- probably run 2 or 3 calls. they generally want solid ICU and/or ED experience and a buncha letters- cen, ccrn, acls, phtls, pals, nals, btls, blah blah ... bonus if you're also an emt-p

    at our ambo company the rns work either 24s or 48s, and the requirement is that you must ALSO work as an RN somewhere else- icu/ed/flight rn/what have you. i think that's because they want you to keep on top of your skills. our rns mostly sleep or workout during their downtime, and they all seem to be really happy and <3 the job.

    there is one slightly shady company i've heard of who makes their nurses post at their own house without getting paid, then when a call comes in DRIVE THEIR OWN CAR to meet up with the rig, and it just seems lame and i've heard people kvetching bout it out in the field. *so* if anyone of you murse mags are actually in this hood looking at these gigs pm me and i can give you the lowdown about who to avoid.

    y'all should become flight nurses... i bet yall's butts would look sexxy in the jumpsuits
    Last edited by BeanDip4All; 07-18-2010 at 10:10 PM.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Posts
    3,449
    any of these places need someone with MHA?

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