Comments on: life update

By: jamie

jamie — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:20:43 +0000

hello!

a friend of mine is a nurse and she signed up with a traveling nurse company so she gets to move and try out a new place and a new hospital every three months (though i believe they have longer contracts avaialble).

she settled in the ER at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles and LOVES her job now.

i think this is a great way to kind of test out different aspects of nursing as well as see different places. If i were single (and had a career that offered this kind of thing), i would do it in a heartbeat.

i can find out the agencies she used, if you’d like.

starting over (so to speak) can be so exciting!

By: kilax

kilax — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:57:15 +0000

I am so sorry I didn’t pick up on what was going on! You have the right attitude though – you are a young, smart woman, and the world IS at your fingertips! There is so much you can do

By: The Laminator

The Laminator — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:16:59 +0000

Hey Susan – sorry i haven’t been reading or commenting recently! My crazy hospital life presents me from blog reading on a regular basis. But besides, we go back and forth a bit on twitter so that counts right? Okay then, I think I can dispense some advice, but you probably already know what I would say.

Yes, yes, yes, look for a different work environment before you decide to jump ship on this nursing biz. I know a lot of nurses who were miserable at one place and found great success in another. I know your place is a community hospital so that might not be the best place for you to work at right now. You are a pretty caring person and smart so you are meant to go far in this field.

Sigh, I wish I could help more. Sorry about R.S. I’m glad you’re happy with your decision though.

By: Yasi

Yasi — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:21:02 +0000

I actually was wondering what was going on with RS since I hadn’t heard anything on him in a while on the blog. I’m sorry to hear it, but I’m glad that you’re happy with your decision, that’s the most important part! I wish I could offer you good advice on what to do with your life now, but I feel like we’re in a very similar situation. Why not go to the south/another coast/country? Just explore and see if you can find a job in a hospital somewhere else. If I could move anywhere right now it would be to San Diego, hands down. Actually, maybe Italy. )

By: Nicole of Raspberry Stethoscope

Nicole of Raspberry Stethoscope — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:56:15 +0000

Wow, sorry to hear about everything going on. But it seems like a perfect opportunity to start fresh. Do not give up on nursing! no position is perfect, but from the stories I’ve read on your blog, your current job situation is ridiculous, to say the least. I would consider going by the allnurses.com forums and if you have a state in mind, going to those forums and try to figure out the best hospital, patio to nurse ratio, how management is run, etc. Look into something other than floor nursing (icu??). You rock girl!

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:17:23 +0000

As far as money, budgets, and debt I’m a HUGE Dave Ramsey fan. I actually heard about him via another fitness blogger, who also happens to blog about her budget/savings now. He’s got a great system to get out of debt and build wealth. Only a small part deals with dollars and cents. Most of his system is really built around changing your lifestyle and attitude toward money and spending. Check out her blog at http://kelsalynnfitlog.blogspot.com/ and Dave Ramsey at http://www.daveramsey.com/

By: Heather C

Heather C — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:29:27 +0000

I hope you’re doing okay! I know running can help and be therapeutic at times, but only when you’re ready for it to be. Take it easy on yourself, that’s not an easy life-transition to go through! just always know that things have a way of working themselves out, and random job-searches always tend to yield some pretty exciting opportunities xo

By: Niki

Niki — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:18:54 +0000

I think Memphis is calling your name! I could work on getting you a job in the PICU I worked at! Haha, all kidding aside, I’m sorry February sucked for you! At least it’s a new start of a new month! It can only go up right?!? Although it may be scary, think of how exciting it is to have the world at your fingertips! You can go anywhere and do anything!!

By: Becky (flybynyght @ wordpress)

Becky (flybynyght @ wordpress) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:59:38 +0000

I’m sure that you had lots of great times and learned lots from your relationship – so in that sense, it was a success! Now is your time to concentrate on you and get to a place where you are truly happy.

By: ny wolve

ny wolve — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:55:09 +0000

It is easy for me to say, but I think you are in an envious position to be sure! I have been out of school for 17 years. I went straight from undergrad to graduate to work. I have changed jobs several times, and never taken any time off between them. Literally, quit on Friday and start new deal on Monday.

Looking back, I regret not taking more time to explore, be free, sow some wild oats. Move to Aspen and get by. Travel the world. Live in a forest cabin. Something. My school and experience always provides the fall back, and I could have done it. I just didn’t. Now with a mortgage, life, etc., such things become much more difficult. Those things are not limiting you now. So, for what it is worth — from the do as I say and not as I did department — I encourage you to do something that makes you smile. That you can look back on 20 years from now and have great feelings about, even if it didn’t work out as planned. I had a friend spend a year in Europe selling used Levis. That year was incredible for him, and his plan literally consisted of a plane ticket and a duffel full of jeans. The schooling and skill will always be there, and I am guessing when the economy turns, probably easier to segue back into if that is where life takes you.

Good luck, and there are no bad choices.