Calling All NURSES!!

[nicunicu2002 0]

Ive noticed quite a few nurses on this site so I thought I would start a thread for those of us that would like to have ONE more thing in common, besides the LB. I will start out...

My name is Kimberly and Ive been an RN for 25 years. I currently live in the Boston MA area. I work in a neonatal intensive care unit. I also have a background as a sexual assult nurse examiner and DMAT (disaster medical assistance team) altho currently am not participating. I have many years of upper level management experience however decided to get out of that grind and do bedside nursing once again which I am enjoying. Once I leave the hospital, Im done.

The other avenue of nursing that I am enjoying is Legal Nurse consulting. The money is great, the work is rewarding and you can do it from home. Im always looking for people to assist me in areas that I have no expertise in so this will be a great way to make contacts as well and ask for advice.

I have not had the surgery yet, but will meet with the doc next thursday. I as well as most of you im sure have researched this to death. I look forward to reading everyones response.

[mica 0]

Hi there,

I am a Registered Psychiatric Nurse with a degree in Education. Currently working in the Blood donation business. I have worked in acute and chronic Psychiatry, with Sexually Transmitted Disease, and as a Nursing Instructor.

I was banded Jan 25,08 in Tijuana, Mexico. So far I'm down around 35 lbs. I have had one fill so far and have had few complications or problems overall. I would do it again in a heartbeat and only wish I could have had it done 25 years ago! As with everyone else here, my weight has been a problem most of my life! Finally, I have found the tool that I needed to control my eating!

I'm self-pay, at $7500.00 plus travel costs to Tijuana, still cheap considering all the cash I have wasted over the years on fad diets, food, clothes etc............

As a health-care professional, I was concerned about going to a foreign country for surgery, but I have no concerns now!

[sfeiner 2]

Hi, I have been a nurse for more years than I can count. Lets see, since 1963 I guess. I started in Med surg, worked in ER for a few years, then psych for about 10 yrs, did a couple years of per dieum for an agency and then went to independent home nursing which I am doing now. I would love to retire but the case I'm on now (for the past 11 years) needs an RN case manager once day a week so that's me. I like it but my patient has gotten too big for me to handle with my bad back. The legal nurse consulting sounds interesting. I would love to do something from home.

I was an EMT untill I recieved my first knee injury a couple years ago.

I'm a mom of 6, grandma of 13 and great grandma of 1 cute little baby girl.

I got banded last Oct and still don't have decent restriction.

I think there are about 100 nurses on this site! It would be nice to have our own thread forum.

[tarrn13 1]

Hiya,

I'm Tara, a travel nurse from canada currently in Seattle for the last year, I've lived everywhere from South Carolina to Alaska over the 9 years I have been here, my current specialty is N-ICU, I have also worked in Labour and Delivery, PP and as a charge nurse on a Gyn/Uro floor, the next step for me is transport, specifically flight nursing or I am also very interested in outpost nursing when I return to Canada (which is working in the northern Inuit villages) I am also considering going back to school for a certificate NP in forensics, as you can see my interests are varied.

nicunicu2000, which hospital are you at? One of my friends is from Boston and worked there for a few year.

I'm a self pay that had surgery in Tijuana on 3/25 with Dr. Ortiz, it was a very positive experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat, I go for my 1st fill tomorrow so I am really looking forward to restriction that I had the 1st few weeks post op.

[proudmaryrn 0]

Hi, Kimberly. My name is Mary, BSN. I have been a nurse for 17 years. Started in a large town on Med/Surg, then moved to a very rural area of the state. The only opportunity was to become a Director of Nursing at one of the area's nursing homes. I did that for about l0 years for 2 different homes. What a drugery that was, including the lawsuits. I got divorced after 26 years of marriage & remarried 4 years ago. Since the remarriage, I am retired! It is pure heaven. When someone asks me, "do you miss nursing?", I say, "no", and I mean it. I advise younger people to go into the dietary field (Registered Dietician). I worked with a gal who does this, can mostly work from home, picks and chooses her jobs, consults & makes way more money than I did & has no liability!!!! You can see I am a little bitter, considering I was sued by a greedy family because I had malpractice insurance & the nursing home had no insurance. The lawsuit lasted 4 years!!!! Never again will I put myself out there. Got banded on March 5th, 2008. Have lost 26 lbs. to date. Private pay of $l5,000. Glad I did it, just wish I could lose faster! Wish I would exercise more! Mary

[nicunicu2002 0]

this is amazing, im so glad that i started this thread. its wonderful to read where everyone is from and the different areas. hopefully more will appear as the days go on.....

kimberly

[pearlygirl 1]

I'm Jamie, BSN from Omaha, Nebraska. I'm 31 and have an 18 month old daughter. I worked in a post surgical unit for about 5 years and then worked in hospice. I did that for about 3 years. I haven't worked since my daughter was born but I plan on going back 2 days a week(8's not 12's) toward the end of summer. GO NURSES!

[nicunicu2002 0]

i second that...woo hoo nurses! i think we all should get flowers for nurses week coming up.....!

[tarrn13 1]

wow proudmaryrn, you do sound really bitter, that's too bad that you were involved in a lawsuit but really there are worse things in life so you should let the negative energy go about it, when you tell people not to go into nursing maybe you should start or end your statement with "i was in a lawsuit so I am kind of biased..."

[Nursienicole 0]

I have been a Registered Nurse for the past 9 years. My area of nursing interest and expertise is adolescent psychiatry however I currenly and have for the last 4 years, work for an insurance company. I know, I know...insurance can be the enemy but to be honest if it wasnt for the insurance company I would never have done all the research I had done prior to surgery. Believe it or not all the stuff they require pre-op is really important. I was just banded on 4/28 and as such I am still somewhat sore and still have a wierd sensation that I imagine must be the band itself. I did lose almost 40 lbs pre-op and I am hoping to keep losing through the summer. My goal is to fit on the Superman ride at 6Flags. Last summer we went and I could et the seatbelt around my body. It was embarrassing to have to get off and walk away from the ride after standing in line for an hour.

My other goal is to regain my fertility. I am 33 and the clock is ticking. Although I have 2 wonderful step daughters I long for a baby of my own.

[thunderstorm816 0]

I have been an LPN for 10 years now. I work in a physicians office. Woohoo for me no nights, no weekends, no holidays..lol gotta love it. NURSES ROCK!!!

[mamato3 1]

Hello fellow nurses! Wow, you all have such admirable experiences under your belts. I have been an LPN for 10 years now. Most of my experience has been in nursing homes as that is where LPN's find most of their work, unfortunately. I also did 2 years as a Health Care Coordinator at an Assisted Living Residence... the good old desk job. Fun fun! Currently I am working part time for a nursing agency and primarily have been working at a physical rehab hospital. I really enjoy it and it is probably as close to working in a hospital as I'll get as an LPN.

I have 3 beautiful daugthers (15yrs, 2 yrs and 11months) and that is why I only manage to work part time. My new job in life is being the best mom I can.

I was banded in January and I am LOVING this journey. I am down 50 lbs including the pre op diet and I haven't felt this great in years!

[gkeyt 0]

Well, this is pretty cool. There are a lot of nurses on this site.

I've been an RN for 11 years. Med surg for the first 1.5 and the rest critical care, mostly burns and trauma. I worked in Seattle for 5 years, then was a traveler for 3 years, spent the rest of the time in Portland until this January, when I started CRNA school at Gonzaga in Spokane. It was a great decision and I do not miss the bedside at all, although at one time I did love it. Nurse anesthesia is taking critical care to the next level, but without the code browns. :smile:

I was banded in March 2007 in Portland. I've lost almost 60 lbs which is about 80% of my goal. The last 20 are proving stubborn, especially since starting school. But I am not worried about them taking a while, as long as I just keep moving closer to my goal. Life is much better at this weight than a year ago. I work out a lot, and love it. And it totally helps keep me sane during anesthesia school, which is a serious butt-kicker to say the least.

Cool thread!

[Sarah8714 2]

Maybe we could have out own group???

I am 36, I am from Texas (Houston area), I work as an Emergency Room RN for the last 4 years and a paramedic for 10 years prior to that. I work 3-4 nights a week. I am a Mom to a 20 month old boy.

I am scheduled to be banded on 5/15/08.

[QuilterLaura 0]

Hi all you nurses out there! I graduated from University of Michgian's school of nursing in 1985. I worked at my local community Hospital from then until Thanksgiving 2000. Once my first son was born I only worked part time evenings so I could be home with him during the day, then my DH would take over in the evenings. Once my youngest started first grade I only worked after 7pm and on weekends so I could be home with they got home from school. I was kind of nuts about day care....it wasn't for me. I worked MedSurg usually but was also cross trained in OB, ICU, and ER. In a small hospital you learn to be a jack of all trades, lol. I loved my job (most nights, lol). My problem started with my knees. I have a bone disease affecting my knees and have had 5 operations to keep me going. As my weight increased and I got older, I found I could no longer be on my feet as much as I needed to be in order to work. I worked less and less and finally retired. Now my sons are in college (Purdue University) and high school and thankfully my husband has excelled in his job and there is no financial need for me to find another job. I do miss nursing but have accepted that chapter in my life is over. I was banded April 2, 2008. I am having some port issues and go back to the surgeon today for him to look at it. Otherwise I'm doing fine so far. I loved reading this thread and wish you all the best. Hopefully we can start a nurses group! :smile: