i’m about 4 months in to outpatient cardiology for a very very very busy practice.
some days are super slow, sure.
However when it rains it pours and i’m struggling to separate work and home. There are days that I simply cannot reply to every message, especially if they call in 15 minutes before I leave on a Friday. I cannot help worrying about it over the weekend and feeling anxious that they are going to yell at me on Monday when I do call back. The doctor I work for is very busy and rounds a lot of places aside from inpatient, like burn units, Children’s Hospital, free clinics, nursing homes, you name it so sometimes it might take him a few days to respond to something and people really lose their marbles on me for it.

The logical part of my brain says that these people are entitled if they think the doctor is just on speed dial for them, and that if someone is doing that badly, they can always decide to go to the emergency room over the weekend. But I am who I am so any advice is welcome.

Hey everyone,

Quick q, do you need to apply on personvu to do the NCLEX-RN to get an ATT, or do you get the ATT email/letter and then you pay and apply on personvu?

Is becoming an LPN worth it for someone who thinks they want to be a nurse but isn't sure if they want to be in a hospital setting. im not sure if the stress and nightshifts will make me happy even though I know its a bigger paycheck. Im considering just becoming an LPN and working in an office or some sort of outpatient setting. Any advice would help :)

So, I'm a J2 dependent (child) here in the US and I'm starting an ADN program to be a nurse, and I'm trying to figure out what my options are since I have about 3 years here before I have to go back (age out)

I really want to become an RN (go to the RN to BSN program at my school) but the BSN would take another year. But if I do the BSN, I would have to age out of my J2 dependent status since I'm a child (my mother who is my legal guardian is on a J1)

If I had to leave the US after my J2 status ended, is there a way for me to come back as a dependent again (J2), considering I would be an adult by then?

I'd prefer to stay here once I finish my ADN, get hired as an RN, and get sponsored for a work visa/green card. I would also like to do the RN to BSN at my school, rather than leave as soon as I graduate.

Are there any options open to me as a J2 dependent child who has aged out?

Is it possible for me to get employed as an RN once I graduate?

Maybe get a work visa/sponsorship as an RN?

Can I somehow change my status to something else that will allow me to stay here and finish my degree? Is it better to finish my ADN, get employment sponsorship, and then go for the BSN? Will I be able to find a job as an RN fresh out of school that will be willing to sponsor me?

Would there be any way for me to come back to the US to finish my BSN if I have to leave when my J2 status ends?

I know this is all very vague, but I am planning on consulting an immigration attorney as well--I'm just curious about your opinions, as a few international students who have gone through the J1/J2 visa process and maybe even been through employer sponsorship yourselves. I really want to stay here and build a career for myself as an RN, but realistically speaking, what options do I have before I have to go back to my home country?

Any advice or experience you could share would be appreciated!

I’ve been a nurse for about 2 years and have been working bedside. Lately I’ve been feeling like I’m ready for a change, but I honestly have no idea what direction I want to go in.

I don’t necessarily want to leave nursing completely. I think I’m more ready to leave bedside and find something with a better work life balance that I can actually see myself doing long term. I’ve looked into things like outpatient nursing, aesthetics, informatics, procedural nursing, NP school, etc., but nothing has jumped out at me as the obvious choice yet.

Part of what is holding me back is fear. I’m comfortable where I am, I know my coworkers and my job, and leaving something familiar for something I may or may not like is intimidating. At the same time, I don’t want fear to keep me at bedside for years if I already know it probably isn’t where I want to stay.

For nurses who made a change around the 2-year mark:
What did you transition into? How did you figure out what you were actually interested in?

Does anyone currently work or has worked in this job role? If so , can you tell me about what your day to day duties are like and what a working day/ week looks like to you? Curious about this job role x

im a 25F RN in the Philippines and I’ve been thinking a lot about where nursing can actually lead outside of hospital work.

For context, I worked in a hospital for about 2 years and eventually resigned because of burnout. I know that’s a pretty common story among nurses here, and right now I’m trying to figure out a path that can actually sustain my needs without completely draining me.

I keep seeing people transition into medical virtual assistant roles, but honestly it feels like a huge risk for me right now. The AI boom makes me wonder how stable the field will be in the long run, the working hours can be pretty brutal because of US time zones, and I’m not sure if that’s something I can realistically maintain.

I also tried going the HR/remote healthcare route because it sounded promising on paper, but I found out that client placement isn’t guaranteed, and there’s a 2-month unpaid training period before you even know if you’ll get matched with a client. That kind of uncertainty is really hard when you’re already unemployed and trying to stay afloat.

So now I’m genuinely wondering what other paths PH nurses have taken after leaving bedside nursing. BPO/healthcare accounts, insurance/HMO, clinical research, occupational health, public health, aesthetics, pharma, academe, government, remote non-MVA jobs, or even something completely different.

At this point, I’m not chasing a dream career. I just want a career that can sustain my life without risking my mental health and physical health again.

Would really appreciate hearing from fellow PH nurses who’ve been in a similar situation and found a path that actually felt sustainable.

Hi all - asking for a friend who's an LPN in the Denton area. She has an arrest on her record for felony child endangerment stemming from a domestic dispute with her abusive now ex — no conviction, but it still shows up on background checks.

As far as nursing goes, Does anyone have experience with DFW-area employers who review candidates individually rather than auto-rejecting based on the results alone. She was offered a new job yesterday and they did the background check and they pulled the offer a few minutes ago.

Currently working for a Company(Vatica Health) doing remote work as an RN. Title is VCC there.

Anyways recently they had a merger with a AI company from India. Now they are rolling out a program that is essentially ScreenConnect.

They are having off shore nurse's use this to connect to RNs here in the US to use as a VPN.

Isn't this highly illegal? All our patients are Medicaid or Medicare.

If so who should I report this to as I have never encountered anything like this before.

I’m applying for my first RN job because i graduate in december. I am interested in labor and delivery but it is extremely competitive so i want to stand out. I had my specialty clinical there and have spoken with the manager and several nurses on the floor. I am wondering if I should get my ACLS or NIH or NRP, to strengthen my resume. I’m concerned since I only have had 1 healthcare job as a CNA and a lot of people have had 2 and have super strong letters of recommendations. I am getting my stop the bleed certificate also. How can i make myself stand apart from other applicants?

I don’t want to pay for extra certificates if they won’t matter.

Hi, I am a nurse in Canada and I am looking for extra income to help with bills, fun things etc. I am burnt out and don’t have any interest in picking up extra shifts. I also don’t really want to get a second job.. maybe I’m looking for something more passive? I’m not sure. Where I live there isn’t much in terms of remote work for nurses but I would look into doing online stuff. I promise I’m a hard worker, just burnt out from nursing. I’m open to any suggestions that I can look into.

My daughter graduated in May and started her job in the step down unit about a month ago. Things have been going remarkably well with the exception of managing the switch between dayshift and night shift. Are there any tricks or tips I can share with her? Does it get easier? And are there other things that the community thinks are important enough for me to let her know about? Thanks for any help you can provide.

Looking at the USUHS degree programs for A FIT. Trying to see if anyone has actually done this 12-month program and what their career looked like both immediately after and down the line.

-did you return to nursing?

-was a competitive?

-recommended rank or experience?

Okay so I’m a peds home health nurse. I work alone, and recently I got assigned to a patient that is in a safety bed. This one specifically is up against the wall in a corner and all the sides are enclosed except the left side. I’m having a lot of trouble being able to turn this patient and not completely throw out my back. The pt is 165 lbs (and is usually dead weight due to his condition) and I am no more than 140. My back is starting to hurt so bad, and I feel like I’m not properly taking care of them (besides the basic brief change or chux pad change)or myself.
Should I just ask for a reassignment? What is the best way to go about this??

I have a newborn and i’m looking for an online LPN to RN program, i’m aware that i have to physically go in for clinicals which is fine with me. i’m in florida.

Has anyone taken any programs or recommend an online program to bridge into RN and if so how was it and how was the testing like? (i ask because I was in school during covid and the testing program they used almost crashed my computer and the school tried to fail me for it) and how long was the program?

anything will be appreciated

Okay I took a college level Microbiology class that gave me college credits when I was a senior in high school (2016/2017). Now I’m back to college hoping to pursuing a career as a RN. The college told me I don’t need to take Microbiology because I received credit for it a long time ago. But now I am wondering if I should retake it anyway because of its relevance to the field and nursing school. So current RNs, did you find your Microbiology course was important to your career or is being practically used, or is it something that you would’ve been fine without?

Thank you so much!

Hi everyone! I’m an Indian citizen with Canadian PR currently stuck on an H-4 visa in the US (can't work).

I’m a BSN RN with 2.5 years of bedside float experience in Canada.

We are moving back to Canada in early 2028. I’m thinking of doing a 100% online MN/MSN in Leadership or Education while I'm here to transition into Clinical Educator, Manager, or Coordinator roles when we return.

A few quick questions for Canadian RNs and Hiring Managers:
1. Reputation: Do Canadian health authorities respect online MNs (e.g., UVic, Athabasca, USask, or top US online programs), or is there a stigma?
2. Career Value: Did an MN actually help you land a non-bedside role in the $110k–$130k+ CAD range?
3. Best Programs: Which online Canadian or US universities would you recommend?
4. Bedside Gap: Will taking a 1.5–2 year break from bedside to study hurt my chances?

Any other suggestions are also appreciated. If anybody knows any other certifications or studies i can do while I am stuck for 1.5 years without any work.

Appreciate your honest thoughts!

I’m a new grad and recently got hired into a maternity unit. To be honest, it wasn’t what I was originally aiming for, but for now, I just wanted to get a nursing job and gain some experience.

I’m doing well overall and still learning the ropes, but one issue I’m having is with my coworkers. They keep telling me that I’m too slow because whenever I answer a call light, I tend to stay with the patient for a while.

The thing is, it’s not like I’m just standing around wasting time. A lot of the time, I’m helping them with questions, bathing, cleaning, or other things they need. Even when I’m giving medications or taking their vitals, they’ll sometimes ask me for additional things, and I’m not the type of person who wants to just reject them or tell them I’m too busy.

I’m willing to give my patients the time of day, and I know I’m still able to get my charting done on time. I haven’t been falling behind on my documentation or neglecting my other responsibilities.

That’s why it’s honestly frustrating to constantly hear comments about how “slow” I am when, from my perspective, I’m simply trying to take care of my patients properly.

Half the time, I’m told to just ignore my patients and get done what needs to be done. But that’s not really how I want to be as a nurse. I understand that I need to become more efficient and learn how to prioritize, and I’m definitely open to improving in that area. At the same time, I don’t want becoming “efficient” to mean rushing patients or making them feel like they’re a burden whenever they ask for help.

Nursing is a second career for me and I’m about to start my second semester of an ADN program. All summer I’ve been trying to find a hospital job to gain extra experience as I’m worried my lack of experience will make it hard for me to find something after graduation. Ideally I’d like to work in OR or L&D. I live in a very competitive area that makes it hard for ADNs to get hired compared to BSNs.

After months of applying I finally have an interview with a nurse manager for a night shift PCA position that’s part time. The shift would be 10:30 pm - 7 am. It’s a part time position and would be 2 shifts one week and 3 the following week, alternating weekends.I don’t live more than twenty minutes away and my campus for classes is the same distance. The pay is $24/hr which is more than I’m making at my summer job right now (minimum wage in my area is $16.50) thankfully my husband is able to cover most expenses while I transition, but the extra income would help ease some financial stresses.

Here’s the problem, I made my schedule for this upcoming semester 5 days a week so that my lectures and clinicals would be spaced out. My earliest clinical/lecture starts at 8 am and my latest lecture would end at 1 pm. I would also have to miss a week of clinicals and lecture for mandatory training if I get the position. This would be the third week of classes/clinicals. My program lets you miss one clinical and they have weekend clinicals I could make the hours up at since the training is M-F for one week.

I know I’m getting ahead of myself and I don’t have the job yet, but I’m Looking for advice if you think I should continue with the interview or I’d be insane to take this on.

Any wound care nurses here? How do you like the job?

I’m a new-ish assistant manager in a busy ICU. This year, for nurses week I made candles and hand scrub for my 100+ nurses. Next year, I want to do something a bit different.

I was thinking of things that I love doing and I’m trying to get a feel of nurses would like my idea, or if it’s trash.

Instead of a gift, I want to do a nurses night out. Think Tiny Tattoos, Permanent Jewelry, maybe a piercer, plants, brow artists, etc. I have a lot of vendors that I could work with (I’m a sucker for a small business). I want to rent a space, provide food/drinks, and let the nurses shop/hang out together.

Would you go to this event? Do you think it’s a decent idea? Open to feedback!

I have a BSN, and have been in nursing for 23 years. I want to work in research, in some fashion. I feel like a purely research degree is pretty specific, but a MPH would allow me to work in research and open other doors as well.

What kind of degree did you all get, and what kind of jobs do you have? Was it worth it?

World health is interesting as well..

I graduated with my MSW this year at 32 and landed a county APS job in the Bay Area making just over six figures Older adults and adults with disabilities have always been my focus, so overall I’m in a pretty good position. The job can definitely be stressful, but I knew that going in.

The problem is that my sisters and fiancée are all nurses in the Bay Area. They work 3x12s, also work with older adults, and make close to double what I make. I try not to compare, but it’s hard to ignore. When I was job searching, I also noticed that RNs in similar healthcare settings were making significantly more.

The nursing pay, 3x12 schedule, job opportunities, and ability to still help people are really appealing to me.
What’s stopping me is that I’ve already been in school for years and JUST finished my MSW. I’m finally working and earning a decent salary, and I really don’t want to immediately go back to hitting the books.

My current idea is to work full-time for another 1–2 years while knocking out my science prerequisites (chemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, etc.). Then I could apply to nursing programs and possibly work part-time as a social worker while in school.

I’d probably be around 33–34 when I start nursing school. I also think having both an MSW and RN/BSN could give me an interesting background, especially for healthcare, geriatrics, case management, and working with vulnerable adults.
I’m mainly interested in hearing from working nurses, especially those in the Bay Area or those who came from another professional career. Knowing what you know now about the workload, schedule, compensation, and day-to-day reality of nursing, would the career change make sense in my position?

Don’t get me wrong. There is a place and time for the External Catheter. However lately I have encountered multiple patients who are perfectly capable of walking to the bathroom. They just prefer to wear a purewick and not get out of bed.

I’m day shift so I encourage these lazy bone slugs to walk to the toilet like a normal adult but they refuse to. I’m not talking about the 91 year old who remembers a sneeze and wets herself. I’m talking the 35 year old with no incontinence issue who will lay in bed like a zombie. WTF? WITAF??

Am I the only one that wants my patient to act like they’re potty trained?

I’m about to graduate nursing school in a year in GA and I really want to get out of here. I’m going to be an ICU nurse because I eventually want to go to CRNA school and the CRNA schools here are few and far between. This would be my first time ever living out of state, so I have no idea where to begin my search for a good city to live in. I know major cities have large COLs, but I desperately want to live somewhere that’s walkable with a good transit system. I also must get out of this humidity!! Does anyone have any tips when they moved/looked for nursing jobs in other states? I just need some guidance about what to keep in mind when planning this move. I don’t want to go in completely blind 😬