Yes, this or something similar has been done before. But what the heck... It was fun. Let's do it again.
I'm a registered nurse with widely varied experience. I'm currently working in a psych hospital. Very rarely, I work with adults, but I almost always work with teenagers and occasionally small children. Teens can be very volatile (ask the parent of any teen) so working with them can be VERY trying but it also has its rewards. Most of the problems that we see are behavioral problems.
My biggest complaint with the job is having to work full time when I want to work part time. That seems to be a growing trend. The other is an awful schedule. I was working 16 hour shifts (quite against my will) until I went to my boss' boss and found out it was illegal. And since there is a shortage of nurses all over the US, we tend to work short handed. Oh, we often have enough mental health techs, but there is some stuff they can't do. I work 3-11, and it's not at all unusual for me to work until 12:30 or 1 am.
I don't wear a uniform, and I get to wear jeans to work. That's a plus. It takes me an hour to drive one way to work. That's a negative.
And like so many other RN's, I'm tired of it and have thoughts of leaving the field. The stress is enormous. And even though nurses make good money, for what we do, we don't get paid enough.
If I had my 'druthers', I'd just read and write LnC fic.
