The New Grad Kaiser Nurse Making 8k Per Week | Nurses to Riches | The Road to FIRE

Working in Med Search or Tele Floors vs ICU Nursing

The speaker discusses the difference between working in medical-surgical (med search) or telemetry (tele) floors and ICU nursing.

Do you like working in the med search or tele floors at all? Oh my gosh, I'm telling floor and tally nursing is harder than ICU nursing

• The speaker expresses their opinion that working on medical-surgical or telemetry floors is more challenging than working in the ICU.

Introduction to Nurses to Riches Series

The speaker introduces the "Nurses to Riches" series and mentions a previous episode featuring a travel nurse who saves a significant amount of money each month.

Introduction to Nurses to Riches series

• The speaker welcomes viewers back to the channel and introduces the "Nurses to Riches" series.

• Mentions that a previous episode with a travel nurse saving over twelve thousand dollars per month has been highly viewed.

Interviewing a Kaiser Nurse

The speaker introduces an interview with a Kaiser nurse, highlighting their status as one of the earliest followers on YouTube. They plan to discuss the nurse's finances and explore the true wealth of being a Kaiser nurse.

Introduction of Oliver, a Kaiser Nurse

• Oliver, from California, is introduced as the interviewee.

• Oliver has been following Jason's YouTube channel since early on.

• The focus will be on dissecting Oliver's finances as a Kaiser nurse.

Background and Career Path of Oliver

Oliver provides information about his background, including his state of work and what led him to become a nurse.

Introduction by Oliver

• Oliver introduces himself as a nurse from California.

• He has been a nurse for two years and has been following Jason's YouTube channel since early on.

Starting as a Nurse in North Carolina

Oliver discusses starting his nursing career in North Carolina and his plan to eventually move back to California.

Starting as a Nurse in North Carolina

• Oliver started his nursing career in North Carolina after completing an accelerated Bachelor's program there.

• He chose North Carolina because it was easier to find a job there compared to California.

• His plan was always to return to California, so he aimed to gain the minimum required experience before making the move.

Moving Back to California

Oliver explains his decision to move back to California and the timing of his move.

Decision to Move Back to California

• Oliver had planned to move back to California ever since nursing school.

• He wanted to minimize the time needed for experience before moving, which ended up being one year.

• After completing one year of nursing in North Carolina, he left immediately after finishing a night shift and went straight home.

Choosing Nursing as a Career

Oliver shares how he initially did not consider nursing as his first choice and explains why he ultimately chose it over a tech career.

Nursing Not Initially First Choice

• Oliver never viewed himself as someone inclined towards science or healthcare.

• Initially, he wanted a career in tech and even did an internship program in cyber security in Silicon Valley after high school.

Year Up Program Experience

Oliver talks about his experience with the Year Up program, which helped him realize that he wanted more human connection in his job.

Year Up Program Experience

• Oliver participated in the Year Up program, a year-long tech training program in Silicon Valley.

• The first six months involved paid training, followed by a six-month internship at a Fortune 500 company.

• During this time, he realized that he desired more human connection in his career and found healthcare to be fulfilling in that aspect.

Regrets and Future Considerations

Oliver reflects on his decision to pursue nursing over a tech career and discusses potential future considerations.

Regrets and Future Considerations

• Oliver does not regret choosing nursing over a tech career but sometimes contemplates the possibility of pursuing tech in the future.

• He is still early on in his nursing journey and occasionally questions if it was the right path for him.

• Overall, he is happy with his decision.

Choosing Kaiser as an Employer

Oliver explains why he chose to work at Kaiser out of all hospitals and mentions other hospitals with specific requirements.

Choosing Kaiser as an Employer

• Initially, Oliver wanted to work at UCSF or Stanford, similar to the teaching hospital he came from.

• However, both hospitals required two years of ICU experience, which he did not have.

• As a result, Oliver ended up working at Kaiser.

One Year at Kaiser

Oliver shares his experience working at Kaiser for one year and compares it to his previous job in North Carolina.

Experience Working at Kaiser

• Oliver has been working at Kaiser for exactly one year.

• He finds it better than his previous job in North Carolina.

• Despite the challenges of being a new grad nurse, including adjusting to the profession, he had a particularly toxic manager during his first job.

Getting a Job at Kaiser

Oliver discusses how connections played a role in getting his job at Kaiser and mentions the importance of having family members working there.

Getting a Job at Kaiser

• Oliver emphasizes the importance of connections in securing a job, including having family members already working at Kaiser.

• He applied online but acknowledges that having connections can be beneficial in the hiring process.

Reaching out on LinkedIn

The speaker mentions reaching out to someone on LinkedIn.

Reaching out on LinkedIn

• The speaker mentions that they reached out to someone on LinkedIn.

Maxing out 401k contributions

The speaker discusses maxing out their 401k contributions and the feasibility of doing so.

Maxing out 401k contributions

• A co-worker of the speaker was able to max out their 401k contributions by contributing a significant portion of their income for a specific period.

• The speaker believes that it is doable for them as well, considering the amount of money they are making.

• They express confidence in being able to max out their 401k contributions.

Current living situation and expenses

The speaker talks about their current living situation and expenses, including rent payments and helping family members with mortgages.

Current living situation and expenses

• The speaker currently lives at their brother's house and pays rent there.

• They were also giving $1000 per month towards their parents' house mortgage.

• Despite having to help with mortgage payments, the speaker feels that their living situation is good overall.

• Their brother recently bought a million-dollar house with a $7000 monthly mortgage payment, but the speaker does not have to pay half of it.

Helping family members with mortgages

The speaker explains how they help family members with mortgage payments and discusses the rationale behind it.

Helping family members with mortgages

• In addition to paying rent at their brother's house, the speaker helps their parents with their mortgage payments.

• They believe that even though it benefits them, it also benefits their family members.

• The speaker acknowledges that there are times when they wish they were living in a bigger city like San Francisco, but they remind themselves of their different family situations.

Expenses and groceries

The speaker discusses their expenses, particularly food expenses and meal prep services.

Expenses and groceries

• Besides rent, the speaker's biggest expense is food.

• They currently use a meal prep service (HelloFresh) to learn how to cook and spend around $60 per week on it.

• The speaker mentions occasional outings with their brother or friends for meals outside of the meal prep service.

• Overall, the speaker believes that their food expenses are not excessive.

Other monthly bills and random expenses

The speaker talks about other monthly bills and random expenses they have to manage.

Other monthly bills and random expenses

• In addition to rent and food expenses, the speaker has other bills related to their parents' house, such as buying a new fridge ($1500) when it broke down.

• They also pay for their parents' auto insurance and cover other minor bills.

• The speaker expresses willingness to help their parents due to their lack of a great retirement plan.

Appreciation for helping family members

The conversation shifts towards acknowledging the speaker's efforts in helping family members financially.

Appreciation for helping family members

• The person speaking appreciates the speaker's dedication in helping their parents with mortgage payments and supporting them overall.

• They acknowledge that the speaker is giving back after being raised well by their parents.

• It is mentioned that the speaker's parents do not have a great retirement plan, so support from the speaker is crucial.

Difficulties faced by the speaker's mother

The speaker shares the difficulties their mother faced due to an earthquake and subsequent surgeries.

Difficulties faced by the speaker's mother

• The speaker's mother had a challenging experience during the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.

• She was involved in a car accident when a bridge collapsed on their car during the earthquake.

• As a result, she had to undergo 13 surgeries and her life direction changed significantly.

• Due to these circumstances, she couldn't work much, and her husband became the primary breadwinner.

Helping parents with retirement

The speaker emphasizes the importance of helping their parents have a comfortable retirement due to their current financial situation.

Helping parents with retirement

• The speaker feels responsible for helping their parents ease into retirement more comfortably.

• Their father works as a janitor, and their mother's ability to work was affected by the car accident mentioned earlier.

• Given that their parents don't have a great retirement plan, it is crucial for the speaker to provide support.

Advice for a Starting Nurse

In this section, advice is given to a nurse who is just starting their career.

Tips for Starting Nurses

• Take time to familiarize yourself with the healthcare facility and its policies.

• Build strong relationships with your colleagues and seek guidance from experienced nurses.

• Prioritize self-care and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

• Continuously update your knowledge and skills through professional development opportunities.

Building Relationships

• Engage in effective communication with patients, families, and other healthcare professionals.

• Show empathy and compassion towards patients to establish trust and provide quality care.

• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive patient care.

Self-Care

• Practice self-care techniques such as exercise, mindfulness, and stress management.

• Seek support from mentors or counseling services if needed.

Professional Development

• Stay updated on evidence-based practices by attending conferences or workshops.

• Pursue additional certifications or advanced degrees to enhance your nursing career.

Remember that these tips are general advice. It's important to adapt them to your specific healthcare setting and individual needs. Good luck on your nursing journey!