[CardioTrans]

Hi, I have been offered a Flex position at a local hospital that has a 16 bed ICU, 2 of which are CVICU beds.... (their heart program is brand new as of about 3 months ago). I have been out of the ICU environment for about 3 yrs. The position requires me to work 240/hrs/quarter. The rate is just amazing. (Day shift is $7/hr more than what I make now, evenings and nights are $9 and 10, and they also pay a shift diff on top of that). It is a float position for ICU, Interventional Cardiology, and Step down. I was told that on a "rare occassion" I may have to float to the M/S unit, but that the ICUs were the greatest need. The ratio is 1:2 in the ICUs, and 1:6 if I have to go to M/S.

I have most recently been doing home care and hospice, and will continue to work there weekends only. Im so excited about being able to go back to ICU, but after looking at my reference books that I have, Im nervous too. there is so much that I have forgotten.

This is not a money issue, as the weekend position that I will be working is considered full time with benefits....... I just wanted to go back to ICU. I am also in an MSN program. I think that the hosp exp again will benefit me in grad school.

My question is this........ does anyone have any advice or recommendations for refreshing myself for this new position? I have a "Ready ref for Critical Care", "Critical Care Nsg, Intervention and Assessment" and a CCRN review book. I have been reading the posts, as well as some recommended websites that was posted on a sticky here, which have all been great btw.

Even though I have been a nurse for 11 yrs, and have ICU exp, I almost feel brand new all over again. The excitement, giddiness, and nervousness all over!

Anywho, any ideas, comments etc would be greatly appreciated.






On a side note, the recruiter that I interviewed with threw in a really good interview question that I had never heard someone ask..... just wanted to share for someone to think about in case they were interviewing. I had a hard time answering it!!! It was : "If I asked your friends or co-workers about you, what would be the WORST thing they would have to say about you?"

[pricklypear]

Congratulations on your new job!! I hope it goes well for you. I work with a couple of nurses right now who had been out of ICU for a few years, and are now back in. I think they thought they were going to be entering a whole new world, and found it wasn't really so. They said it was kind of like riding a bike! Just a fancier bike. New grads start in ICU all the time, you have the advantage of previous experience. It will just be a matter of getting used to some new equipment, and probably a few new meds.Sounds like a great postition. Isn't it great to be excited about something again?

[CardioTrans]

Originally Posted by pricklypear

Isn't it great to be excited about something again?

It is great! I have been doing home care for so long (almsot 15 yrs off and on), and Im to the point of burn out. Yes, I will still be working weekends only, but it will be better with only 2 days of it.

I went yesterday and filled out all my tax papers, and got my name tag made. I have to go 3 days next week for "nursing orientation". I was looking at the paper she gave me and saw a med test on it. That makes me a little nervous, its been probably 4 yrs at least since I took one of those. I got to brush up on IV administration rates. When we do IVs in the home, the pump is pre-programmed by the infusion company. Sometimes we have to adjust the rate, but thats it.


Now I gotta get ready to ride my new bike