[2ndChance]

Hi.

I am currently working in a MICU, and am new to critical care (about 6-8mo). I have been a nurse for 2 years now.

I took a job 6 mo ago in this MICU and thought it was a great opportunity. My problem is this: The census in this unit gets so low, and there are so many "call-ins" throughout the rest of the facility, that 1/2 of the time I am getting pulled to a med-surg floor to staff their unit. I do not feel that I am learning anything this way! I never would have taken this job if I had known I would be working med-surg. I wanted to learn about critical care! I know that other nurses at other facilities get pulled sometimes, but 2x/week seems a little ridiculous. They are pulling nurses out of our unit 2 at a time to staff the rest of the hospital.

My question is this: Do I really need to stick this out a year and be miserable, or do you think I could find a job that is better suited to me and what I am trying to do? I feel like I am wasting my time!

Thanks a lot.

[cardiacRN2006]

Honestly, if it were me, I'd move on. I want to work critical care all the time. Your basically a med-surg nurse floating to ICU once a week.

[gradcare]

Before you do anything rash, ask around and see if this is the usual state of play. The other issue is what is the casemix like? If I were pooling 2/5 days but had a very intersting casemix itmaybe worth while staying a little longer. Also what sort of transitional support are you getting? If you are going to change jobs compare the support they are offering compared with what you are getting also check out their ussual bedstate.

That said I'm lucky of my crew get "pooled" it is ussually to ED (where we often find patients) so our critical assesment and management skills are improved.
cheers

[dfk]

Originally Posted by 2ndChance

Hi.

I am currently working in a MICU, and am new to critical care (about 6-8mo). I have been a nurse for 2 years now.

I took a job 6 mo ago in this MICU and thought it was a great opportunity. My problem is this: The census in this unit gets so low, and there are so many "call-ins" throughout the rest of the facility, that 1/2 of the time I am getting pulled to a med-surg floor to staff their unit. I do not feel that I am learning anything this way! I never would have taken this job if I had known I would be working med-surg. I wanted to learn about critical care! I know that other nurses at other facilities get pulled sometimes, but 2x/week seems a little ridiculous. They are pulling nurses out of our unit 2 at a time to staff the rest of the hospital.

My question is this: Do I really need to stick this out a year and be miserable, or do you think I could find a job that is better suited to me and what I am trying to do? I feel like I am wasting my time!

Thanks a lot.

my old nurse manager used to always say "you're here to staff the hospital, not the unit!"
~great retention communicado, no?
on paper, your resume will say MICU, but your skills may not.
depends what you hold important...
the good thing about nursing is there's enough out there for everybody.
good luck in your endeavors...