Question regarding Medical Progressive Care units

nminodob · Apr 20, 2009

Nope, not here in SF, CA - I work stepdown in a county hospital and wages are the same as med-surg (although pt ratios are lower)

RN1982 · Apr 20, 2009

Most hospitals have wage differentials based on the shift being worked, not so much the unit that the nurses are working on.

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Apr 20, 2009

I'm on a cardiac PCU. We get post intervention, arrhythmias, and pulmonary patients. We also get a lot of medical overflow and "train wreck" type patients that have one foot in the ICU. We do not get paid any differently than any other unit, but our ratio is 4 to 1, instead of the 5 to 1 on the other floors.

csclarkrn, RN · Apr 20, 2009

On our Stepdown Unit, we have post open heart surgery as our speciality but we also get a little bit of everything, MI, CHF, PM, AICD, PCI's, Arrythmias, and DM Portland Insulin gtts because our staffing ration is 3:1 or 4:1 on primary care of 7:2 or 8:2 with teamleading and our team can be with LPN, extern, NA, or PCS. It is hard to plan staffing because of the level and number of OHS pts. It seems feast or famine. It is always chaiotic and busy. The only differential we get is for 3-11 or 11-7 or if you work in charge position. Our permanent charge positions are filled but sometimes someone is on vacation or calls in ill and then charge is determined by level of staffing working. During orientation and hopefully within one year of hire all staff are trained to do charge. Persons working weekend perdiem, on a permanent basis, are hired in at a higher rate but no extra for just regular weekend coverage.