Suggestions for upcoming practicum

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Med surg, cardiac, case management.

In the spring we're going to have a 5 week practicum, working full time alongside an RN. Before Thanksgiving we have to tell the school where we'd like to work.

And therein lies the problem, I'm not sure where I'd like to go. So I'm looking for suggestions.

I definitely do not want to work in psych or peds.

I don't really care for ICU either, as I like talking to the patients and many ICU patients are on vents or are out of it. Because I don't care for ICU I suspect I won't like OR either.

Since I like to talk to the patients and have time to think, I'd like to avoid settings with a crazy pace, like the ER or Ortho or Oncology.

But I don't want a setting that's repetitive, like Renal.

I do a little part-time PCT work on a Rehab unit, and like that fine. But I'd prefer to work with patients who are more mobile, and who don't have their judgment impaired by a CVA, SAH, etc...

Some of the RNs there have suggested that a Tele floor would be a good place to start, although many Tele floors have been absorbed into Med-Surg. I remember our Med-Surg rotation as stressful, but I think that was because it was our first rotation.

So, does anyone have any suggestions? Any place that features a pace that's not too crazy, and patients who can communicate, are relatively mobile, and A&Ox4 ?

Thanks

Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

Do you have to work in a hospital?

If you do then I can only say that in all units you will get patients that are impaired in some way or another. The only thing I can think of where most of your patients are alert and oriented and mostly mobile is a unit that is a obs/short stay unit where patients stay overnight for monitoring or surgery like lap chole, lap appy, etc. Most are mobile, alert and oriented. Otherwise med surg/tele is my only other suggestion.

What kind of patients interest you?

Specializes in ICU/ER.

I work in a small 6 bed ICU where are ratios are a max of 3:1. We only get a vented pt maybe twice a month, so I have a great amount of time to do full patient care/education/and lots of time talking with my patients. Such small ratios and the complete pt care i have learned so much this past year...way more than I ever learned in school.

Good Luck!!

If you want pts who are A/O and consistency of the same patients maybe look into Extended Care.

Specializes in Med surg, cardiac, case management.

I think we do have to be in the hospital.

I'm really not sure what type of patients interest me. I want the chance to handle meds, assessments, wound care, etc...I just don't want to get burned out.

Med-Surg or Tele is what I'm thinking about too. Though an ICU with a lower level of acuity might not be a bad suggestion either.

Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

If you can get into a small community type hosptial the ICU is less acute there. I really think tele or med surg is your best bet for patients you can really interact with. Good luck to you Joe.

+ Add a Comment