wannabecnl

wannabecnl

PACU, presurgical testing

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About wannabecnl

wannabecnl has 4 years experience and specializes in PACU, presurgical testing.


Latest Activity

  1. Ridiculous medical mistakes on TV

    Not a mistake as much as just a silly choice for the writers: two weeks in a row on Code Black this season, the patient went into Torsades de Pointes (already a rarity) AND the resident failed to recognize it. Really? I learned that before I finis...
  2. New grad, do not feel challenged at all. Help?

    OP seems to have flown the coop, but I'll answer for anyone else looking for guidance. Just a few thoughts: 1. As a PACU nurse right out of nursing school, it was very important for me to have a lot of "uncomplicated" cases during my orientation be...
  3. Always being told to "ask questions"

    Yes, ask questions, but consider the source for the answers. Is it something you can look up? Is it a more conceptual question that is well-suited for your peers, professors, or preceptors? Is it procedural and well-suited for your clinical instru...
  4. ACLS Certification

    I enjoy using SkillStat to refresh. However, I took an actual class in basic dysrhythmias in nursing school (extra offering from one of our professors), and that helped immensely to get me started with what was totally new material. You should see ...
  5. How old is too old to become a new RN?

    I'm a second-career nurse; I turned 40 during my first semester of nursing school and am now 46 with almost 4 years of experience. Here's a different challenge that surprised me: it's weird being the newbie in middle age. I have the nursing experi...
  6. How did you decide your specialty?

    I went into nursing school expecting to end up in the OR or in psych. I found out through clinicals that neither was a good fit. I adored my pts at our state hospital, but they drained me absolutely dry every shift for the whole rotation, and I kne...
  7. Ridiculous medical mistakes on TV

    Since we started this thread, I've been more aware of stupid TV medical errors than ever, and this season of Chicago Med hasn't disappointed. My ongoing favorite on CM is how the BP can be reading fine one second, the patient goes into some crisis, ...
  8. Is PACU nursing the answer to my prayers?

    I've been in PACU for over 3.5 years, and I echo the sentiments above. With your ICU background, you'll do well in PACU, but the pace is different. I love the autonomy, the variety of ages and cases, and the "surgical flavor." I don't love call or...
  9. Tell me why you regret about becoming a Nurse

    I came to nursing as a 2nd career and have realized in 3 years that it is very, very different from the IT/tech writing background I had before. Then I had projects, near and long term goals, and actual advancement with more responsibility and new t...
  10. Ridiculous medical mistakes on TV

    Every episode of Chicago Med seems to involve a chest tube. Every single one. They use etomidate and succs for EVERYTHING, too--I've been in PACU for 5 years and I've had exactly one patient that got etomidate for induction. And how is it that Col...
  11. good bye ER... maybe

    I had a friend who worked many years in the ED and switched to school nursing for a better schedule and benefits. I think she spent a year or two before she was back in the ED. Not that this would be your experience, but I agree with posters above ...
  12. Winter camp RN

    Next month I'll be embarking on my first stint as a camp nurse for a winter weekend teen camp. I know the camp well but have never volunteered there. I work PACU, which has its camp-relevant aspects but is nothing like being a peds nurse or school n...
  13. Least stressful nursing specialty

    I've only worked PACU, and I always chuckle when a well-meaning AN member sends nurses our way for less stress and an easier job! :) There are stressors and stressors. My schedule is wonderful, especially as a per diem; we don't work overnights or ...
  14. My Burnout Story

    My heart is with you. I am so sorry that you have experienced this, especially since it was not a one-time thing but a pattern of stress. I can't imagine working in a CV unit without some method of debriefing. We had one code in PACU when I was a s...
  15. Preceptorship in PACU

    I did my immersion and final capstone project in PACU (and work there now). I bought Cecil Drain's book "PeriAnesthesia Nursing: A critical care approach." I didn't read the whole thing, but it is an excellent reference. Keep track of the meds your...