Re: What the heck is going on in Portland right now?
An update-
I have secured a full time position in a critical care unit in Portland.
I am overjoyed and can't wait to start. Bought a house, too. I feel lucky, there were a lot of applicants for the job. I was told by the panel that I "had the best interview".
My SoCal experience helped-plus years of being an EMT- I was told by one interviewer, "You present yourself and your abilites well"- which I took to mean I answered honestly and CORRECTLY to their many questions.
First question: "How comfortable are you with a fresh open heart?"
Answer: "I have never had a fresh open heart. I have a year of critical care experience, I belive that assignment is out of my scope. But I have experienced this...(listing cardiac experiences)".
They didn't expect me to be familiar with hearts-I'm too new. A B.S. test if you will.
I saw some of the other candidates. They were wearing jeans, shirts not tucked in. They looked like they were just there to chat-too relaxed. I wore a suit. I'm probably not the best candidate but at least they knew I was serious.
I also told them during the interview, "I want this job. If my experience and education is lacking then I will study and practice until I am up to par. I will not complain and you will get no attitude. I believe in the team."
Cheesy, but it's true.
There was also a clinical situation question thrown at me during the interview- kind of like the NCLEX, I thought about the process and priorities, just hit it: ABC's. That's what matters right?
I guess it sucks to have someone come from out of state scoop a prime job but I kind of feel like- if the experience you need to fatten your resume is not in Portland at this time then go to where it is for a year or two and move back.
I tried to go to nursing school in Portland but I was basically told it was only for Oregon residents. Oregon wouldn't even take me. So I stayed in LA, focused on the highest level trauma centers I could find, tried to pick the highest level of care. I saw more in one year at a level two trauma center South LA then you would see in five years at level one in Portland. I'm not saying I'm better-most of the time I was getting unbelievable admits. I was so stressed, mind maxed out, freaked out, but after a year I finally have got it under control and the experiences are mine to share.
Now I have to let go of high's and lows. They even asked me during the interview, "Can you let go of truama?" I had been thinking about this myself for weeks but when they asked me during the interview I was stumped. Waiting for the admit, ohhh man, right before the patient comes-cracking jokes, ask the RT how their family is, joke around with the rez, tell them to wake up. Pretending everything is cool, random staff showing up-some downplaying hte admit "It's just a flesh wound" others hyping it up, "His brain was coming out of his mouth!" and then Whoosh! You're in it, everybody is politely and not so politely stepping on toes, older nurses do it their way, newer nurses do it diffrently- get your pressor's on, try and get someone to page the trauma surgeon, "where the F-- is she?" SO the patient appears to be oxygenating and now you've got a few minutes to think, you've bought some time. Now you actually have to sit down, WITH A MONSTER ADRENALINE RUSH ON, and go through medication reconcilliation, find out what happened in the ER, figure out if anything other than obvious trauma brought them to you. No flesh wounds or brains at all. The septic patients. Lot of work and following up on history. You find out that they have an advance directive. Get the House supervisor. And then the patients BP quietly drops to 60/40 and it's on again. Can't tube them but they want life saving medications. Life ala carte.
I paid my dues for an entry level job in a critcal care unit in Portland where I will continue to learn to be a better R.N.
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