Interviewing for PACU and ICU-PCT positions

Nursing Students Technicians

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I'm currently a PCT on a med/surg floor, throughout the past months I have applied to numerous PCT positions on different units and this week I got a few calls, three different managers want to interview me for three different hospitals (all of the hospitals are affiliated just in different locations)

I have two interviews for PACU and one interview for ICU, I plan to go and interview like hell for all of them to try and land another job but if it has to come down to choosing between ICU or PACU, I am in a but of a conundrum . I am just hoping one of them offers me a job.

Like I said I work on med/surg right now, I love my other techs and SOME of my nurses but I'm being staffed on a 15 to 20:1 patient/tech ratio way too often, i have a handful of nurses who will break their backs to help and i have a bucket full of nurses who will throw me under the bus, and a couple with "authority complex" issues. some of the new management treat us like dirt and are unwilling to work with our nursing school schedules, they give us the "owell, find someone to cover you" thing, and I desperately need the change. i dont mind doing the dirty work, i dont think that i am above doing that kind of work even after i graduate, but lets just say that having less than 15 patients is a luxury that rarely occurs and it's not only ridiculous, it's unsafe. I can't be in 20 places at once.

If anyone has worked in the ICU or PACU as a tech, what is it like? Pro's / Con's? I have done rotations in the pacu during clinicals already, though I did more "rn role" work instead of tech work, but I liked it, and I can't complain about the work hours ;) but I also like ICU because you can provide more one on one patient care and you can work any day of the week. I honestly wish I could work both. :/ I am about to start my senior year of nursing school and will be graduating later this year so I really want to learn what I can but also try and get a feel for different units because I am lost as to what "specialty" I want to go in to.

thanks in advance

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I'm currently a PCT on a med/surg floor, throughout the past months I have applied to numerous PCT positions on different units and this week I got a few calls, three different managers want to interview me for three different hospitals (all of the hospitals are affiliated just in different locations)

I have two interviews for PACU and one interview for ICU, I plan to go and interview like hell for all of them to try and land another job but if it has to come down to choosing between ICU or PACU, I am in a but of a conundrum . I am just hoping one of them offers me a job.

Like I said I work on med/surg right now, I love my other techs and SOME of my nurses but I'm being staffed on a 15 to 20:1 patient/tech ratio way too often, i have a handful of nurses who will break their backs to help and i have a bucket full of nurses who will throw me under the bus, and a couple with "authority complex" issues. some of the new management treat us like dirt and are unwilling to work with our nursing school schedules, they give us the "owell, find someone to cover you" thing, and I desperately need the change. i dont mind doing the dirty work, i dont think that i am above doing that kind of work even after i graduate, but lets just say that having less than 15 patients is a luxury that rarely occurs and it's not only ridiculous, it's unsafe. I can't be in 20 places at once.

If anyone has worked in the ICU or PACU as a tech, what is it like? Pro's / Con's? I have done rotations in the pacu during clinicals already, though I did more "rn role" work instead of tech work, but I liked it, and I can't complain about the work hours ;) but I also like ICU because you can provide more one on one patient care and you can work any day of the week. I honestly wish I could work both. :/ I am about to start my senior year of nursing school and will be graduating later this year so I really want to learn what I can but also try and get a feel for different units because I am lost as to what "specialty" I want to go in to.

thanks in advance

Also, one more thing. I was wondering if I should ask for my current pay or more if I start at a new facility. Doesn't make sense to start somewhere new only to get paid less right? :)

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I work as a PCT in the SICU at a level one trauma center. I love working there, but here are the pros and cons...

Pro's: experience with RN skills: drawing from arterial lines, packing wounds, central/arterial line changes, dressing changes, etc.

Running your own codes-exciting and fulfilling. Not sure about your hospital but at mine we run our own codes which means I get to do compressions

Professional acquaintances: MD, PA, NP, RN, CRNA-great if you are looking to network or just make some friends!

Cons: staffed at 12:1 patient:tech :/ better than what you're used to but still not desirable

There are still plenty of tech "abusive" nurses who won't start their bath or clean poop until you're available. I feel like this would be a problem in any unit.

Busy busy busy. I have not worked on any other floor so I wouldn't have anything to compare it to but some days I don't even sit down in my 12 hour shift. Yes I miss lunch sometimes.

Hope this helps! Good luck in your interviews.

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Specializes in Intensive Care Unit.
I work as a PCT in the SICU at a level one trauma center. I love working there, but here are the pros and cons...

Pro's: experience with RN skills: drawing from arterial lines, packing wounds, central/arterial line changes, dressing changes, etc.

Running your own codes-exciting and fulfilling. Not sure about your hospital but at mine we run our own codes which means I get to do compressions

Professional acquaintances: MD, PA, NP, RN, CRNA-great if you are looking to network or just make some friends!

Cons: staffed at 12:1 patient:tech :/ better than what you're used to but still not desirable

There are still plenty of tech "abusive" nurses who won't start their bath or clean poop until you're available. I feel like this would be a problem in any unit.

Busy busy busy. I have not worked on any other floor so I wouldn't have anything to compare it to but some days I don't even sit down in my 12 hour shift. Yes I miss lunch sometimes.

Hope this helps! Good luck in your interviews.

When you say experiences with RN skills, does that mean you can observe RNs do this or you get to do it yourself?

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