Telemetry vs. Cardiac Stepdown at Brack in Austin

U.S.A. Texas

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Specializes in OBGYN.

I have a big decision to make!! I have been offered 2 great jobs at Brack in Austin. One is in the Telemetry/Internal Medicine unit (7th floor), and one is in the 12 bed Cardiac Stepdown/PCU unit. Both managers are amazing, so there's no deciding factor there. I like both units for different reasons! Tele would be a more broad learning experience probably, since it's usually varying diagnoses with cardiac hx. Cardiac Stepdown would be more critically ill patients obviously. But I really cannot decide which one I want to take.

Anyone have any history with either unit at Brack or in general??

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No inside scoop on either, but congrats on the job offers! :yeah:

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Specializes in OBGYN.

Thanks! I'm excited and scared.. don't know which to pick. Anyone else??

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Do you speak Spanish?

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I worked at Brack for 5 yrs before Seton took over management. It used to be part of the City of Austin. My husband has worked their since 1992 and he still does. In fact, that's where we met oh so long ago. It's much different now. In case you don't know, Austin's illegal Mexican population is ever flourishing. Brack has become the hospital to go to for these folks. I loved Brack when I worked there, but it's not the same.

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Specializes in OBGYN.

I appreciate the heads up. Yes, i am aware of that, and I still want to work there. All my friends that work there love it, and it's both magnet and a teaching hospital which I like. Most importantly, they have on-site childcare, and since I have an 8 month old, that is key for me. I haven't heard anything negative from anyone who works there, besides scary medical situations. I speak moderately good Spanish and understand most of it, so I think I'll be okay and I know I will pick it up quickly.

Do you have any ideas about which unit would be better to start on? I'm sure Stepdown is better experience and more challenging, but since it's a smaller unit, I might have a harder time with scheduling and stuff (which is important since I have a young baby).. and I have a shorter wait list to move to days on the larger telemetry unit.

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I asked my husband who still works there. He said it depends on what you like. The stepdown unit has more rapid turnover while the telemetry patients stay longer. I actually just went to Brack this afternoon. I hope you like it. Let me know.

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Specializes in OBGYN.

I hope I like it too.. I guess I won't know unless I try :)

Thanks for your help. I still feel like I don't know either unit very well... Definitely not well enough to make a choice between the two yet! So if you have any other info about differences between the units, I would GREATLY appreciate it!

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Specializes in IMC, ICU, Telemetry.

I vote for Stepdown/PCU. While it's a cardiac specialty unit, you're going to have a lot of comorbids with those patients. It will be easier for you to do a tele/IM from there then the other way around. You could always pick up extra shifts on the tele unit if you can't decide. But I think the stepdown is your best bet. A girl I went to school with is on that unit and she LOVES it. Great ratios, great staff, lots of continuing ed opportunities in Seton's network. They are big on evidence based practice - very proactive with all the latest & greatest. (I haven't worked Brack, but have worked in that network)

Good luck!

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Specializes in OBGYN.

Maolin - thanks for the reply. That's all good to know. Question.. I just got an offer at Seton Medical Center ER as well. Do you know much about that, or would you recommend one over the other?

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Specializes in IMC, ICU, Telemetry.

I still say do stepdown. Again, the ratios are better and there is more "controlled chaos" on a unit vs. the ER (this said from a recovering EMS adrenaline junkie). There are great reasons to work ER - huge variety of diagnosis & lots of procedures/interventions vs a unit, pt population from the very young to very old. Huge patient attrition - leaving you little time to get to know the patient and their "whole picture".

Lucky you - so many great jobs to choose from! That gives you a little bit of an edge negotiating compensation packages, too, so don't leave anything on the table!

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Specializes in OBGYN.

haha you would think so, huh... unfortunately, being a new grad, i get no wiggle room for compensation packages. All Seton new grads get $21.46 :( That would be a great thing to leverage though, in choosing the position I take.

I have to say, I'm not crazy about working with homeless and indigent people at Brack, so I'm kind of drawn to the Seton ER job... Maybe I would get over that.

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