Cardiac Stepdown or SICU-new grad

[squeetleb34]

Hi All,

I've stalked this forum for some time now, and I finally took the plunge to make my own account. I'm looking for insight/advice/whatever you're willing to offer in regards to which unit might be a better fit for me.

A little about me: I'm in my last semester of nursing school, just about to start my preceptorship in L&D then community. I will graduate in May, and I plan to sit for the NCLEX by mid-June.

I just started applying for jobs, and I interviewed with and was officially offered a position in a cardiac step-down unit at Cleveland Clinic (pending me passing boards of course). However, I am also set to interview with the unit manager for the SICU next week. Both of these positions are for a nurse residency program which I think will be very beneficial as a new nurse. But I'm wondering..what are the pros and cons of working in each unit according to your experience? and as a new grad? what can I expect on each unit compared to one another?

I appreciate all the feedback as I'm obviously brand new to this.

Thanks in advance!

[VANurse2010]

Stepdown - busy, busy, busy; needy, call-bell riding patients. Multiple discharges and admissions in one shift. May or may not have a PCT

SICU - ICU and all the ego and BS that goes with it, surgeons, surgeons, did I mention surgeons?

[OUxPhys, BSN, RN]

What stepdown are you interviewing on? I work on a stepdown at CC and it is busy, even at nights....sometimes, not always.

Ive heard surgeons at the clinic are difficult to work with but thats just from people Ive talked to, I dont deal with them.

Eithet way both will offer opportunities that other hospitals may not offer.

[squeetleb34]

Hi OUx, I just accepted (yesterday) the position on the CV Surgical SD unit and will start working when I graduate and get my OH license!

[OUxPhys, BSN, RN]

Congrats! Which one?

[squeetleb34]

I didn't realize there was more than one

the number designation is J5-3 though. Is that what you mean?

[OUxPhys, BSN, RN]

Yes. The manager on that floor is cool, Terri is her name I believe. I was supposed to interview with her but got offered a position on my current floor.

[Pebanj]

J53 is going to be excellent experience for you. They get LVAD's, rescue patients (trach/vent), and a lot of post open heart surgery patients. They also get an occasional EP patient, heart cath or work-up for surgery. You'll float to some cool units, like J62 where they get nitro gtts, unstable heart rhythms, chest pain/STEMI/NSTEMI patients, hypertensive crisis etc in addition to everything you would see on J53 but less post-op patients and more unstable/work-ups and no rescue patients.

Terri's three units have an excellent teams, I really hope you like working here!

[rbg1990]

I'm about halfway through my preceptorship (also on L&D) and have recently gone in to shadow a nurse on CVIU at a hospital near me. I'm thinking of applying (and am almost guaranteed to be offered a position if I do) to the CVIU as well. Cardiac has never been my strongest suit but I know that I'm capable of stepping up my game once I'm in the midst of it all the time. When I shadowed, I saw that it was extremely fast-paced and busy. If I decide to go that route, I just pray that I can keep up!