Cardiac Telemetry PCT vs. ICU PCT?

[LiL_121]

I was recently interview for a PCT position in two different units: Cardiac Telemetry and ICU :). I never worked as a PCT before and I cannot make a decision about which unit I would get the best experience.

If you work(ed) on either of these units (as a nurse or PCT) please share your daily experiences to help me make the right decision :)

I am 20 and applying for nursing school.

[juliaann]

I worked as a CNA at my hospital a while back. I started on cardiac tele, then went to float pool (so I spent some shifts in ICU). If I had to work as a CNA again, I would *definitely* go ICU. ICU is more interesting, you get to do more hands-on stuff, assist with procedures, use PCT skills (foleys, phleb - PCTs hardly ever worked my tele floor, so the nurses didn't pay attention to who was a PCT and just did those procedures without thinking about asking the PCTs), and all-in-all, learn a lot more. Tele is okay and all - and I'm glad I started there- but my day consisted of vitals, baths, feeding, vitals, toileting, getting people ready for discharge, transporting, vitals, feeding, rounding on, etc. my 12-18 patient assignment for 12 hours.

In our ICU, the CNA/PCT assists the entire unit. I would go around and check with each nurse to ask if they needed help turning/bathing right now. I would run morning labs down, pick up blood. I would stock the IV carts, round on all the nurses again, take patients to the floor, assist in codes, round again. Run lab. Help tun/bathe. Assist with chest tube inserts and lumbar punctures. Take all the trash and soiled linens out. Round. The day went by faster, I saw more, I learned more, and I loved it.

I work in a small-ish teaching hospital that has a great outlook on and attitude towards teaching, so I loved it. The ICU nurses are awesome, our intensivists are awesome, and even now that I don't work as a CNA, I spend quite a bit of my "free time" in ICU, soaking up as much knowledge as I can (and helping, of course).

In my very-biased opinion, I say jump on ICU, if you get the chance! Tele is a good foundation, but unless that's where you want to work as a nurse eventually, I don't think it's as good of an opportunity for someone wanting to use PCT skills and learn as much as they can.

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

I second the ICU position. In addition to what the previous poster said, you will get experience with working with/around different lines and tubes. Vents, arterial lines, central lines, foleys, rectal tubes, chest tubes, CVVH lines, etc. When you are an RN and have patients with these tubes and lines, you will already be somewhat familiar with them so you will be able to focus on what they do and how to manage them. ICU equipment and monitoring can be very intimidating for a new ICU nurse, regardless of prior floor experience.

[FLMom3, RN]

I agree with the others. Tele is a decent place to work as an RN, but why not just jump in at the ICU & see all the interesting stuff while you're not responsible for keeping the patients alive???!!! You will see & learn a lot more.