CCAC Allegheny Evening ICU clinical opportunities?

[wmr5]

Hello everybody. I am currently in the process of enrolling into the CCAC Fall 2014 Allegheny Evening nursing program and I am pro-actively both asking and seeking information about what opportunities are available to acquire clinical experiences in the ICU/critical care units within the CCAC Allegheny evening program. I am already looking into ACLS courses at Pitt and the CEM, as well as becoming a student member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) to begin differentiating my focus towards critical care.

Does anybody have any insight into the critical care clinical rotations at CCAC Allegheny evening and how to make the most of them? ANY insight would be very helpful.

[wmr5]

This is a very helpful suggestion. Exactly what kind of info I was hoping to get from this site. Now I just have to navigate through the UPMC system, since I am currently a part-time employee as an EMT/Pre Hosptal Provider, to be eligible for these positions without any conflicts with the transfer and/or rehire policies. I know that as an employee of UPMC; transferring and/or getting into a new position is full of complications due to the formal structure of the system. I will meet with my current supervisor at UPMC to discuss my best options moving forward. Keep everybody posted! Thanks ChristineN for all of the info, keep it coming!

[Altra, BSN, RN]

You cannot do actual patient care (and get the experience you say you desire) as an ED volunteer. Your several friends, ED attending physician etc., might have mentioned that to you.

Regardless of whether or not you have the ability to walk through a hospital department in a lab coat emblazoned with the parent organization's logo ... if you want to actually work as a PCT you'll have to go through the process. Spend some time perusing the website for available positions and apply.

All nursing programs educate students as generalists, as that is what is required for accreditation of the program and for licensure as an RN.

If you've actually worked on an ambulance in the local area, you'll have at least some familiarity with the workings of the EDs you frequently brought patients to, and you should have some contacts to serve as a networking basis.

[wmr5]

Thank you for your comment, I will explore this option...further.

[wmr5]

Leigh, do you work at a research institution?

[wmr5]

Some clarifications: my contacts from volunteering as an EMT on an ambulance are over 45 minutes away, not possible to capitalize on. My ability to meet other staff and faculty is second nature to me, I do exploit my position to both network and collaborate in order to expand our labs contributions and volunteer my time to learn from and teach others; always a win-win. I have many friends from undergrad who are now attendings, we help each other; I help them get some research time in to publish papers and they help me gain experiences in many areas of medicine. I have several applications on file, from years ago till recent, and getting an interview has proven to be a much longer process; which I am pursuing. "Most positions are filled before they are posted" is the cliche I tend to hear a lot. With my current schedule, volunteering may not be the best experience, but could be the edge I can use during this busy, busy time. Questions: I understand freshly minted RNs are generalists, do they have clinical rotations in specialties? Can these opportunities lead to employment within those departments? Do you have experience with teaching/ hiring new grads in ICU/ER specialties? What skills and habits do you like to see in a colleague? Thanks for your time.

[wmr5]

Thank you for your time.

[Graduatenurse14]

CCAC doesn't have hands on ICU clinicals. You learn the theory but are on a med-surg unit for the clinicals. A BIG weakness of the many of the CCAC program.

I'm pretty sure that all of the Diploma programs still have a real ICU clinical rotation and Pitt (at Presby), Carlow and Duquesne (at Mercy.) I would think it's far easier logistically since they are part of the hospital- Shadyside School of Nursing at Shadyside Hospital, West Penn School of Nursing at West Penn and AGH, etc.