CVICU and stepdown beds together

[KG MSN RN CCRN CEN, MSN, RN]

Hi everyone,

I just interviewed for a CVICU position today that I applied for a few days ago. I don't graduate until April 29th, but they said they would hold the position for me if I am serious about taking the position. Their unit is the cardiovascular ICU and cardiac stepdown beds intermixed with each other. Even though the position that I applied for was labeled CVICU, but I was interviewed by the stepdown manager; not sure if this is common or not. The hospital just recently started a CCRN new grad program that I will be going through. The manager said that the new grads start out taking care of the stepdown pts and helping with the ICU pts and work my way up to the ICU pts at the manager's discretion, who said it may be a year before I start taking care of the ICU patients.

I guess what I'm trying to find out is, if the position is technically labeled "CVICU" why didn't the CVICU manager interview me instead of the stepdown manager? Also, since I will be taking care of step downs mostly for the first year while helping with the ICU pts; would I still be able to use those hours to go towards CCRN application?

[MissChloe]

I work in basically what you are describing, we call it something different but it's a combo of cardiac ICU with stepdown beds as well. CV surgical pts stay in the same room from admission to discharge. We also take non-surgical cardiac ICU pts and often but not always keep them to discharge as well. We do have a tele floor that we occasionally send patients to. Anyway, as a new grad starting there, I didn't/don't take the critical pts (no new vents on my own, for example) yet. But I'm definitely working up in what I'm able to take; I've been here about 10 months now.

My guess is that all the positions on that floor are labeled CVICU (ours are) but the stepdown manager interviewed you because that is who you'll be working for for at least a year. For the CCRN application, I'm not sure but I'm actually trying to find that out for myself so I'll update if I learn anything.

[KG MSN RN CCRN CEN, MSN, RN]

Thank you very much for the reply! I hope everything is going well with your job!