Greenville-Pitt?

Jules Anne · Aug 18, 2007

I had an interview at PCMH on Thursday. It seems like a very nice hospital; they use a lot of new technology-they have completely computerized charting, including physician orders. I would be starting fresh out of school and they offered $19.60/hr with pretty good shift and weekend differentials. Everyone was very friendly and wanted to answer any questions I had, really a nice atmosphere. I recommend looking into it.

Gottago · Aug 18, 2007

I had an interview at PCMH on Thursday. It seems like a very nice hospital; they use a lot of new technology-they have completely computerized charting, including physician orders. I would be starting fresh out of school and they offered $19.60/hr with pretty good shift and weekend differentials. Everyone was very friendly and wanted to answer any questions I had, really a nice atmosphere. I recommend looking into it.

Thanks for the information. Is PCMH a teaching hospital?

Jules Anne · Aug 19, 2007

They are a teaching hospital. They are affiliated with East Carolina University.

Gottago · Aug 20, 2007

They are a teaching hospital. They are affiliated with East Carolina University.

If you have the time to answer any more questions, then:

Do you have any indication as to the supply and demand for nurses in that area? Are there more nurses than hospitals? Seems like Pitt is the only big game in town. Just curious what the opportunities are like in the area? Would you say there is a shortage of nurses? I'm thinking there may not be much of a shortage since nurses come from ECU and the local community college.

Thanks.

japaho41 · Aug 20, 2007

Pitt is the biggest game in Eastern NC. There are other smaller hospitals around (Tarboro, Rocky Mount & Wilson, Washington) New Bern (Craven) would probably be the closest hospital that would be of substantial size (300 beds ?) compared to Pitt.

I have heard that there is areas of high turnover @ Pitt and they do use quite a few travellers.

Gottago · Aug 21, 2007

Pitt is the biggest game in Eastern NC. There are other smaller hospitals around (Tarboro, Rocky Mount & Wilson, Washington) New Bern (Craven) would probably be the closest hospital that would be of substantial size (300 beds ?) compared to Pitt.
I have heard that there is areas of high turnover @ Pitt and they do use quite a few travellers.

Would you have any idea as to what areas have high turnover, and possible reasons why?

Any idea about demand for nurses? Is there a shortage in the area?

Thanks

japaho41 · Aug 21, 2007

Would you have any idea as to what areas have high turnover, and possible reasons why?
Any idea about demand for nurses? Is there a shortage in the area?
Thanks

I am not sure about the demand.

I know that in there Neonatal ICU there has been quite a bit of turnover due to bad working conditions according to a friend of mine.

I am sure that you could look at the hospital site to see what areas they are showing needs for.

kyhome · Aug 21, 2007

Do you know anything about the PACU, I interview for the position and will be moving to the area the middle of Sept. Hope its a decent place to work, I took a paycut from where I am now (TN) to move there with my husband. I am hoping to pick up extra shifts?!

Gottago · Sep 19, 2007

Bumped in hopes of more replies...

I was also wondering where do most ECU graduates go to work after finishing nursing school? Pitt?

I've heard the ER and NICU at PCMH has alot of turnover...any other units? Is it due to work conditions/demands?

AndyB · Nov 20, 2007

Bumped in hopes of more replies...
I was also wondering where do most ECU graduates go to work after finishing nursing school? Pitt?
I've heard the ER and NICU at PCMH has alot of turnover...any other units? Is it due to work conditions/demands?

I'm a traveler on the Neuro unit and it is the Pitts...

Example one: A stat set of cardiac enzymes, along with a CBC, BMP, and a phos and mag level were ordered STAT for 8:35 am. These were not done and I drew them the next day after finding out it was not done. This order had an addition to notify the physician about the labs and it fell through the cracks.

This same patient had eye drops scheduled every hour on his right eye. He refused the drops because this was one of his home meds and he took it twice a day. The order was for the wrong eye also. I contacted the physician about it and he changed the order the correct one. In addition, he also had other eye drops that had the incorrect eye ordered . While it may seem trivial, the eye drops are for glaucoma and this disease can cause someone to lose their vision.

Example two: One of the patients I caught at the change of shift was a diabetic who was alternating between hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia and she was put on an insulin drip. This is a higher standard of care and when I have worked a patient like this in the ICU I had a 2:1 ratio. During this time I had a 5:1 ratio but a transfer to a higher level of care was pending. The drip should have not been started on the floor I was at. I depended on nursing students to do my blood glucose checks for me which were every half hour by Pitts protocol.

Example three: I had a patient changed from continuous tube feeding to feeding boluses every 6 hours. However this patient was a diabetic who had a standing order for either 20 or 30 units lantus every evening along with a bolus of 5 units of regular insulin every 6 hours along with a sliding scale of regular insulin Q AC and HS. AC is before meals (before meals on a constant tube feeding???). Glucose checks were done every six hours. I called the MD on call the day before (had this patient yesterday) and voiced my concern over the these insulin orders during constant tube feeding but the orders were not changed. They needed to be changed yesterday but this was not done. When the patient was moved to bolus feedings it HAD to be done but it was not. The patient was getting quite a lot less feeding during the boluses and needed the orders adjusted. Yup, episode of hypoglycemia (41) that I had to handle around midnight as he got his 5 units of regular during the previous shift.

Example four: Two patients who were going to procedures today. These procedures required them to be NPO. Were the procedures documented? NO. Was there a NPO order? NO. I do not like doing thing solely by word of mouth as communication will fail that way. Pitt has gone almost 100% computerized but they have many bugs in their system. I have done computerized charting, med admin and etc before but there are continuous problems. I have done Humana's computerized system over 2 years ago and it leaves Pitt's system in the dust from retrospect.

Meds taken out of the Pyxis and not documented in the MAR is common.

Patient care partners (Pitt's P.C. name for patient techs) are a mixed ball of wax. Some draw labs, do I +Os, take a glucometer reading when it needs to be done, and generally help with patient care. Some do not. In order to ensure the proper patient care I have to continuously follow up on them as it is not specified what levels the patient care techs are at. Some cruise the internet half the night.

This is after only one week here. It is not traveler friendly as high acuity patients are usely farmed off to you.

Needless to say, I am looking for employment elsewhere...

nursedudeforchrist · Dec 17, 2007

I work here as a care partner while in school. I can tell you that they do use a lot of travelers, and, at least on my unit, there is a high turnover rate.