ICU travel nursing question

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Specializes in CVICU.

i am strongly considering becoming a travel nurse this summer. currently, i have 2yrs experience in cardiac telemetry and a little over a year in cvicu. i work with swans, vents, vasoactive medications and will get balloon pump certified soon. i see a few positions open for cvicu. most of the positions seem to be icu/ccu, micu or sicu. based on my experience do you think i could safely take a contract in a sicu or micu? i appreciate any comments, suggestions or thoughts regarding this matter. :confused:

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Yes you can-good experience to broaden your resume....................I started out as an MICU nurse, and since traveling have done Neuro, SICU, Trauma, CVICU and CCU. There are obviously differences for each specialty, but not anything over the top. Just be honest about what you are comfortable with and the company/hospital will take you from there. Good luck

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Specializes in ICU/CCU/Oncology/CSU/Managed Care/ Case Management.
Yes you can-good experience to broaden your resume....................I started out as an MICU nurse, and since traveling have done Neuro, SICU, Trauma, CVICU and CCU. There are obviously differences for each specialty, but not anything over the top. Just be honest about what you are comfortable with and the company/hospital will take you from there. Good luck

So in traveling you can take an assignment in a unit in which you have minimal experience and grow from there?? How is it that you are able to get those experieces starting out from MICU on traveling assignments. Just curious...thanks!!:)

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It looks from your profile that you have been a nurse for 8+ years in a variety of specialties........you know how to be a critical care and oncology nurse and how to care for patients! The basic care is the same wherever you go-you just need to learn the different specifics when you change specialties (i.e. it is often quite acceptable for neuro patients (in some instances) to have blood pressures > than 170 ........our initial instinct is "eeek!", but when you understand that it is for cerebral perfusion, you go with it.........

As I said, if you are honest up front regarding your strengths/weaknesses and/or lack of knowledge in specific areas, any good unit educator is going to provide you with the information you need to care for "their" patients safely and effectively.

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Specializes in ICU/CCU/Oncology/CSU/Managed Care/ Case Management.
It looks from your profile that you have been a nurse for 8+ years in a variety of specialties........you know how to be a critical care and oncology nurse and how to care for patients! The basic care is the same wherever you go-you just need to learn the different specifics when you change specialties (i.e. it is often quite acceptable for neuro patients (in some instances) to have blood pressures > than 170 ........our initial instinct is "eeek!", but when you understand that it is for cerebral perfusion, you go with it.........

As I said, if you are honest up front regarding your strengths/weaknesses and/or lack of knowledge in specific areas, any good unit educator is going to provide you with the information you need to care for "their" patients safely and effectively.

So the educator will give a review or give info to a traveler? I was under the impression that the expectations for a travel was very high and the facility would only take a nurse with years of experience in that particular speciality. I thought it was expected for the travelers to know the basic protocols regarding a certain unit. Thanks for the reply. I am not sure that I would take an assignment in a neuro unit, I have had neuro patients in ICU post cranies and ICP monitors but I just thought you needed years of experience to go into a designated specialty area. Maybe the facilities are not as strict as I thought. Thoughts??

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Specializes in OB.
So the educator will give a review or give info to a traveler? I was under the impression that the expectations for a travel was very high and the facility would only take a nurse with years of experience in that particular speciality. I thought it was expected for the travelers to know the basic protocols regarding a certain unit. Thanks for the reply. I am not sure that I would take an assignment in a neuro unit, I have had neuro patients in ICU post cranies and ICP monitors but I just thought you needed years of experience to go into a designated specialty area. Maybe the facilities are not as strict as I thought. Thoughts??

Most hospitals ARE looking for someone experienced in the area in which they have a need. Occasionally a desperate facility will take someone without the requisite experience, but this frequently results in the traveler crashing and burning. You do not get on the job training as a traveler. They are not going to invest weeks of training in someone who is only there for 13 weeks.

Recruiters will sometimes press you to take jobs for which you are not qualified, either through ignorance (few have a medical background) or just in a push to fill positions. You need to look out for yourself.

In short, don't accept a position out of your experience unless you are completely confident that you could walk in and begin caring for patients on that unit immediately.

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Specializes in ICU/CCU/Oncology/CSU/Managed Care/ Case Management.
Most hospitals ARE looking for someone experienced in the area in which they have a need. Occasionally a desperate facility will take someone without the requisite experience, but this frequently results in the traveler crashing and burning. You do not get on the job training as a traveler. They are not going to invest weeks of training in someone who is only there for 13 weeks.

Recruiters will sometimes press you to take jobs for which you are not qualified, either through ignorance (few have a medical background) or just in a push to fill positions. You need to look out for yourself.

In short, don't accept a position out of your experience unless you are completely confident that you could walk in and begin caring for patients on that unit immediately.

Thanks for clearing that up. Thats what I thought. I didn't think educators would spend much time training a traveler, maybe some places will as the above poster mentioned,but from what I have seen with the travelers I worked with doesn't seem to be the case, you are expected to know and do. Yes I have spoken with several recruiters who are more than eager to place you in an area where you have little or no experience in. You are right you must be assertive and say no. They often ask why since you have experience, I say it is not fair to ME nor is it fair to that patient. Thanks to the both of you for answering my questions:)

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