Interested in Mayo Rochester

[neuroNerd206]

I am currently an RN in Seattle, looking to possibly relocate to Rochester with my family. I would like to know more about working at Mayo. My particular interest is in neuro/neurosurgery. Is there anyone who currently works on the neuro, neurosurgery, or neuro ICU units who could tell me a little about what it's like? Workload, patient population, management, etc. My current hospital is a very team oriented environment and I am hoping for the same. Everyone works together and supports each other. Also interested in hearing about the rotating shifts. I currently work days, so am a little unsure about working days and nights. Any general info on Rochester and Mayo would be greatly appreciated!

[/username, BSN, RN]

You're going to have and find some of the best neurosurgeons in the world there. The patient outcomes are great, and they see a lot of patients. What can be frustrating, however, is that they have many "teams" there's a foley team, and IV team, a central line dressing change team, a blood administration team, etc. I would not be able to work there, as I like doing more hands on care with my patients than Mayo allows. I also got into neuro through the trauma center route, and while Mayo is very good at the rare cases, tumors, cancers, etc., they are not super great at your run of the mill trauma care.

[xxojacqueline]

Current neurosurgical nurse at Mayo here! It is an EXCELLENT place to work, especially if you love neuro. I am on the neurosurgery post-op floor. We get patients right out of surgery for things like laminectomies and fusions, transsphenoidal endoscopic approaches to pituitary tumor resection, spinal or nerve tumor resections, DBS placements, VP shunts, etc. Direct/ED admits tend to be seizures, mild TBIs not requiring intervention, and any patients that need to be readmitted after discharge for wound infections. We also get plenty of transfers from the neuro ICU for CVAs, TBIs requiring hemicraniectomies or burr hole evacuation of SDH, brain tumor resections, or complex spinal surgeries that they opt for ICU care for immediately post-op. The most common diagnoses for our patients tend to be spinal stenosis, epilepsy, Parkinson's/dystonia/dyskinesia, stroke, TBI, brain and spinal tumors, Moya Moya, Chiari malformation, hydrocephalus, and many more. We also tend to get a lot of overflow from the medical neurology unit (yes there's a separate unit just for medical neuro!). We are ranked #1 Neurosurgery/Neurology hospital in the nation, so I might be a little biased when I say we're the best!

As for the environment to work in, it's fabulous. The nurses are all extremely close and team-oriented (I've floated to other units and nowhere else feels nearly as tight-knit as my unit). The consultants and residents are also amazing. I would highly encourage you to apply either in the ICU or the neurosurgical post-op unit if you're interested in relocating to Rochester. Medical neurology is fine but it's also combined with Family Medicine so if you like strictly neuro, I might avoid it.

As far as shifts, they vary. There are 8s, 8s & 12s, and 12s positions available. The shifts go Day/Eve, Day/Night, straight Eves, straight Nights, or midday-eve (1100-2300).

*Also to respond to the previous user who replied to your message, we have a designated Trauma ICU so patients with complex, multi-system traumas would likely go to that ICU instead of the Neuro ICU. And as far as having teams for everything, this is true. However... since patients with very complex diagnoses come to us since our reputation is so high, they can have very complex recoveries so our time is already spread thin caring for these higher acuity patients. To have a urology tech to come empty my patient's bladder while I tend to my other patients that need lumbar drain management or 2-3 assist to get to the chair for lunch, I will take it! ?