Interview for Transitional ICU Position

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2015

Find out if LVNs are trained/permitted by your nurse practice act to pull arterial and venous sheaths. Probably not, but ask who covers your patients during that time.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Sep 6, 2015

Find out if LVNs are trained/permitted by your nurse practice act to pull arterial and venous sheaths. Probably not, but ask who covers your patients during that time.

Great thank you!!!! You guys are amazing!

kalycat, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2015

This is a great thread! I'm actually considering a change to a similar unit and am soaking up all this valuable info! Definitely going to brush up on my acls goodness before my interview next week.

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Sep 6, 2015

PBDS Help

If they require PBDS read this.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Sep 6, 2015

PBDS Help
If they require PBDS read this.

I can't thank you enough!

hawaiicarl, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2015

Everyone else had some great suggestions, brush up on your chest tubes as well. Different surgeons have different preferences on how often to strip them, and their output tolerance for phone calls. The unit should also have a Clinical Pathway/Care Set that they follow, which will be really useful. Also check out their post-sternotomy ACLS, there are slight variations from your basic ACLS.Cheers

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Sep 7, 2015

Everyone else had some great suggestions, brush up on your chest tubes as well. Different surgeons have different preferences on how often to strip them, and their output tolerance for phone calls. The unit should also have a Clinical Pathway/Care Set that they follow, which will be really useful.Cheers

Thank you!!! :)

n.igmatic1 · Sep 7, 2015

I was on a CICU step down unit. Our patient population were pre-op/post-op CABG, TAVR, Thoracic Aneurysm repair, Aortic Aneurysm dissection patients, Maze procedures, congenital heart defect repairs, bronchs, partial lobectomies, VATS, and Ivor-Lewis procedures. We also got a pretty hefty amount of off-service overflow patients. The common meds we utilized were heparin, dopamine, dobutamine, milrinone, nitroglycerin, amiodarone, lidocaine, procainamide, diltiazem, lobetalol, metoprolol, hydralazine, atorvastatin, eliquis, and insulin, just to name a few. Ask about standing orders/protocols. Each of our surgeons had slightly different requirements and specifications for chest tubes, ambulation, dressings, and fluid restrictions. Let me know if you need anything else, but previous posters have given you a lot of good advice. Have faith in yourself!

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Sep 7, 2015

I was on a CICU step down unit. Our patient population were pre-op/post-op CABG, TAVR, Thoracic Aneurysm repair, Aortic Aneurysm dissection patients, Maze procedures, congenital heart defect repairs, bronchs, partial lobectomies, VATS, and Ivor-Lewis procedures. We also got a pretty hefty amount of off-service overflow patients. The common meds we utilized were heparin, dopamine, dobutamine, milrinone, nitroglycerin, amiodarone, lidocaine, procainamide, diltiazem, lobetalol, metoprolol, hydralazine, atorvastatin, eliquis, and insulin, just to name a few. Ask about standing orders/protocols. Each of our surgeons had slightly different requirements and specifications for chest tubes, ambulation, dressings, and fluid restrictions. Let me know if you need anything else, but previous posters have given you a lot of good advice. Have faith in yourself!

Thank you for this! I am, it's just nerve wracking. I've been at home with my son for over a year. But I'm ready to go back to work.

SubSippi · Sep 7, 2015

Brush up on your basic heart rhythms, and how you'd treat them. You'll see a lot of a-fib after cardiac surgeries, which you treat with IV lopressor and/or amio. A-fib is usually preceded with lots of PACs, so if you notice that happening, you'd want to let the doc know and see about increasing the beta blockers. Know what hyper/hypokalemia looks like on an ekg.

Taking care of patients after cardiac surgery involves a LOT of getting people who are in a lot of pain up and making them walk, so you'll want to emphasize qualities you have that make you good at getting people to do things they don't want to do. Think of a couple patients you've had in the past that you've realllllllly had to motivate to use as examples.

Having a good relationship with your surgeons is really important, and CT surgeons are notorious for being turds. They are looking for nurses who have a thick skin and won't let a bad attitude make them fall to pieces. Have some examples ready of times you've had to deal with a difficult physician.

I'm sure you're already doing this, but search for threads that give you "tell me about a time when..." interview questions. I think I only had one question in my last interview that I hadn't prepared for, thanks to AN.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Sep 7, 2015

Brush up on your basic heart rhythms, and how you'd treat them. You'll see a lot of a-fib after cardiac surgeries, which you treat with IV lopressor and/or amio. A-fib is usually preceded with lots of PACs, so if you notice that happening, you'd want to let the doc know and see about increasing the beta blockers. Know what hyper/hypokalemia looks like on an ekg.
Taking care of patients after cardiac surgery involves a LOT of getting people who are in a lot of pain up and making them walk, so you'll want to emphasize qualities you have that make you good at getting people to do things they don't want to do. Think of a couple patients you've had in the past that you've realllllllly had to motivate to use as examples.
Having a good relationship with your surgeons is really important, and CT surgeons are notorious for being turds. They are looking for nurses who have a thick skin and won't let a bad attitude make them fall to pieces. Have some examples ready of times you've had to deal with a difficult physician.
I'm sure you're already doing this, but search for threads that give you "tell me about a time when..." interview questions. I think I only had one question in my last interview that I hadn't prepared for, thanks to AN.

This is great! The last place I worked I had to deal with a rude doctor, who thought the world revolved around him. So I'm use to that, thankfully! But I will brush up on everything else! Thank you!!! :)

n.igmatic1 · Sep 7, 2015

I used this site for my dysrhythmia course. It may help with brushing up on rhythms.Free ECG Simulator! - SkillSTAT.