Just thinking...

Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2003

I was telling spouse what I hoped to accomplish and he got excited for me and we decided the best approach would be the online study. So I think that's what I'll do. It's a bit of a hassle to register.

Wish me luck.

angelbear · Aug 13, 2003

I have not done a critical care course but it does sound good and very productive. I like the 3rd option it may be more expensive than the other 2 but it gives you more benefits too, and a certificate looks good on a resume should you want to use one in the future. Plus increasing your education and skills can never be a bad thing. I say go for the gusto. JMHO

purplemania, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2003

Sounds like a good plan. Will there be any skills lab or check-offs? Theory alone would be sorta empty in critical care, IMHO. I think it is a bummer that your facility makes it so difficult to get education. We have found that offering this type of education builds retention and employee satisfaction. New grads hear of our ed. support for employees and want to work here. Good luck in your studies.

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 13, 2003

Like you and your spouse, I think the 3rd, online option sounds like most beneficial in the long run. It may cost a little more money, but you'll end up ahead.

Good luck,

llg

Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2003

Originally posted by purplemania
Sounds like a good plan. Will there be any skills lab or check-offs? Theory alone would be sorta empty in critical care, IMHO. I think it is a bummer that your facility makes it so difficult to get education. We have found that offering this type of education builds retention and employee satisfaction. New grads hear of our ed. support for employees and want to work here. Good luck in your studies.

So true. I'm think it's only theory and a system review. The skill comes otj I suppose. It's not that my employer makes it so difficult, I would get into the critical care program that our hospital provides without any problem, but it's a full-time Mon-Friday program, and I would have to resign my current position, which I hate to do out of loyalty to my manager and director as I made a stink to transfer from one unit to another. I like this job and would like to stay a while.

Plus my employer will reimburse my costs anyway 100% through it's tuition reimbursement program.

Thanks everyone for the support!

moonshadeau, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN, APN, NP, CNS · Aug 13, 2003

Indiana University offers a critical care course. I don't know much about. I briefly considered taking it. You will have to browse the website to try to find out more. Hope this helps.

http://www.nursing.iupui.edu/AcademicPrograms/default.asp

Noney · Aug 13, 2003

Making you resign from your current position is ridiculous. IMO

That would be like punishing you for bettering yourself. Why couldn't they hold the position?

Have you talked to your manager? Maybe she would consider not posting your job while you take the class. How long would it be?

In the long run it would benefit your unit.

This just seems like a crazy way to do things. It sounds like anytime a nurse at your hospital takes a class to learn more they are going to have to transfer to another unit. I bet the managers hope their nurse's don't take the class, just so they won't lose them to another unit.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2003

Originally posted by Noney
Making you resign from your current position is ridiculous. IMO
That would be like punishing you for bettering yourself. Why couldn't they hold the position?

Have you talked to your manager? Maybe she would consider not posting your job while you take the class. How long would it be?

In the long run it would benefit your unit.

This just seems like a crazy way to do things. It sounds like anytime a nurse at your hospital takes a class to learn more they are going to have to transfer to another unit. I bet the managers hope their nurse's don't take the class, just so they won't lose them to another unit.

Sorry I'm not communicating well. Let's say I want to take my hospital's critical care course, which is a three month course I believe that includes clinicals. It's a lateral transfer, so you have to "apply" (meaning if you haven't been written up, etc. they do a lateral transfer, no one I've ever heard of has been refused within house). Obviously if they invest three months pay and training in you they want you to move to critical care and not stay in med-surg. But you're not actually "quitting" you are transferring.

However, if I asked my manager to release me for three months to take that class, they probably would. I've heard of one other med-surg nurse that did that and then returned to med-surg. But there aren't many med-surg nurses wanting to take a critcal care internship and remain in med-surg.

I wouldn't waste my time doing that. I would transfer to the critical internship with the idea that it was time to move from med-surg to critical care.

I'm not quite ready to leave med-surg right now as I just started a new job and that wouldn't be fair to my manager. We're a new unit and she's a first time manager with two months experience, and I told her I'd be there for her. So that is why I am taking a course on my own time (which they will pay for.)

Am I making sense? I'm not taking critical care nursing for professional development. I'm taking it to become a critical care nurse within my own hospital, but want to do it slowly, at home online. When I get the critical care certificate in about a year's time, I present it to the ICU manager and she gives me a job, and puts me with a preceptor for 12 weeks or so. At that point I would have put in a year with my current manager and that's plenty.

Anyway, it's a done deal. I've registered and I begin on August 25th. I'm a quick thinker. I weighed out the pros and cons. And decided the college level critical care course over three semesters totally online is the best for me right now. Quick decision.

Thanks for the encouragement and feedback. I'm going to be needing a lot of it I feel. :) Wish me luck!

Noney · Aug 13, 2003

Ok. Now it makes sense. Good luck, not that I thiank you need luck:p

hobbes · Aug 13, 2003

Originally posted by 3rdShiftGuy
Sorry I'm not communicating well. Let's say I want to take my hospital's critical care course, which is a three month course I believe that includes clinicals. It's a lateral transfer, so you have to "apply" (meaning if you haven't been written up, etc. they do a lateral transfer, no one I've ever heard of has been refused within house). Obviously if they invest three months pay and training in you they want you to move to critical care and not stay in med-surg. But you're not actually "quitting" your transferring.

However, if I asked my manager to release me for three months to take that class, they probably would. I've heard of one other med-surg nurse that did that and then returned to med-surg. But there aren't many med-surg nurses wanting to take a critcal care internship and remain in med-surg.

I wouldn't waste my time doing that. I would transfer to the critical internship with the idea that it was time to move from med-surg to critical care.

I'm not quite ready to leave med-surg right now as I just started a new job and that wouldn't be fair to my manager. We're a new unit and she's a first time manager with two months experience, and I told her I'd be there for her. So that is why taking a course on my own time (which they will pay for.)

Am I making sense? I'm not taking critical care nursing for professional development. I'm taking it to become a critical care nurse within my own hospital, but want to do it slowly, at home online. When I get the critical care certificate in about a year's time, I present it to the ICU manager and she gives me a job, and puts me with a preceptor for 12 weeks or so. At that point I would have put in a year with my current manager and that's plenty.

Anyway, it's a done deal. I've registered and I begin on August 25th. I'm a quick thinker. I weighed out the pros and cons. And decided the college level critical care course over three semesters totally online is the best for me right now. Quick decision.

Thanks for the encouragement and feedback. I'm going to be needing a lot of it I feel. :) Wish me luck!

Hey, do you mind posting the URL to the program you registered for. I'd be interested in checking it out myself. Thanx.

karenG · Aug 13, 2003

good luck tweety- sounds like a lot of hard work!

Karen