Critical Thinking For Med-surg nursing

Specialties Med-Surg

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Just failed PBDS and lost my travel job. Had never heard of this test before nor did any of my former coworkers.So I tried doing some research and very hard to find info but I did find one book that might help. Apparantly critical thinking is the rage or becoming the rage for testing nurses.

The book will be released September 2006 and is by the F.A Davis co. priced at $31.95. The title is

Med-surg Success;A Course Review Applying Critical Thinking To Test Taking
Maybe this can help prepare any future PBDS test takers.

I did a google search on the title and it will bring up the website for the book. Please keep us informed if anyone buys this book and how you rate it....thanks

Specializes in med/surg, ortho, dialysis, corrections.

Well, I am having some slight luck (I hope). One of the hospitals in this area use the PBDS but don't cancel you if you fail as long as you are hired as a seasonal contract INTERNALLY WITH THE HOSPITAL, not as a traveler. They will send you for remediation, the way it is supposed to be used. The hospital also offers housing directly through employee relations. I have an interview on Tuesday. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Wish me luck.;)

Specializes in med/surg, ortho, dialysis, corrections.

If I fail this test again and loose out on a job because of it, you can bet I will NEVER work for a hospital that requires it again. Is there somewhere this information can be posted or sent nationwide that is easily accessed by nurses so they can be forwarned of this? I really think we all need to band together to banish this test. Is it even legal to cancel a CONTRACT for failure to pass a test you were never even told about as a condition for employment? I am going to talk to a lawyer about this and find out. No wonder there is a nursing shortage! I get the feeling it is going to get worse as more hospitals institute this test.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Urg Care, LTC, Rehab.

I am a new RN, and a perfectionist, thank you very much. I've got a lot to learn but always try to do my best. I think I do an excellent job, my patients and my coworkers always tell me the same.

I work on call at an Urgent Care clinic (in addition to my hospital job), was there was a LPN for 2 years and when I got my RN, in order to bump up to RN pay had to take a performance based development test. It was in the spirit of "assessment improvement" and to help my managers orient me to any new RN assessment skills I may need to learn. Same job, now I get to push IV meds and make $10 more an hour.

Sooo.... I get this staticky, rotten video which shows all the patients in a hospital setting (this test was for my CLINIC job),laying in a bed in a dark room in a hospital gown, and then asks me what I would do in certain situations... Bowel sounds, lung sounds, uhhhhh??? was that the rotten tape player which keeps shutting on and off or I am supposed to be assessing rhonchi and crackles, hellooo? And since this test is for my clinic job, what are all these patients doing in hospital gowns in hospital rooms, sleeping with lights off? Funny, at my clinic, patients don't usually sleep in gowns with lights off... Where I am working? So I answered like they were in a hospital sleeping like the video showed.

Oh, I failed because I neglected to put for my answers that I would "stay with the patient until the ambulance arrived". Yeah, duh. thanks.

Hmm, something is rotten in Denmark, and it's not me or my hardworking coworkers. By the way, I didn't get fired.... or retrained... it's just sitting in my personnel file I guess.

I am also a travel nurse and failed my PBDS. What a horrible test!!! I got home and had a message on my machine telling me my contract was cancelled and I had 48 hrs to get out of the apartment they provided! I have been a nurse for 22 yrs so I know what I am doing. I am trying to get a position in another hospital as an internal seasonal contract and found out I have to take the test again. I am terrified. I am paying the travel agency to live in the apartment for the next week and half and after that I don't know what I am going to do. I am going to buy that book as soon as I am off line and hope and pray I can pass it the next time.

I'm not sure I understand this. Please set me straight. When do you find out that you have to take this test? Do you know this when you sign the contract? Or do you find this out once your are on the unit and ready to orient? I am in the process of signing on for my first travel assignment and the company didn't tell me anything about a test. Please let me know, I'm a bit nervous.

Specializes in med/surg, ortho, dialysis, corrections.

I found out about this test on my first day of orientation when they "sprung it" on us. There was nothing in my contract about it, it was never mentioned by my recruiter, and it was never mentioned during my phone interview with the nurse manager. I would definitely ask before agreeing to take this contract and bring up the fact that this information was with-held (if you find out you need to take it) and then REFUSE the contract. Unless you are a gambler and think you can pass. Some do, some don't. For those of us who didn't, it meant cancellation and eviction- no job, no home and no money....far far from home. You decide and good luck with what ever you choose.

Boy, this is amazing to me. You would think as bad as they need travelers, they would think twice before they would risk compromising their staffing situations. I feel bad for the rest of the regular staff who depend on that traveler and are short staffed at the last minute. I am going to email my recruiter today and get some answers about this and I am not signing if I find out I have to take this exam.

Specializes in med/surg, ortho, dialysis, corrections.

I hope you don't have to take the test and all goes smoothly for you. I wish I had known about this test beforehand, and I am soooo glad I found these great forums. They are so full of excellent advice and great people.

you definitely need to be informed about anything which will effect your job

perhaps the traveling agency didn't know about it but the hiring facility certainly did

maybe this was something they felt that you should know but you need to be informed so that you could have revamped your skills or refused the assignment

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
I found out about this test on my first day of orientation when they "sprung it" on us. There was nothing in my contract about it, it was never mentioned by my recruiter, and it was never mentioned during my phone interview with the nurse manager. I would definitely ask before agreeing to take this contract and bring up the fact that this information was with-held (if you find out you need to take it) and then REFUSE the contract. Unless you are a gambler and think you can pass. Some do, some don't. For those of us who didn't, it meant cancellation and eviction- no job, no home and no money....far far from home. You decide and good luck with what ever you choose.

I am a traveler, also.

Virtually every facility that I have gone to that uses PBDS to evaluate the traveler's skills - warns the agency ahead of time, about this issue.

I have had some agencies that tell me....and one or two that don't.

If you go to facility and lose a contract due to failing PBDS.....YOUR ISSUE SHOULD BE WITH THE AGENCY!!!!!! This test is rarely suddenly "popped" on anyone - it is expensive, requires much training to grade, etc. If your agency did not know and warn you, your agency is deficit.

Virtually any legitimate recruiter worth their salt knows what kind of pretests are done at facilities, how previous clients have done, etc. If your recruiter doesn't - you need a better recruiter and a better agency.

As a side note, PBDS is used in many south Florida hospitals. Naples, Ft. Myers area, some facilities near Broward use it. The Adventist/Florida hospital system uses a similar test....no videos though. This is well known among recruiters. And the facilities are very open and upfront that these are used and that you must pass them. Many agencies provide study guides, especially for meds. If yours did not warn you, they are not doing their part of the job.

well, i received a response from my recruiter. she is going to check into this test, whether the hospital requires it. but, she also told me that i committed to this assignment by the verbal telephone call. i have not signed a thing and she says i'm committed and the hospital is counting on me to be there. i thought it was binding only after a signature. i have requested blocked shifts and i have not received that answer either. i'm supposted to start the last week of january and i do not want to not be dependable or burn a bridge but I also want to know exactly what i am getting into here. this is my first travel assignment and i hope it is not the last. have i obligated myself already? does something seem fishy?

Specializes in med/surg, ortho, dialysis, corrections.

Yes, something is definitely fishy. Don't sign anything until you get your answer. And get it in WRITING. I am pretty sure you can back out if you find out that you have to take this test and it was not disclaimed before you gave your verbal agreement. You can either amend your contract before you sign it stating that you will not be cancelled for failing the test, and if the hospital cancels you in spite of this being written into your contract, that they and or the agency will be responsible to pay you for all the money you would have made during your contract (could be a pricey enough proposition that they would back down or agree to it) or probably refuse it altogether if you are suddenly confronted with something that they didn't tell you about. I know of a couple of travelers who refused even after signing. One changed his mind before leaving home and the other one changed her mind on her way to the assignment. The agency threatened her with $4000 in fines but never followed through with it. I would check with someone who knows how a verbal agreement works in your case. If there is not test, then relax. If there is and you weren't aware of it, I would definitely refuse based on with-held information. I don't think they would fight it. Maybe just try to use scare tactics on you. And any agency that would threaten you like that isn't one I would want to work for anyway. There is another really good forum called Delphi Forums. There is one guy in particular named Ned, who is really sharp about these kinds of things and also a couple of recruiters who put their opinions and information on this website who would be able to answer your questions better than me. But, please don't let them push you into signing a contract if you aren't sure about it. Think about it this way, why would they need a SIGNED contract at all if a verbal agreement was so dang binding? Huh???? Remember this also, that recruiter is making Bookoo bucks off your contract. If you back out, he/she looses that money...bottom line. Good luck, and check out that other forum too. You can never get enough information.

Specializes in med/surg, ortho, dialysis, corrections.

I just remembered something. There is a website- Pantravelers.org/survey. It has a list of hospitals by state that use PBDS. I am not sure if it is a complete list but it would be a start where you could check to see if the hospital you are going to is on this list.

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