New Grad in PCU

[Minkuscat1]

Hello everyone! I am a new graduate RN who recently got a job in the PCU. It has been a couple months since graduation and I am feeling a little subpar on my knowledge. I was wondering if anyone has any tips to help me prepare for orientation, which starts in a few weeks?! I am super excited and want to be prepared for it so I can be as comfortable as possible when I start.

So any suggestions??

Any specific topics I should brush up on? Cardiac? ACLS protocol? Anything would be great!

Thank you!

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Cardiac rhythms for sure, and lab normals/interventions for abnormals.

What type of PCU is it? Medical, neuro, cardiac, surgical, trauma, pulmonary, mixed? Is there anything your hospital is big on, such as primary coronary intervention, comprehensive stroke, transplant, level I or II trauma? If you can tell us more, maybe we can give you more specific advice.

The medical stepdown unit at my hospital gets a lot of post cath lab cardiac pts, and a lot of DKA pts. The surgical one takes postop kidney transplants, and some strokes (not tPa ones--those go to the ICU.) And then a lot of the other trauma and neuro pts who don't quite need the ICU, but need closer monitoring than the floor. They both get a lot of transfers from the ICUs also.

[Minkuscat1]

From what's I was told it's a cardiac/telemetry step down unit. I was told there are quite a few vent patients, as well as trach patients too.

I'm sorry I don't know much more, during the interview it was all a blur!

[callrn]

Your orientation probably started by now.. do you remember any interview questions that you can share?? I'm trying to prep for an upcoming interview =)

[Minkuscat1]

I actually start in a few days haha it's been a long wait! All my questions we're pretty much expected and behavioral based.

Questions like why should we hire you? Why do you want to work here?

Name a situation where something changed how did you handle it? Explains a situation where communication was hard, what happened and what was outcome?

Basically Google behavioral based questions and boom. As long as you have like five - seven examples that can be flexible for different questions you should do great!!

[chantel2382]

Hi!

I am also a new grad on PCU. I'll be finishing up my preceptorship in just two weeks! (Scary) I will tell you one of the biggest hurdles for me on this unit has been understanding cardiac rhythms and since all of our patients are on telemetry monitors and the vast majority are cardiac patients I've found that this is a major deficit on my part. I make a point to go into the monitor room to view all my rhythms rather than to just call and ask what they are. I'm also looking into taking a more in depth rhythm class! Good luck to you!