Open Heart unit

sandman1 · Sep 3, 2004

If it is a true open heart unit then it looks great! Do fresh surgeries come to this unit or is it several day old ones?

I'm looking at a job offered to me from an Open Heart unit. It's not technically called an "ICU", but even the ICU at that hospital sends nurses who want to work with advanced hemodynamics (pulmonary lines, wedge pressures) to that unit. Does anyone have any experience working in an Open Heart unit, and if so, how will it look on an application to school?

Kiwi, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2004

Yes, the patients just had open heart surgery, and the Open Heart Unit is for their recovery. I just don't want the admissions committee to look at this as being "PACU" work. I've heard that PACU experience isn't great for admission. From what I've seen and heard, Open Heart recovery is not PACU type work.

sonessrna · Sep 3, 2004

Yes, the patients just had open heart surgery, and the Open Heart Unit is for their recovery. I just don't want the admissions committee to look at this as being "PACU" work. I've heard that PACU experience isn't great for admission. From what I've seen and heard, Open Heart recovery is not PACU type work.

I"m currently an SRNA and my last job was an Open Heart Recovery unit. It's the same thing as SICU or CTICU. It's whatever your hospital happens to call their post op open heart unit. It was great experience...maybe the best I could have had for CRNA school. Good luck!!

EmeraldNYL, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2004

Yeah, all hospitals have their fancy names for their ICU's. As long as you will get experience with Swans, drips, and vents, and unstable patients, it sounds like you are in the right place! Make sure to ask about what kind of orientation you will get too, and make sure the unit is friendly towards new grads!

Kiwi, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2004

Thanks SRNAs and future SRNAs for your responses!!

There are plenty of invasive lines and hemodynamics for me to work with there. I'm looking forward to working with the amazing patients, too. Open heart surgery was incredible to observe. This unit is very "graduate nurse" friendly, and they are encouraging in regards to my CRNA goal. :)

Cabgman · Sep 3, 2004

Yes, the patients just had open heart surgery, and the Open Heart Unit is for their recovery. I just don't want the admissions committee to look at this as being "PACU" work. I've heard that PACU experience isn't great for admission. From what I've seen and heard, Open Heart recovery is not PACU type work.

Open Heart surgery (OHS) recovery is a specialized type of PACU recovery! At the civilian hospital where I was employed prior to joining the Army's CRNA program, the OHS nurse recovered the patient - there wasnt a PACU nurse assigned to that patient.

Developing the ability to manage and recover your OHS patient then shift gears to provide a continuum of care is the key to being the OHS nurse. I believe all SRNAs should train at this level because it is at this level that the unexpected can and will most likely to occur. How well you respond to a crisis and the time frame during which you recall and execute your mental algorhythm determines the outcome of your patient. So to those of you that got into CRNA with one year of experience - I commend you! To be working at that level is such is short period of time is to me is just amazing! Personally, it took me 4 years. To those who are aspiring to become a CRNA and are just starting out - well, its great that you have aspirations but just remember those nursing skills need to be well developed by the time you sit for your first CRNA class.

Just an Army SRNA

Hooah! sorry, its an Army thing!

jewelcutt · Sep 5, 2004

I also worked in a CVSICU and believe I got the greatest experience in hemodynamics, swans, gtts, recovery of unstable surgery patients. It also helped that we were such a large unit the we take other surgical ICU patients (5-6 hearts a day) and MICU overflow on the weekends. We took trauma/neuro when that ICU was full. We were the only unit in the hospital that could take any type of patient. This turned out to be a great experience. Absolutely take the OH unit position because you recieve report from CRNAs!

futuregasman · Sep 7, 2004

I currently work in an open heart recovery unit. I think it provides some of the best experience a nurse can get. We have the opportunity to wean vents, extubate, work with vasoactive drips and most importantly.....Critical thinking skills. You will love it!

Brenna's Dad · Sep 8, 2004

It sounds like the Open Heart Unit you are interested in is a CVICU by a different name. I'm curious, why is it not technically an ICU??

Kiwi, BSN, RN · Sep 8, 2004

It sounds like the Open Heart Unit you are interested in is a CVICU by a different name. I'm curious why is it not technically an ICU??[/quote']
There is a separate ICU at that hospital. I've asked if there is an "Open heart ICU", but everyone just calls it the Open heart unit. The ICU mangager told me not to work at this hospital's ICU if I wanted to get work with lines and vasoactive drugs - she told me to work in the Open heart unit. I just didn't know if I could list it as an ICU (because it's a place where the patients are taken after open heart surgery) - I DO NOT want to list "PACU" on my application to grad school, even though patients in this unit are recovering from surgery. I'm a student and am a little confused with CVICU, CCU, CTICU, SICU, etc. But from what I can gather - you're exactly right... it's a CVICU with a different name.

UCDSICURN · Sep 8, 2004

I DO NOT want to list "PACU" on my application to grad school, even though patients in this unit are recovering from surgery.

I wouldn't worry about a name. You'll be recovering hearts for crying out loud, not lap. appy's. Even if you did go work in an CVICU that kept the patients until transferred to Tele, I don't think this would give you any better experience than what this position would offer. A fresh heart compared to a heart that is 48 hours out is a world of difference and a much higher acuity. I'd opt for this over a regular ICU any day if we had one.

Donn C.