PACU vs Tele for new grad

[ava'smomRN]

hello!

I have a major dilenma on my hands. I am just about finished nursing school, i only have finals left. FOr the past year I have been working in the PACU as a nurse extern. I was offered an RN position there. I accepted the position.

Recently, I had a change of heart. I have been feeling that I need to go to the floor to get exepreince and to gain a knowledge base. I interviewed on a 35 bed cardiac telemtry unit with 15 beds for stepdown. I love the experience this unit will provide me, however the schedule sucks!!!! I would have to do 50%nights and 50% days rotating every two weeks. not only is this unhealthy, but I have an infant and I just dont think i would manage...

the PACU is very busy and chaotic at times. we are a level 1 trauma center, the hospital is always full. we have a lot of overnight patients and SICU borders in our PACU. I feel that I would learn alot in the PACU but I am worried that I dont have the knowledge base or skills to be successful. My manger offered me 6 months of orientation or more if needed, our clinical nurse specilists are putting together a PACU specific orientation for me/new grads, the hospital offers an a gatewya program which includes a critical care course.

i am torn, what would you all do?

thanks, sorry this was so long

[SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN]

first, congrats on you finishing up nursing school..i'm sure the hard work was worth it!

the recovery room was where i wanted to start-out as a new rn (but i had prior lpn experience to refer to though). that being said, at the time i finished my bsn program, pacu wasn't available for new grads/rns...gateway to critical care for the icu/ccu was available though. in order to work recovery/pacu, one has to have at least one year's critical care experience first (as we receive unit patients from time-to-time). so it made perfect sense to complete the gateway to critical care course, work icu, the transfer to pacu.

but since your manager/hospital is willing to send you to their gateway to critical care, give you a six month or more orientation with a cns to guide you along...i say go for it! pacu hrs aren't all that bad either. you'll get to pick which shift you'd want to work; it may require you to carry an on-call pager from time-to-time, this may also mean carrying the on-call pager over a weekend as well. but that won't come until after your orientation is complete; you & your manager/cns feel comfortable enough for that. the staff in your pacu already know you...have seen your work ethics & obviously like them or they wouldn't have asked you to stay!

good luck in your boards & your future endeavors!

cheers :cheers: ,

moe

[Dolce, RN]

Believe me, PACU jobs for new grads are few and far between. I am sure you were only offered it since they already knew you and you have been working there as an extern. Congratulations on the offer! I think that the orientation that they are offering you is a very good one--6 months is a lot more than I got as a new grad! Considering the alternative of nights/days with a new baby I think the PACU option is better. PACU is a very good specialty if you enjoy it.

[SICU Queen]

DEFINITELY stick with the PACU job!! You get a lot of exposure there to many different kinds of patients, both critical and floor sorts, and overall I think it's just a better job.

Good luck!