PCU or Neuro units?

Nurses Career Support

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Hi all!

I am a new grad who started a position in the Neuro ICU. It was too much for me to handle as a brand new nurse and as a result, I was let go. However, the manager is assisting me in transferring to a less intensive unit that will better help me enhance and polish my skills. So far, I have interviewed with the regular Neuro floor and the Spine unit. I have interviews coming up with Ortho and Stroke as well. Spine seemed to be quite a bit for me as well, but I got a good vibe from the Neuro floor and it seemed a lot more calmer and supportive for a new grad. I just found out that I am also being considered for PCU, which I hear is a step-down from ICU.

My question is...do you guys feel that for a new grad RN would regular Neuro be better or PCU to start out in? (I guess I'm concerned about PCU because I had such an overwhelming experience in the Neuro ICU, but then again it is technically less critical).

Any advice is much appreciated! :)

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I think you'd better wait for your interview on PCU to make that assessment. New grads can succeed in PCU. What is the ratio there?

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Lev

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Yeah, 5-6 is a lot for PCU. Makes you wonder what the ratios are for medsurg...It may be not so good to join a unit with a bunch of other new grads...PCU is really good experience though. Is there another stepdown unit that they would let you try out?

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Yeah, I had my interview yesterday and was offered the job an hour later. I haven't made up my mind yet, so they're giving me some time to think about it. The PCU Manager showed me around and said that the shift is days only with 4-5 patients per nurse. The hospital is really new, only 10 minutes from my house, and the unit has been known to take new grads. I spoke with another nurse who is now in Postpartum (where I would eventually like to try one day) and started on the same PCU as a new grad, where she worked for 3 years. She mentioned it was tough, but that she learned everything there and had lots of support, all of which helped her become a terrific Postpartum nurse. I emailed the manager to ask if I can shadow before making up my mind, so hopefully I can get a feel for what it would be like. The Neuro floor has still offered me the job too, and the manager told me I am free to come in and shadow there as well. Both managers seemed very supportive and compared to the Neuro ICU, the units seemed more at bay. I will try the shadowing and see how it feels. I did stop by the regular Med-Surg Unit at the hospital and dropped off my resume to the manager, even though they don't have any open positions right now. Other than that, I am also shadowing a Stroke Unit and will see what happens :)

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Oh yeah, and the Neuro and Stroke floors are at another hospital (same health system, just different locations), which is farther away from me (30-40 minutes), but great reputation too. Location wise PCU would be great, but I don't want to get into something that will be too much for me as a new grad. Shadowing the units will probably help me narrow it down further :)

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Let us know how it goes!

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