NeuroNurse101

Thank you for your response. I feel miserable because it wasn't what I set out for, I definitely settled and to find out the ICUs are hiring travelers, per diem and new grads, it hurts.

Thank you for your response. No, I'm not including my orientation. Get re-certified in ACLS? The hands-on portion is done one to one with the clinical educator, so everyone does it solo. There are upcoming seminars, I'll be in attendance. I'm still employed at my first nursing job as well, I didn't quit. Just to be clear, you're suggesting obtaining another year of step down experience then apply to ICUs? Another year seems like overkill. I'm going to join some of the committees and become more involved, I'll try to give it six months then try to transfer to ICU. I'm already off of orientation, I had 3 days. I spoke with management and discussed that I didn't need any more than that.

Hello everyone, I have almost a year of experience working on a Neuroscience step down unit, I'll make a year in three weeks! I tried to speak with my manager on multiple occasions regarding ICU but I did not think she would transition me due to lack of staffing on my unit already. Some staff members who wanted to go to ICU for about two years quit as a result. I decided to pursue other options, I went to many job fairs, met with ICU directors and have been rejected. I only had about 5 to 6 months at the time. Fast forward, I attended a job fair and put that I was interested in ICU on the sign in sheet; however, the recruiters/ HR personnel sent me to interview with step down management. I was offered a position by the end of the interview. It is a medical surgical step down, more advanced than mine because they administer drips, such as Cardizem, Heparin, Amiodarone, etc. I accepted because the managers mentioned all of the opportunities available (committees, climbing the clinical ladder) and how they promote growth. I started on the step down unit and I feel miserable, especially since the facility is hiring a bunch of travelers and per diem staff for the ICUs... I feel as though I settled by not pushing harder for an interview with an ICU director/ manager. After all of the rejections, I re-evaluated myself and resume and have been working on a lot to increase my chances of entering an ICU, such as joining the American Critical Care Nurses Association and American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. I am preparing for the SCRN and PCCN, I have to wait until next month to register (requires one year of experience). I am BLS/ ACLS/ NIH certified. I have my ADN but I am currently enrolled in a Bachelors of Nursing program and I'll be a BSN-prepared nurse in the fall of this year. Personally, I have purchased a lot of Critical Care material: The ICU Book by Paul Marino, CCRN Review by Laura Gasparis (also using to prepare for PCCN), The Ventilator Book, Fast Facts for Critical Care, etc. But it is quite difficult to understand most of the content because I am unable to apply it. I was considering finding out who the director/ manager of the Neurosurgical ICU is and trying to see if I can get a few minutes of their time and speak to them. I would appreciate honest advice and opinions, do you think that it would be a good idea? Also, what should I do to increase my chances and/or prepare myself for ICU? Should I go to ED, stay on the med surg step down, keep applying to ICUs, wait after taking the board exams to continue applying, etc? Sorry for the lengthy post, all advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Hello everyone, I have almost a year of experience working on a Neuroscience step down unit, I'll make a year in three weeks! I tried to speak with my manager on multiple occasions regarding ICU but I did not think she would transition me due to lack of staffing on my unit already. Some staff members who wanted to go to ICU for about two years quit as a result. I decided to pursue other options, I went to many job fairs, met with ICU directors and have been rejected. I only had about 5 to 6 months at the time. Fast forward, I attended a job fair and put that I was interested in ICU on the sign in sheet; however, the recruiters/ HR personnel sent me to interview with step down management. I was offered a position by the end of the interview. It is a medical surgical step down, more advanced than mine because they administer drips, such as Cardizem, Heparin, Amiodarone, etc. I accepted because the managers mentioned all of the opportunities available (committees, climbing the clinical ladder) and how they promote growth. I started on the step down unit and I feel miserable, especially since the facility is hiring a bunch of travelers and per diem staff for the ICUs... I feel as though I settled by not pushing harder for an interview with an ICU director/ manager. After all of the rejections, I re-evaluated myself and resume and have been working on a lot to increase my chances of entering an ICU, such as joining the American Critical Care Nurses Association and American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. I am preparing for the SCRN and PCCN, I have to wait until next month to register (requires one year of experience). I am BLS/ ACLS/ NIH certified. I have my ADN but I am currently enrolled in a Bachelors of Nursing program and I'll be a BSN-prepared nurse in the fall of this year. Personally, I have purchased a lot of Critical Care material: The ICU Book by Paul Marino, CCRN Review by Laura Gasparis (also using to prepare for PCCN), The Ventilator Book, Fast Facts for Critical Care, etc. But it is quite difficult to understand most of the content because I am unable to apply it. I was considering finding out who the director/ manager of the Neurosurgical ICU is and trying to see if I can get a few minutes of their time and speak to them. I would appreciate honest advice and opinions, do you think that it would be a good idea? Also, what should I do to increase my chances and/or prepare myself for ICU? Should I go to ED, stay on the med surg step down, keep applying to ICUs, wait after taking the board exams to continue applying, etc? Sorry for the lengthy post, all advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Thank you for your response :)

Thank you for your response.

Thank you for your response!

Where do you see pride? I'm curious.

I don't dislike your comment actually, you are not being completely biased and are giving me a different perspective. Thank you for your response. I am anxious because of where I am working, not because of the unit. Every time I go to ICU, where I know the staff, I feel comfortable and like I belong. The floor just feels like a mad house, patients jumping out of bed, ringing for pain medicine non stop and yelling, and when you have five, six or seven patients like this 8 of 10 times it becomes tiring. Reading your post, I realize my performance has gone down because I'm not happy where I am. Management, the patient population, the lack of staffing with sometimes just me and one nurse with six patients each and no patient care associate, on my floor there is basically all total care patients. Three friends are new grads and were hired straight into ICU and getting paid more. And I am in this state where the mindset is where on the floor first then you'll be promoted, when critical care thinking and the floor thought process are completely different. The presentation on the patient as a whole is against HIPAA, which is unprofessional. A general presentation would be acceptable, not a patient-specific. The first time I was called in was because they were trying to keep me on day shift when I applied and was hired for nights. "My orientation was extended," with no preceptor. Management called me on a weekend, at home at 9pm and spoke to me for over an hour trying to discourage me from nights and ultimately said she would think about putting me on nights... Thats where it all begin. It conflicted so much with my schooling, my other job, my life and I was being dodged. After having gone to great lengths to get the night shift I was supposed to be on, management seemed to call me for ridiculous reasons. I was shown the document of when I pulled the narcotic, it was for one patient, one night that had a bunch of pain medications to choose from and decided she didn't want this particular one anymore so I returned it and gave her a different one. It was not a pattern, so imagine being called in and accused of having a drug problem for that? Ruby Vee's post and yours are not in the least the same. Her's was judgemental and rude, didn't even attempt to answer the question. Seems like she was just having a bad day and wanted to vent by attacking someone.

To be honest, you seem like you need counseling. You are just spewing negativity, not constructive criticism. And if you actually read, I am in therapy. I was recognized at my hospital as being the youngest RN, that's how I know. I learned protocol and the patient's death didn't regard me, the nurse practitioner admitted the patient shouldn't of been on the floor and also stated I did a good job and my part. Please, get your own emotions together and seek counsel before you decide to comment and spread your unnecessary negativity, says a lot about you. Good luck.

I've been working on a Neuro/ tele step down unit for almost nine months now and I cannot take it anymore. When I was first hired, I informed the director of my goals and how I wanted ICU and she was completely on board, said I would be evaluated in six months. Unfortunately, that director left and now we have a new one, who could careless about my goals. When I was on orientation, I met a CRNA who said I could shadow her, I went to the OR director, she agreed and said that I only need an okay from my director and that it would have to be on my days off, which I was completely fine with. I reached out to my director multiple times and ways (email, notes on her desk, voicemail) and no response, then I finally saw her. I work nights so it was difficult to run into her but I did and told her I have been contacting her in regards of the shadowing. She said she knows and that she thinks I need more experience first. I said to her, I need more experience to shadow? And she said yes, I need more time. I used to constantly remind my manager of how I want to be in ICU... I don't mention it at all anymore. I feel so trapped, I can't help but cry as I'm typing this. Working on this floor has been difficult. Every time I'm called in the office, I know its because I did something wrong, I never get a good job. All of the ICU nurses that come to my floor keep telling that I'm the best hire and would be a great ICU nurse, the charge nurses on my floor tell me that too. My manager said to me that her and the director were considering me for ICU but that was months ago and clearly a lie because they just hired a bunch of new ICU nurses. My manager has called me into her office, accusing me of having a potential drug problem because pharmacy said that I've been pulling and returning too many narcotics, but nothing was missing and the count is still accurate... Last month, my manager and director had a scapegoat meeting with me, trying to blame me for a patient's death. The patient should've been in ICU, not on the floor and I followed the facility's protocol and informed the charge, nursing supervisor, and doctor. No one did anything, so what was I supposed to do? But they wanted me to do a presentation on what happened at a staff meeting. I sent an email stating that I would not because it is unprofessional. Last week, my manager told me to either present or get written up. I spoke with union representatives and fellow coworkers regarding the matter. Everyone is stunned and doesn't really know what to do because they've never heard of such things happening but it is, to me. Ever since I started working here, I've been having anxiety, panic attacks and chest pain. My doctor put me on Xanax because it was getting so bad... I also started seeing a therapist. I'm so paranoid going to work, thinking something is going to happen and I'm going to get in trouble. Sorry for the lengthy background. TL;DR... I applied to PACU, CVOR, MICU and CVICU at my facility. I've been working on a neuro/ tele step down unit for nine months. I'm on a two year contract. In order for my applications to go through, I have to complete a transfer form, which requires my manager's approval. There is already so much tension, I don't want to rock the boat further but I also can't take it anymore. I'm the youngest nurse in my hospital and it feels like management treats me this way because I am young, my charge nurse and colleagues agreed. What should I do? Thank you all in advance.

I've been working on a Neuro/ tele step down unit for almost nine months now and I cannot take it anymore. When I was first hired, I informed the director of my goals and how I wanted ICU and she was completely on board, said I would be evaluated in six months. Unfortunately, that director left and now we have a new one, who could careless about my goals. When I was on orientation, I met a CRNA who said I could shadow her, I went to the OR director, she agreed and said that I only need an okay from my director and that it would have to be on my days off, which I was completely fine with. I reached out to my director multiple times and ways (email, notes on her desk, voicemail) and no response, then I finally saw her. I work nights so it was difficult to run into her but I did and told her I have been contacting her in regards of the shadowing. She said she knows and that she thinks I need more experience first. I said to her, I need more experience to shadow? And she said yes, I need more time. I used to constantly remind my manager of how I want to be in ICU... I don't mention it at all anymore. I feel so trapped, I can't help but cry as I'm typing this. Working on this floor has been difficult. Every time I'm called in the office, I know its because I did something wrong, I never get a good job. All of the ICU nurses that come to my floor keep telling that I'm the best hire and would be a great ICU nurse, the charge nurses on my floor tell me that too. My manager said to me that her and the director were considering me for ICU but that was months ago and clearly a lie because they just hired a bunch of new ICU nurses. My manager has called me into her office, accusing me of having a potential drug problem because pharmacy said that I've been pulling and returning too many narcotics, but nothing was missing and the count is still accurate... Last month, my manager and director had a scapegoat meeting with me, trying to blame me for a patient's death. The patient should've been in ICU, not on the floor and I followed the facility's protocol and informed the charge, nursing supervisor, and doctor. No one did anything, so what was I supposed to do? But they wanted me to do a presentation on what happened at a staff meeting. I sent an email stating that I would not because it is unprofessional. Last week, my manager told me to either present or get written up. I spoke with union representatives and fellow coworkers regarding the matter. Everyone is stunned and doesn't really know what to do because they've never heard of such things happening but it is, to me. Ever since I started working here, I've been having anxiety, panic attacks and chest pain. My doctor put me on Xanax because it was getting so bad... I also started seeing a therapist. I'm so paranoid going to work, thinking something is going to happen and I'm going to get in trouble. Sorry for the lengthy background. TL;DR... I applied to PACU, CVOR, MICU and CVICU at my facility. I've been working on a neuro/ tele step down unit for nine months. I'm on a two year contract. In order for my applications to go through, I have to complete a transfer form, which requires my manager's approval. There is already so much tension, I don't want to rock the boat further but I also can't take it anymore. I'm the youngest nurse in my hospital and it feels like management treats me this way because I am young, my charge nurse and colleagues agreed. What should I do? Thank you all in advance.

Did you take the exam yet? If so, how was it?

Which book did you purchase: AANN Comprehensive Review for Stroke Nursing or AANN Core Curriculum for Neuroscience Nursing, Sixth Edition? Did you purchase them from the AANN or elsewhere? Would you recommend one of these instead of the ANVC book? My hospital is not going to reimburse me for this certification, so I'm trying to save as much as I can because the books and exam are pricey.

Thanks for posting an update! Did you order the book the 8th and receive it the 11th? I wanted to order the guide from ANVC but the fact that they could not guarantee arrival or include a tracking number made me a bit wary. How is the book so far, do you think it is worth it or do you recommend the SCRN book? Are they similar in content? So many questions lol. Whenever you have a chance to answer, I'd greatly appreciate it!