ceverts

Hello. I have always wanted to travel and finally signed up with an agency. I have been a nurse for 5 years, always working at the same facility, a 360ish bed community hospital. We are now a level 2 trauma center, as of the past 2 or so years. I have worked both Med-Surg and ICU (2 years each), most recently ICU. Our ICU is a 16-bed unit that is a sort of MICU/SICU/CICU/Neuro ICU all in one. We get IABPs, CRRT, EVDs, etc, but the problem is that I may have one and then not have that type of patient again for a year, so you never really feel totally comfortable or competent. For example, Ive only had one Impella, never cardioverted or paced, took the CRRT class when I first started but never had one and now need to re-take the class before I can. I also work Nights and it seems like a lot goes on during the day that we just don't do often on Nights, (emergent intubations, SBTs & extubations, etc). Many of our experienced RNs tell me I'm a good ICU nurse, including a former longtime traveler who tells me I'll make a great travel nurse and not to worry. I told the travel recruiter that I'd prefer to go to lower level ICUs because its what I know, and wondered if I should do Med-Surg, but he says ICU makes more and I will be ok (after filling out the Skills checklist). Im very contentious and a bit of a worrier and I just dont want to put myself (or future patients!) in a bad position. I know you have to be able to "hit the ground running", and I feel I may be fine in lower acuity settings but just wanted to see if anyone else shared this experience or has any insight/suggestions. Thank you and sorry for the length of this post!