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WoosahRN MSN, RN

PICU
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WoosahRN has 10 years experience as a MSN, RN and specializes in PICU.

WoosahRN's Latest Activity

  1. WoosahRN

    Seattle Children's Hospital / Living in Seattle

    WoosahRN replied to LanaLasch13's topic in Job Hunt

    I found people very welcoming. The biggest culture I noticed is people are less direct and more passive aggressive. Once I realized it I could figure out who was from WA and who was a transplant pretty quickly. Most people don't live in Seattle because it's so expensive. It's like people either commute or they live across the street. But we bought a home and my husband works far north so we live far north (our home would be more than double the price we paid if it was in Seattle). The city has really good public transportation though and the hospital has its own transportation department (meaning they help map out all the ways to get to the hospital) to enourage using public transportation (versus more cars on the road). The traffic here is the worst traffic I've ever lived in. I worked night shift and lived 35 miles away from work. It was an hour in, 45 min home and I live opposite of traffic. If I ever had to go there during the day it was 3-5 hours round trip. I grew up in Arizona and thought the weather traffic was bad. Now I miss AZ because here, a light drizzle causes traffic to crawl. It's insane. I always expect to see some big accident but nope. When I did clinicals there during the day I had to leave at 0530 to get there at 0800 because anything after 0530 and I found my commute was a solid two hours.
  2. WoosahRN

    Emergency Calls- How long do we wait?

    WoosahRN replied to Amethya's topic in School

    OP, your gut instinct was right. Just call 911. I will share my horror stories. I'm in PICU. 100% of the kids I've had come in that were "found down" asthmatics did not survive. Once that airway shuts its hard to get them back in the field. All of them had CPR in the field. One coded in the back of her parents car as they drove around looking for a fire station. Every single family said "I didn't think they could die from asthma." They were all very haunting situations. í ½í¸ž
  3. WoosahRN

    PICU to Adult ICU

    WoosahRN posted a topic in MICU

    I've been an RN for 10 years, all in Peds and the last 9 years in PICU. I love PICU. I'm good at it. I've worked really hard to gain the skills and knowledge I have. I've considered over the years maybe trying adults just to be more well rounded and to have different opportunities if I decide to ever leave ICU. Job opportunities are limited obviously when you only work PICU and I'm facing that limitation currently. 2 years ago I moved out of state. The children's hospital I work at now is almost 40 miles from home and an hour drive on night shift (an hour and a half each way for anything Day Shift related like education). I've lost skills with not being able to do a lot of the things I was trained at at my other hospital, mainly ecmo. Understandable as I'm still a newer staff member but it doesn't seem like something that will happen anytime soon. There is a large hospital 7 miles from me with a small general Peds floor but I have no desire to leave an ICU environment and want to grow in my skills and experience. I'm thinking about transitioning to Adult ICU and stay PRN at my current job just to keep the relationship open. Just the thought of a shorter commute is amazing. I have no expectation of doing ecmo or CRRT and know I'll be learning a whole new area of nursing. I'm hoping the general ICU/critical care skills will transfer. I dont see a lot of threads about making this kind of switch but there's got to be some people who might relate or have some information or anecdotes for me.
  4. WoosahRN
    We look up compatibilities all the time. If our resources don't pull up information (not tested) we talk to pharmacy to get their input and check for additional resources. I've never thought of incompatibilities as killing a patient but I've lost lines before due to crystallization. IV fluids had an additive in it and I didn't check it with an electrolyte just not thinking. Lost a lumen on a triple lumen line. I'll never do that again.
  5. WoosahRN
    I usually clock out between 0730 and 0745 just depending on how long report took or patient needs/changes (day shift comes on at 0700). If people are regularly needing to stay late (especially an hour after!) to chart, there's something wrong with time management skills. :/
  6. WoosahRN

    Slow nursing jobs? So I can go back to school.

    WoosahRN replied to countrygirl1234's topic in Nurses

    Sigh. Or people could just offer their advice versus just coming here to respond with snark. Home care jobs. I worked in a small group home (just me, an LPN at the time and a CNA) where many of the residents (8 residents, 3 were wheelchair bound the rest were walker/talkers) went to a day program. Did days and nights there and there was a lot of downtime even with helping the tech with cares. I was able to work FT and finish my RN program. Also as an extra PRN job since I got my RN, I worked once a week on a home care case where I cared for a patient (I do peds) overnight in their home. Had a routine and once she was tucked in, meds and cares done, I did Q2 vent charting/assessment/cares. Paper charting. Turned in notes once a week at a drop box. The pay doesn't compare to hospital pay but for what it is, it's a great environment to still work/earn money but have some ability to finish programs.
  7. WoosahRN

    Making 100k salary/ income?

    WoosahRN replied to workingot's topic in Nurses

    10 years exp; night shift, ICU; Washington State; union. Pulled $90,000 this year with no OT.
  8. WoosahRN

    Called a code for a seizing patient

    WoosahRN replied to thesimplenurse's topic in Nurses

    I am in ICU but in our facility it is policy for the floors to call a "Code" for any new seizure or acute change in LOC. We also have a Rapid Response team and RISK nurse program but for the acute change, calling a code is appropriate.
  9. WoosahRN

    From Outpatient to ED... career change

    WoosahRN replied to DentoniRN's topic in Nurses

    Go for it! You have your whole career. That's the beauty of nursing (and the various personalities that go into it...we can all find a niche). Don't get stuck in one area especially if your heart is in another (and especially if what you're doing now is exactly what you didn't want to do in school). If you don't love it, you can move on, but at least you'll have bedside experience and clinical skills.
  10. WoosahRN

    Still get anxiety with peds IVs

    WoosahRN replied to NickiLaughs's topic in Nurses

    You've gotten some great advice here. I've been in PICU for 9 years and I'll tell you my weakest area are the 3mos to 15 mos (give or take). Fluffy and chubby are the toughest even with tools. I'm also really bad at ACs (got figure) and love feet on those little ones. Yet ironically feet can be the toughest due to wiggling. A good hold is honestly the most important part. Get a couple people (never underestimate those little ones) and get that limb clamped down. I would say that if you don't feel or see anything or don't feel confident, ask someone else or get help. Even with experience and having regular peds poking opportunities, if I can't find anything, I find someone that does (though I understand this depends on your environment and being able to get help).
  11. WoosahRN

    So you're just a nurse?

    WoosahRN replied to l1234567's topic in Nurses

    I've also never had someone say "just a nurse" to me.
  12. WoosahRN

    So you're just a nurse?

    WoosahRN replied to l1234567's topic in Nurses

    (I'll preface this with I have not read the entire thread.) So I have no problem telling people I'm a nurse. I'm super proud of my job. What I tend to keep close to my chest is that I'm a PICU nurse. I'm also very proud of that job but saying you're a PICU nurse gets one of two reactions. 1) "Awwwww! Babies!" with that lovey doe eyed look. And then they proceed to say they would love to hold babies all day. You get the gist. Or 2) "Oh wow, I could NEVER do that. Your job must be soooo sad." Both are annoying and lead to superficial clarification. I can't convey my 9 years of experiences in a quick encounter. So I usually say "I'm a nurse" and leave it at that unless they ask more questions. Since most people know what I do, this is mainly with strangers or new meetings and they are just asking to be polite. I will say I've never gotten a negative response to telling people I'm a nurse (with the exception of an jerk of an ER doc when I was a patient...I discussed a few things with him regarding his comments and he actually came back and apologized). Usually people are like "Wow, that's cool." And regardless, I think my job is cool and that's about all that matters. *My clarifications: "Actually we see patients from a few days old up to 18 technically, though we see patients into their early 20's as well. We rarely get time to hold babies and most of our patients are critically ill with lines and tubes." Or, "Yes there are some sad moments but there are some pretty amazing moments. I get to see patients who I didn't think would survive a few hours end up making a full recovery."
  13. WoosahRN

    Patient Conscious During CPR

    WoosahRN replied to Emergent's topic in Nurses

    Not sure about the details in the original post but picu nurse here and heard from many coworkers about an experience where a teenager in our cvicu went into an arrhythmia needing CPR and was fighting them and trying to push them off of her. Very disturbing. Until that situation I hadn't realized it was possible for the patient to be alert during compressions but I guess it makes sense if they're started immediately and done well. I'm sure it hurts like hell.
  14. WoosahRN

    Can I only ever work with children?

    WoosahRN replied to mapajasa's topic in Nurses

    I have only ever worked in pediatrics. I've been a nurse for 9 years. But keep an open mind in school. You can't always predict where your niche will be. (We only got 2 days in peds out of my entire program....but 8 weeks in psych. Go figure. 😉)
  15. WoosahRN

    Shift work and dating

    WoosahRN replied to ThePrincessBride's topic in Nurses

    Met my husband after becoming a nurse and working night shift. We met on match.com. Dated long distance for some time before getting married. My odd schedule made the long distance work because I could schedule a week on/week off and could see him more.
  16. WoosahRN
    Parents: Brain-dead toddler moved to facility outside U.S. | ABC1
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