strawberryheartRN

As Im reading this I just keep thinking that these are skills we had to learn while in NURSING SCHOOL! OMG i cant even imagine what would happen to me if my instructor found out I came late or didnt report off...man it would not be pretty. Then again our school was VERY intent on us learning how to be prudent nurses and really grounded things like that into us...the repercussions of such things as not even being able to explain Digoxin probably would have earned us some time writing an extra paper or something.

Yes it does! Thanks. I should be starting my orientation within the next few weeks.

How cool is that?! Hehe...I'm going to be days...the position is for relief nurse tho...I hope I'll get close to full time hours...how bout you? Do you know if well be floating to both units or not? I called to schedule my EKG test but I guess the lady is out of the office till next week. I'm ready to take it....but I guess I have to wait to hear from her. Mike thanks so much for the info...very interesting. I can't wait to start learning hands on!

Hey thank you for your replies! RNfeb - Yep, La county...PMing you. =) I did my Critical Care course with California School of Health Sciences. http://cshs.edu/ The teachers were great and it was a good review of all the systems, but I think the real learning is definitely gonna be on the job. Mike - thanks! Ive been reviewing alot of those drugs and ICP monitoring devices....as much as I look them up tho I just get a sense that I wont really fully understand them until orientation...I think thats when Ill understand why one med is chosen over another.

Hi everyone! Im a new grad that just recently accepted my first position starting in a trauma intensive care unit. At my hospital where ill be working, the floor ill be on is split between a trauma ICU and a Cardio-Thoracic ICU. Which means Im guessing that I will possibly float between the two units. I very excited to start! I have to admit that throughout nursing school and after I have developed a real love for the CV system. However I always imagined myself working with the injured and am excited to begin training as a Trauma nurse. I see alot of info on CV nursing, and Neuro nursing but not a whole lot about what a Trauma ICU nurse does. Is working on a Trauma ICU much different than Neuro ICU? Will I still get alot of experience with Cardio and other systems? I understand I will see MVAs, GSWs, head traumas/hemorrhages and there is alot of neuro involved. But I would like to hear first hand from those working on a trauma unit - what type of equipment and lines do you work with often, what type of procedures are you doing often at the bedside, common meds used/titrated, and just some general info on what its like in a Trauma ICU. Im very excited and eager to learn. I just completed an EKG course and a critical care course prior to getting accepted and Im working on reading the ICUFaqs book (I purchased the hardcopy) and the AACN Critical Care book. As I mentioned my first love is cardio, I'm happy to have been given this opportunity and gain employment as a nurse let alone in an ICU (God has been good!) but I also would be interested in transferring possibly to the CTICU after maybe a year - maybe this wont be so hard as its the same floor ill be working on...thoughts? I'm hoping that I will get cross trained to both units. Any other tips for a new grad and info you can give about your unit is SO much appreciated! Ill be starting in 2-4 weeks and I know there are BIG challenges ahead. I want to keep using this time in between as a good head start, as much as possible. I look forward to your thoughts...thanks SO MUCH! :heartbeat

Hi everyone! Im a new grad that just recently accepted my first position starting in a trauma intensive care unit. At my hospital where ill be working, the floor ill be on is split between a trauma ICU and a Cardio-Thoracic ICU. Which means Im guessing that I will possibly float between the two units. I very excited to start! I have to admit that throughout nursing school and after I have developed a real love for the cardiovascular system. However I always imagined myself working with the injured and am excited to begin training as a Trauma nurse. I have searched online and throughout these forums and while I see alot of information about CV nursing, and Neuro nursing there isnt a whole lot about what a Trauma ICU nurse does. Is working on a Trauma ICU much different than Neuro ICU? Will I still get alot of experience with Cardio and other systems? I understand I will see MVAs, GSWs, head traumas/hemorrhages and there is alot of neuro involved. But I would like to hear first hand from those working on a trauma unit - what type of equipment and lines do you work with often, what type of procedures are you doing often at the bedside, common meds used/titrated, and just some general info on what its like in a Trauma ICU. Im very excited and eager to learn. I just completed an EKG course and a critical care course prior to getting accepted and Im working on reading the ICUFaqs book (I purchased the hardcopy) and the AACN Critical Care book. As I mentioned my first love is cardio, I'm happy to have been given this opportunity and gain employment as a nurse let alone in an ICU (God has been good!) but I also would be interested in transferring possibly to the CTICU after maybe a year - maybe this wont be so hard as its with the same manager and same floor ill be working on...thoughts? I'm hoping that I will get cross trained to both units. Any other tips for a new grad and info you can give about your unit is SO much appreciated! Ill be starting in 2-4 weeks and I know there are BIG challenges ahead. I want to keep using this time in between as a good head start, as much as possible. I look forward to your thoughts...thanks SO MUCH! :heartbeat

yeah...Jada is the best actress on the show. I really like watching it, but I find like other nursey shows it is most definitely NOT accurate. I think the first episode of season 3 really proves it. One minute a ER nurse or peds nurse and the next they are an OB nurse in L&D....very strange. Nevertheless most episodes have me either holding back tears or crying like a baby...haha.. It can get really emotional/sentimental and its that side of nursing that I like to watch. =) I think its getting better with this season...cant wait for the next episode tonight. Nurse Jackie bugs me, IMO its making SMALL improvements but most episodes are SUPER boring. They need better story lines, or maybe just MORE to their story lines..seriously I watch every episode and not much new happens. I still watch it cause im dedicated to my nurse shows tho..lol Wish they never cut Mercy. I watched it late (this summer) and its just not fair how they left us hangin like that. I think it really could have been one of the best nursing shows..really.

I got ACLS certified because I want to go into critical care so yes on a resume it shows that you took initiative. But honestly the class was so fast paced if I have a chance to take the class again at my hospital or something I would definitely sit in on it. In the meantime Ive been studying EKG stuff and the icufaqs.org book has some good tips and scenarios for codes...helps me feel a little bit more prepared. I most definitely would not feel prepared to be the one RUNNING the code tho!

I would just simply be courteous and tell her you are calling to follow up with her about the position. Theres no other way to put it really. I know times are hard, I hope you find a job soon. Have you done anything to make yourself more marketable or to help you stand out of the crowd? I went and got ACLS certified and right now am doing an EKG course by the recommendation of the manager I just interviewed with and am thinking about paying to take a full critical care course if I can get some help with paying for it....=/ Those courses are not cheap! Today I checked my email and saw I got a reply back from the manager I interviewed with, she says that she enjoyed my interview too and I will hear back from her by the end of the month....so two more weeks! I hope this is a good sign.

I understand your frustration! I had a interview on tuesday and the manager tells me that she wont be making a final decision till all the interviews are completed and the last one she is interviewing is near the end of the month, basically she says Ill know by July. In the meantime I want to give up my search and be sure of this is the one...but never know my search might not yet be over. =[ Everyday I keep thinking of a few of the blunders during the interview and ways I could of said things better. =/ Hate it....It didnt go horrible, just a few things took me a bit for me to understand what she was getting at. You never know what the lasting impression ways...ANYWAYS. I dont want to give you the wrong advice, but I would wait it out a few more days, then maybe call the nurse recruiter or HR lady as you say and ask if she knows if the position was filled. If you have the nurse managers email you could email a thank you for the interview and slip in something about wanting to know if she has chosen someone for the spot... Good luck, tell me how it goes. :heartbeat

This sounds like a good idea. I wondered if nurses did this.

Hey I also have an interview coming up with a recruiter. I know you probably can't give out specifics but any tips at all? This too will be my very first interview as a new grad and have also filled out tons of applications and this has been the only opportunity thus far so I'm hoping this can be my chance. Any help or feedback about how ur interviews went would be SO much apprieciated! I'm practicing lots of interview questions. It would be nice to know a little bit about what to expect. Might take the edge of the nerves...if u know what I mean. Thanks much and I hope your interviews were a success. =]

Wow...this is very good advice! Thank you for your tips. I have a question where did you find such classes- wound care and IV inserts/draws,etc?? Hospitals? Private schools? I too am interested in ICU.

I didn't see where White Memorial is accepting for their new grad program. It said it begins the first week of march and ends in august...maybe I'm missing something? This is REALLY helpful btw...thx!! :)

there was so many people, impossible to make an impression on anyone and very little hospitals stating they had positions for new grads... Yeah the only thing beneficial was getting some info on a few of the new grad programs... I took TONS of resumes and ended up giving out one.