LuckyoneRN

Ooooh you are so lucky!!! I went from a hospital that used Epic which I loved, to one that uses Meditech for it's charting....you will really like Epic, but remember it's like any new tool...takes some time to master and to find all that it can do fo...

I work in a unit where we frequently get balloon pumps and no matter what they are 1:1 staffed. Doesn't matter if they are vented or not, few gtts or many, HD or cvvh...still 1:1. That line is tricky and the nurse caring for that pt needs to be focus...

Sounds like you have had to start in less than ideal circumstances, in terms of your ICU classes and orientation; however I too started in a MICU as a new grad with a fantastic orientation full of classes on vents, hemodynamics, you name it...and it ...

I think the Madison market is *starting* to thaw a bit...there were times during the past 6 mo that my hospital had zero RN openings, and when the occasional RN opening did occur, current employees were the only ones able to even be considered. Now t...

We also use EPIC software. They are HQ'd in Verona WI, about 15 mi from Madison. Their campus is amazing...something you might expect to see when visiting a hi-tech "Google-like" corporate HQ. Support during our EPIC rollout was good. Talked with emp...

This occasionally happens to us too...I try to remember that this is the "yin" that comes around after the "yang"...a post-arrest, therapeutic hypothermia protocol,9 gtt, IABP with temp pacer pt that kept me flying for 12 hrs non-stop no bathroom bre...

Great suggestion to try shadowing an ICU RN for a couple shifts...maybe even try a couple different shifts... I know in my unit there is a definite difference in activity and just the general "vibe" from shift to shift and you may want to sample a fe...

Just saw this thread... Wisconsin tertiary hospial, MICU...base is $33.65. Weekend diff $3/hr, PM's $2/hr, NOC's $3/hr. Non-union hospital. Three years experience as RN, all at current hospital. No differentials for critical care units or BSNs.

What about CRRT, IABP? Seems like 4 weeks to learn "basic" ICU patients plus CRRT and IABP isn't long enough. My unit has a 3mo orientation, give or take a little if you are new to ICU or previous ICU experience. Central lines? Road trips with ICU pa...

The biggest advantage from a bedside nurses' standpoint that we have seen since implementing bedside report (about a year ago) is that we are required to trace our lines...the oncoming nurse does the tracing and confirms med and rate, verifies dose/m...

We had a Dr. Bonebrake...intensivist not Ortho (that would've been too good) and Dr. Docter..cracks me up every time I hear that one overhead paged!

We use separate tubing for oral suction than ETT, but there is a splitter than is at the cannister so they share a common receptacle. Although the tubing is separate, the end point is shared, so I'm not sure what difference that makes v shared tubin...

Likes; Teamwork Very focused-2 pts max, sometimes 2:1 for hypothermia pts Autonomy Respect shown by ICU physicians (ie intensivists, cardiologists, pulmonologists) Dislikes: Quandry of "just because we have xyz technology/intervention/scan/med, shoul...

I think that allowing the family to witness the efforts (and results or lack thereof) of the healthcare team during a code, as long as there is a dedicated professional who can explain what is being done and keep the family from interfering with the ...

We once had a post-cath pt with stents placed, recovering nicely in the ICU, who wanted to get up and just walk around the room(bed rest completed hours ago). We got him up, and all of a sudden he got really mad at us, cussing and flailing against o...

I also have heard not-so-positive things about Aurora...mandatory OT for example. Classmates of mine several years ago when I was in nrsg school took positions with Aurora after graduation...don't think anyone is still there. However, I have heard ...

Also make sure you bring your reversal agents (Narcan, romazicon) in to the room...look at the vials ahead of time, have syringes/needles/carpujets ready at hand to draw one of these up and administer if necessary.

Sputum...gets me every time. Everyone in the unit knows about this and makes sure I hear about all the junk they just suctioned out of their pt.'s tube....ugh!!

I have seen an order like this...we gave the vancomycin in about 100 mls NS (don't quote me on the 100mls...it was something like that amount, maybe up to 300mls, no where near 1L), and through a rectal tube/Malecott (sp?)--clamped the tube for 30-60...

What I like best about ICU is the teamwork...you know that saying about it taking a village to raise a child? Well it takes a team to "save" a patient ( or to help them transition at the end of life). No matter how critical the patient, I know that...

our micu is closed, and we are required to sign up as "extra" (i.e. available to come in and work if needed, or to be placed "on-call" if needed) for 8 hours every 4 weeks. this is self-scheduled, and may be broken down into 4 hour blocks or a sing...

I would also like to hear from others who use Epic and bar code scannning. We use Bridge for bar code scanning now and will switch to Epic in May for computerized charting/bar code med administration. Just like to know what to expect from those who ...

Consider looking at the Madison area...Three tertiary hospitals, starting hourly pay at my hospital (non-union) is $28.70/hr plus all usual differentials. Last year's raises were about 8-9% of base.

To those of you who report strict 1:2 RN/pt ratios, how does your unit handle the situation where there are no step down/general beds available, so ICU pt's are "stuck" in ICU, although being billed at the appropriate (i.e. stepdown) rate? This has ...

To those of you who report strict 1:2 RN/pt ratios, how does your unit handle the situation where there are no step down/general beds available, so ICU pt's are "stuck" in ICU, although being billed at the appropriate (i.e. stepdown) rate? This has ...