FrootLoop

I'll PM you with answers as best I can- this isn't the PCU I work on though I have floated there several times.

I work at mayo, in a cardiac PCU- PM me if you want to know more about the specific PCU she is interviewing for (there are 5 cardiac PCUs plus a vascular PCU). Ratios are generally pretty good. Depends on which PCU, but mine for example is usually 2 or 3 pts on days (never more except under crazy circumstances) and 3 or 4 on nights. Can be more on other PCUs- depending if they are medical cardiac, surgical card, or interventional. We use all computerized charting, with PCUs having computers at the bedside which makes things easier. I honestly think I have one of the best jobs with one of the best employers in nursing. I feel like I'm given a good shot at really practicing the profession of nursing. Like anyone, I can have gripes about my job, but I really think we have it pretty good at Mayo, and in the cardiac areas in particular. Rochester is... well, it's a larger city in the state (around 90,000) but with a small town feeling in many ways. That can be good or bad, depending on what you are wanting! There are many small towns within easy commuting distance. Cost of living is not too bad, especially when considering what nurses here make compared to many of our counterparts in neighboring states. Good luck with the interview- does she know to expect a behavioral-style interview?

You may want to check with the particular hospitals you are interested in applying to. The hospital I work at will not hire ADN new grads into ICU positions unless they were employed by the hospital previously (i.e., if you were a CNA in the ICU, graduate from your ADN, then your unit decides to hire you). However, if you have a BSN you can apply directly to the ICU right out of school. I believe the PICU I'm interviewing with will only hire new grads if they have BSN and did some sort of internship/capstone with a PICU or peds floor (though I'm not positive as I'm not a new grad.) However, once you have experience in our hospital, you can work in the ICUs regardless of if you are ADN or BSN, and I can tell you we have quite the mix in all of our ICUs.

Very helpful, thanks much.

I apologize if this should be in the career advice forum, but I wanted PICU specific input. I have an interview the first week of October for the PICU at our hospital. I've already had a chance to visit with the nurse manager and a few of the nurses who work in the PICU to get a tour, ask some questions, etc. Our institution does behavioral interviews, and I'm comfortable with that aspect since I've done the same for other jobs I"ve held within this hospital, but there are also usually a few critical thinking/prioritizing questions pertinent to the specific unit. Anyone have any advice for what questions I may want to prepare for specifically for the PICU? How about what kind of questions I should ask them about the unit that I might not otherwise think of? I've already covered the basics about training, types of patients, nurse to patient ratio, scheduling- I'm wondering what else I might want to know before getting into it? Thanks!

Thank you- that's exactly the feedback I needed! Gives me some things to think about for sure. I appreciate it!

Thanks for your replies! I'd like to think the last year has made me a better nurse and certainly has given me a renewed appreciation for family centered care and nurses who truly advocate for their patients. I think my biggest worry right now is that they are going to see in my HR info and be concerned that I've been on leave from work for nearly a year- just don't want them to think I'm going to be some kind of attendance problem. All of the HR paperwork shows why I've been on approved leave, but I'm just afraid they'll think I'm a staffing risk. Maybe I'm making something out of nothing- I just really want this job and I"m very nervous!!! Janfrn- I've had a few discussion with the peds & PICU nurses about the whole mom vs. RN thing when we've been in the hospital over the last year (over 20 hospitalizations so we spent the majority of our year on the peds floor). The nurses would often ask me if it was hard to stop being RN and just be mom to our son through everything. I'm not sure how/if it was possible to completely seperate the two. I remember being incredibly thankful for my nursing background so I could be a better advocate for my child. While most of our nurses and medical staff were wonderful, there were times when they wanted to do something that I thought was a terrible idea and it was my nursing background that gave me the knowledge to explain why I was going to fight it (for example, one oncologist really pushed for a feeding tube at a time that I thought it was inappropriate and thankfully I advocated for my son at a time when the docs & nurses were going to go ahead with their plan, the feeding tube didn't happen, and two days later my son was eating normally). So I don't know if I can honestly say I would "just" be mom if he were in the PICU again as being a nurse is part of who I am and I can't turn that knowledge off. I think I know what you mean though- and I wouldn't interfere with the nurses doing their job unless I thought they were being unsafe in some way. Edited to ask Janfrn- if you are so inclined, would you mind telling me a little more about what you mean about standing back and just being mom and not RN? Maybe I'm interpreting it wrong and I think it would be good food for thought for me before I embark on the interview. Thanks!

Bear with me, it's a roundabout way- but I'll get to the question! I currently work in an adult cardiac critical care setting, but am in the process of applying to the PICU in the same hospital. I'm concerned that my son's recent medical issues (Wilms Tumor, though he is now off treatment) may negatively affect their decision in whether or not to hire me. I am emotionally very ready to work in the PICU and have had great discussions with our oncologist about the appropriateness of my working there, so I'm not worried that I'm "too close" to the world of critical kids to be able to work there. While our experience with our son has added to my motivation to work there, my motives really come from wanting a more diverse set of skills/challenges/patients and the opportunity to work with families. That said, I'm still on leave from my current job at this hospital as we tie up loose ends of our son's treatment, such as getting his port out and a few minor things he needs to have done. The way things work at our hospital, the people doing the hiring in the PICU will no doubt learn that I've been on a leave of absence when they get my application and HR information. I want to be up front with them but I'm afraid that the person doing the hiring will think it's somehow inappropriate that I work there- that it would be an emotional conflict of interest for me. How do I handle this? I need to address the leave of absence in some way, but I don't want her to think our son's medical history makes me too risky of a candidate for this job. Should I not say anything at all unless she brings up the leave of absence? Or should I explain the situation and my confidence that I'm still a good match for this job? How would you handle it? Thanks, Jen