isel4u

I too recieved my master in Nursing Admin. within a short period after I recieved my BSN. This was 24 yrs ago and I am still at the bedside. I love what I do but am now looking into moving into a management role. I went back for my masters because I knew it would be harder to do later in life. I do not regret my decision. I look forward to hearing what my interviewer's will think about my waiting 24 yrs to use it! Good luck to you.

i think there is a time when we all forget why we do what we do and need a little reminder! here is my reminder. christmas 2003, picu, recieved two easy pt's when i came on. at 11:00 i was told that i was moving both of my pt's to peds and getting a 13 y.o. codeing pt from outlieing hosp. she roled through the door with the parametic riding on top of her performing cpr. this code lasted until 1530. i came out and said that i was going to get something to eat and would record my code when i returned. while i was eating in the break room, the charge nurse enters and tells me that i am getting a 13 y.o. male head injury from the e.r. just great, i thought. what a christmas! well the 13 y.o. head injury arrived from the e.r. accompanied by mother, the neurologiest, and the e.r. nurse. i get a short report and hear the neuro tell the mother that he was going to put in a central line, art line and a icp bolt, she would need to sign the consents and wait in the waiting room. well needless to say, i did not get home to have christmas dinner with my wife and kids. by the time that i got the lines and bolt in and recorded the 4 hr code, it was 2200. as i was walking out i was muttering to myself, "what a @#*$ day i have had, and on christmas day to top it off!!!" as i passed the waiting room i see the mother of the 13 y.o. boy head injury pt sitting in the waiting room crying. i realize that no one had even gone out to tell her if her son was alive or dead. and then it happened, a lightning bolt of guilt hit me! how arrogent i am to think that this day was about me. i did not loose a child! i did not have a child laying in the picu fighting for his life. what a schmuck i am! i promised myself then and there that i would never, repeat, never complain about how hard my day was. i was weak with sorrow as to how self absorbed i had been. i walked into the waiting room and talked to that mother for two hours. when i left i reflected on my life and how good i have it. so now, if i am not in charge and i hear the charge nurse say, "sorry about your assignment!" i just reply, " it's only 12 hrs out of my perfect life, that is not my child laying there. this is going to be a good day." :zzzzz

I am a PICU travel nurse and the hospitals that I have been to in at least the past three years, if not five, have had standardized doseing. It makes perfect since to me. With this said, if you were to turn over my calculator, you would find the "RULE of THREE" writen out on a piece of tape, just in case. I do understand that most of the hosp. on the West Coast do still use the Rule of 3 and the Rule of 6. Must say that it did work for years!

your question was what do we look for in picu nurses. i will tell you the same thing that i tell all my preceptees; don't come in acting as if you know everything, after 23 years i still learn every day! "the difference between a good nurse and a bad nurse is, a good nurse can say i don't know!" i do it all of the time! good luck!

we also have been useing precidex quite often in the post cv surgical pts. must say that i am not a big fan. our intensivist will only use it short time (48-72 hrs.) seem to be giving more fentanyl bolus' when the kids are on precidex. what are your docs saying?