desert_MP

Yeah currently work in this hospital. Evidently it’s because benefits/hr said quality of work/life balance is much better in Pacu so deserves less pay. Good thing they didn’t go by that crap when I transferred to Pacu. I work far more hours in Pacu than I did in any of the ICUs I’ve been in.

I've been a nurse for 10+ years. Have worked inpatient OR, outpatient OR, Adult and pediatric ICU, and PACU. I was talking to a potential applicant coming from a surgical floor to PACU. We work at a trauma 1 hospital, so our OR and PACU are busy! This potential applicant tells me they were offered the job but would have to take a pay cut of .50/hr I'm at a loss for words. By its nature PACU is considered a critical care unit. We aren't talking about an ambulatory surgery center. So this nurse who would now need to have ACLS, PALS, and go through the same competencies of our ICU is being asked to take a pay cut. Maybe I'm missing something but it doesn't add up to me!

Not the hospital I work in. Not sure if that's due to size or what. We have 24 full time PACU nurses. Pre-op and phase 2 have their own staff as well.

I work Wed-Sat off Sunday then work M-W. Not super thrilled about it.

Each program is different. You should know this. The listed requirements are more suggestions which you would discover by getting in touch with different programs. Coworker was accepted into SIUE with no ICU or ED experience. It came down to how she scored on the GRE and her face to face interview. Another program is NKU. If you are wanting to launch from PACU, which is not preferable imo, find one that deals with your pressors and other long term gtts.

Cool story. I spent six year in the Army, 15 months in Iraq. Nursing is a great career choice. I've done OR, ICU, one day surgery, and now PACU. Pay just keeps going up. In the midwest I'm making 40/hr. A gallon of milk is 1.80. With call I made over 85k this past year. I'm not being laid off because of COVID. Sorry you've had such a bad experience. I love this job.

I work at a large trauma 1 hospital. From Sunday night-Thursday night 2100-0700 we have two nurses dedicated to that call only. It's nice because they get paid 40 hours regardless of how much they work (if they work more than 40 hours they get paid of course). So that leaves weekends. On Friday night call is from 2100-0700 Saturday night is 1900-0700. We also have weekend day call which is Saturday from 07-19 and Sunday which is 07-21. Usually have day or night call on a weekend a once a month. We all fight for call because we love money.

Must not have been a trauma hospital. The PACU I work at qualifies for most CRNA programs.

If she doesn't feel comfortable getting out of her car and staying in a very dangerous situation...I don't blame her for not staying and helping. She's not a first responder. Until the scene is secured and traffic completely stopped it's not worth it.

Four 12's in a row is never enjoyable. I'm right now on my 7th day in a row here in PACU. Can't wait for tomorrow ?

Experience-wise I started in the OR. Did 5 years. Switched to PACU...did a couple of years. Went to a surgery center, 8 months. Went to ICU for 18 months. Now I'm back in PACU. It all depends on your facility. I work at a level 1 trauma center. The patients I see may be different compared to other hospitals. We take every patient aside from hearts which are direct recovered. Everything from days old children and older. With that said- I was the "new grad" RN going into pacu after working in the OR. I say new grad because OR nursing is far different than any other kind of nursing. I was overwhelmed initially. Cranis, thoracotomies, triple As, vents, etc. I've seen a few new grads wash out of our department. I do not believe it has anything to do with poor precepting. It's just the skillset you obtain overtime from working at the bedside. More than anything else I've done- the ICU prepared me the best for pacu.

Unfortunately I have. Twice (and once by my dad)- "You're just a nurse? Why didn't you become a doctor." He has regretted making that statement since then.

You mean that "just a nurse" who pulled over on that rainy night and saved a choking toddler? The "just a nurse" who performed CPR on grandpa who's heart had stopped at the wedding reception? Own it. Live it. Be it. Nurse.

I get what you're saying OP. I was chilling at my son's peewee football practice in my scrubs and a burly looking older guy in coveralls sat next to me. "You a doctor or something?" he said, spitting tobacco off to his right. Now I knew this guy had probably grown up his entire life in the fields, working hard to provide for his family. Given the small community we lived in it wouldn't have surprised me if he thought nursing was "girly"- hell I did before I got into it. I told him I was a nurse. He sat there for a minute, started laughing, and said "You probably pull so much a**" I flashed my wedding ring and he started laughing so hard I thought I'd have to put my nursing skills to use. Just have fun with it. Be confident. As my brother in here said (the former Ranger) you know what you are- be yourself.

This. I had just ETS'd out of the military and was working a factory job. 6 12 hour shifts plus they were asking for "volunteer" 5 hour shifts on Sundays. I had two children at home I didn't get to see very much. I was talking with a doc from my former unit one day and we got to speaking about how much I didn't like the monotony of my job. In the military I was a police officer so I got to see different thing all the time. Anyways, he asked me what I thought about becoming a nurse. I told him only girls are nurses. (this was around 10 years ago ok? lol) I clear as day remember him telling me, "All you have to do is give shots and you make a lot of money." I remember class registration was a week from the day we had that phone call. I left my job (my wife was a stay at home mom) and I committed myself to the program. It goes without saying I quickly found out how little doc knew about nurses and nursing school! I have to say, if not for the military I don't think I could have handled living with no job, two kids, a wife, and rent. Only through God did we make it. Worth it though. Now I make good money and my wife has decided to go into nursing.

Don't want to worry about taking care of a patient for 12 hours? Go into ER, PACU, or OR. I've done all three and I don't know which I like more! Nursing is amazing in the fact that you can do so much! It's not all about bedside care. Once you get through school it's literally like waking up Christmas morning and you don't know which gift to open first.

We took classes. The ICU educator for the hospital I work at put them together. We took a 6 hour class on CVP's/PACs and a 4 hour course on vasoactive drips. I felt both were amazing and since I'm a hands-on learner I really enjoyed that portion of the class for the PAC. Even working in a trauma 1 center I don't get much work with the PAC (or swan ganz) lines. The hearts are direct recovered by the heart teams. With that said-I wish there was a way to keep my skills up concerning the use of PACs but due to the low occurrence it's just not within the interest of our department to re mediate often enough. As for the drips, primarily vasoactive drips, the course was informative. Coming straight out of the OR I didn't know anything about titrating neo (or anything for that matter). The educator gave us laminated cards with the most frequently used drugs and it had starting dose, max dose, how much you can change it by with each titration, etc. I keep that taped down to my computer at my station in the PACU as it's a lifesaver. Hope that helps :)

"Anaphylactic reaction to all of that eggnog needs this here Epi!"

Nobody?

If ER is your passion-go for it. When I first got into nursing the OR was my passion and I did it for almost four years. I then wanted something more fast paced...so I went PACU at a level 1 trauma center. I've been in more "fights" in the PACU than when I was in the military. It's all in what you want to do. That's the beauty of nursing!

I'm wanting to get a travel mug with an inspirational quote on it pertaining to nursing school for a student nurse but I can't find anything. I figured of all places to check this would be it! Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I'm sorry I haven't responded in forever (i'm the op) but I ran into this student a few weeks ago and they are doing well. The student is in a different nursing program and has had no issues. The clinical instructor she was having issues with resigned when she did not get the promotion she had been vying for. Granted this is coming from that student so it's hearsay. I agree with a lot of what you have all said--nursing school is designed to be difficult. I went into it with a head start as I had completed my military time just prior so the mind games and fast changing schedules were more like a joy ride. I explained to the student that you just have to do everything by the book. Say yes ma'm yes sir. Keep your head up and eyes forward. And most of all, just relax. You're not going to die because you failed a care plan.

Awesome responses everyone. I'm surprised it's nothing new that schools are restricting the learning potential of their students.

The following pertains to a student nurse who is a personal friend of mine. Said person was in clinical and got to follow a patient for the day. This patient was intubated and being moved to interventional radiology for a procedure. In IR the patient's assigned nurse asked the student if they would like to insert the foley catheter before the case. As the student nurse had checked off this skill in lab they figured it would be a great opportunity. In the end all the student nurse was able to do was setup the sterile field and the nurse inserted the foley for the sake of time. (we've all been there) At the post-clinical meeting the student nurse said they got to do a foley. That's when things turned for the worse. It's my understanding that at this school of nursing the student is not allowed to do any nursing skills without the instructor present. Their justification is that the instructors license is in jeopardy if the student messes up. I can't find ANY literature to back that claim up. The Illinois nurse practice act, from my interpretation, reads like their is protection for nurses and instructors in the event a student messes up. Can anyone find something different? It's my opinion that this school is not utilizing best practice in effort to enable their students to learn with the few opportunities they can get. What are they trying to say? 1.) That they don't trust their own lab instructors who check the students off on clinical skills? 2.) They don't trust the staff nurse who is overlooking the student? The nursing school I went to promoted all hands on! If I was trained in the skill and had a RN with me then dig in! The opportunities for IVs, foleys, etc are few and far between. I say take them! Anyways, I'm baffled by the school's punishment of this student. As a professional I'm embarrassed by the outright lies of the clinical instructor. The instructor went to the administration and said that the student verbatim said they INSERTED the foley even when questioned and told that they were not allowed. I won't list what the punishment was for privacy of the student but the fact that the clinical instructor went to such great lengths to lie and write up a sworn statement boggles my mind. Are clinical instructors so eager to eat their young? Did the student do anything wrong? I'm thinking of telling them they are going to the wrong nursing school!

I love the PACU. I worked four years in the OR and now that I'm in the PACU I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be aside from a NP in surgery. The autonomy in the PACU is amazing. I've never had ICU experience but it would definitely help. I'm taking a handful of courses on drips and lines to sharpen up.