summerhill

To chemo certified nurses: I am getting conflicting information & I want to clarify what is the best practice for an port that does not give any blood return. I have received a pt from ER, where the pt's vap was accessed by the ER nurse & I was informed that I can use that port & that it's good even though there is no blood return. However, the irony is that she started an iv to infuse blood. Then, the next day, the night nurse decided to de-access her port because she said that when there is no blood return, the port should not even be accessed & that one can not be sure if the line is in the right place. so, she decided to start another iv because the previous iv was in the ac, where it caused iv pump to beep every time pt bends her arm. When the husband saw this in the am, he was mad & insisted that the port is good to be used according to the oncologist. He was not willing to listen to the rationale & blames nursing. I got the husband wrath & spoke to my charge nurse & she says that from her experience, the port can still be used even if you don't get blood return. She spoke the night nurse who de-accessed the port & the night nurse replied that she has a specialty in vascular access & she does not care what the husband think because she has heard about scenarios where there were negative outcomes when port was used when there was no blood return. What should be the proper protocol? Should the ER nurse discontinued the access once she found out that there is no blood return? Confused ICU nurse

I got the job!!! Any feedback or recommendations on how I can prepare myself will be greatly appreciated. I am so excited!!

thank you all for the feedback. I just got back from my interview. I think it went well. Will see if I get the job!

Thanks for the reply. My only hesitation is from reading couple of the old threads on being pregnant while working in the OR, there is the harmful risk of flouro, bone cement, etc to the baby. From what i was informed, 50% of the surgical cases at this hospital that I am interviewing are orthopedics & mva. So, I am wandering if I should hold off on the thought of getting into OR at this time. But I hate to miss out on this rare opportunity.

Hi cubbyRn, I am also a telemetry stepdown Rn with 3 years of experience. I would like to find out from you how you are doing now assuming that you are in the training program. Do you feel that by being a telemetry nurse help succeed in OR training? I would also like to know some of the interview questions they asked you. Please share any experience. Thanks!

Hi rn2bn07, I just discovered your thread that you have posted & I find myself in a similar case as you. I was recently offered an interview for OR training program & I have one scheduled next week. However, I am not pregnant now, but I would like to start a family about 1 year into the training. I am contemplating on telling them up front in the interview about our family plan, but i also don't want to miss an exciting opportunity if I get selected. So, I was curious how did you handled the situation & did you get hired? Thanks!!

Hi everyone, I am interviewing for OR training program & I was wandering if it is appropriate for me to disclose the fact that I am planning to start a family a year down the road. I know that some will say that I should keep this personal information to myself, but I feel that it will not be fair to my potential employer if they did not know this piece of information ahead of the time. I am totally psyched to even have this rare interview opportunity to be offered to me. But part of me feels that I don't want to mislead them & have them feel that I am not committed. Also, can anyone give me some more OR interview questions that I may encounter during my interview? THanks a bunch!

Which is better, ICU nurse or OR nurse, if my long long term career goal is to become CRNA. I think that by working as a OR nurse, I will get a better idea on whether I really want to pursue CRNA in the future. However, as part of the program pre-requisite for CRNA, one to need to have at least 3 years of ICU experience. Additionally, I am also torn with the following factors: 1. I loved my ICU rotation when I was in nursing school. I felt i was learning so much and it was mentally challenging as you care for these critically ill patients. But I ended up in med surg unit based on the recommendations of my professors when I graduated. I am very comfortable & confident in my current position & I sometimes I get bored with my patient acuity level. Thus, I am seeking for a change. As for OR experience, I was able to watch only a couple of surgeries & i was also fascinated by it. 2. I have been offered to interview for a OR training program at different hospital than i currently work at & I believe it's an rare opportunity to get into such specialized field. After accepting the interview, I found out that my hospital is offering an ICU training program, but there is only 1 slot & there is someone else who is more senior than me & has applied for the position. 3. My personal factor: My husband and I are thinking about starting a family next year. So, my dilemma with the OR nursing position is that training takes 6 months & from what I have gathered, it will take 1 -2 year before anyone get comfortable with the profession. Help? Advice?