RNBEAUTY2003

Update... I posted that thread over 7 months ago...wanted to fill everyone in on my decision. I decided on SICU and I'm so glad that I did. Why? Extensively Broad range of patients.. I take care of Trauma, fresh OR, Transplant, Neuro, ortho, vascular , gen surgery as well as cardiac. Mainly all our pateints , of course are vented. Already I've taken care of EXTREMLY sick patients with PAC, alines, multiple pressors/gtts , proning,TOF monitoring, ICP monitoring, CVVHD, ect..) Our docs often do many procedures at the bedside ( open bellies/washouts). Given a lot of our patients come straight from OR to us...I've been lucky to have a patient (several times) that required agressive fluid resusicatation and blood products. I'm just gaining great exprience and the more experinced nurses are absolutley wonderful. They LOVE to teach....and I pick their brains as often as I can. Also attended two very nice and informing seminars by Barbara Clark Mimms( Hemodynamic titration and also Ventilator Modes). So it's just awesome. I'm amazed how much I'm learning and actually have a true interest in it. I find myself reading SSSOOO much on critical care stuff. SO anyway...Thanks Everyone Again. Wish me luck...Take my GRE dec 9th PS..As my initial post stated...I was told that the previous Trauma IMC that I used to work was comparable to the SICU....AAAHHHH..They were wrong! Bigtime. It's nothing like it. Acutiy is totally different. Glad I made the switch.

We here in Baltimore, use the "vamp" sysytem as well on a- lines, cvp's and sometimes to draw mixed venous. ( it's not mixed very well- but we do use it if we want a SVO2 and pt does not have a PA. Works nicely

Hello, I'm 5 months new to SICU as well but I'll give it a try. If I'm not mistaken the docs are referring to when the balloon is inflated and wedged in one of the branches in the Pulm artery and the blood is backing up secondary to the occlusion, therefore allowing the chambers to fill more readily, hence "filling pressures". Wanting to know the "whys" about things is a good way to learn in the ICU. I am the same way and often do a lot of reading and picking the attendings brains to find these anwsers. Anyone with more experience and better interpretation please feel free to add on.

You guys are hilarious!!!!!!!!! :rotfl: :rotfl: The road trip-----aahhh....... I feel your pain - just happened to me as well- but we went to the wrong Ct scanner. Had to push a big boy in a big boy bed to the other side of the hospital than get back to the unit and patient #2 needs an MRI at 5:30pm. ( shift over in 2 hours). Talk about miserable.

Don't know much about the interview process but keep the board updated on your experience as this is one of the schools I will be applying to. Good Luck

Have anyone been accepted into CRNA school with a C in Organic Chem? I know the admission committee weighs everything but I'm curious to know how much weight does this one class holds?

I actually just transferred from there (MD Shock Trauma-IMC) to the SICU all under the University of Maryland Medical System. From what i gather, the CRNA's do quite a bit. I speak to them on the regular basis and they're telling me they are doing pretty big cases as well as placing lines. They often come to my unit (SICU) and pick pt's up for OR. Most of these patients are going for Open bellies( expl laps), backs, ortho,vascular, thoracic,etc. The CRNA team there is growing pretty quickly. New faces all the time. Hope this helps :rotfl:

NEw to ICU- had my first very sick patient yesterday ALONE. No preceptor. I did very well. On Drager ( which I'm still trying to make sense of), Multiple drips including Vec drip with TOF monitoring, swan ,etc. Anyway- with everything that was going on- patient dropped his CI - started Dobuta at very low dose 2.5mcg/kg/mg. Patient already had B/p issues ( 190's)so of course his B/P sky rocketed (230's) . Nothing was controlling it. Started Nipride gtt- read our unit book about it prior to hanging and started at 1mcg.kg ( this was double strength concentration). Went down hall for a second , came back- pt B/P 70/38! all this within 3 minutes. Stopped it, let pt recover- which he did immediately- and restarted at .50mcg/kg/min. Just amazed how quickely this drug works. A wonderful learning experience for me as well. Any comments anyone. Would love to hear your point of view or any tips. :balloons:

Completed my BSN last week with gpa of 3.8 and deans list. Preparing for my GRE's in about a month ( taking a breather for a while). Does anyone have any suggestions on GRE prep courses? Would appreciate all input.

Mantibob, If my boyfriend read some of these threads, he would flip! "Is residency really that long for a DO?" Well , of course it is. It's everything and more for a MD program. Nothing is different- just the title.

Zinna, I'm a little confused with your comment" more marketable going to crna/med school". I'm not sure if you really know what DO's are. They are Board certified physicians( and have to take extra classes than MD track programs-osteopathic medicine section in addition to all other medical school routine classes). I work in a very large teaching hosptial and work with many competent and well respected DO's. ( my boyfriend of 2 years is one that I respect greatly).DO's in anything from Family Practice to Neurosurgery, as well as Anesthesiology.

Yoga, It was inspiring to read such a heart felt posting from someone that's already where most of us are trying to get to. Congrats!!!!!!!!! Kudos!!!!!!! :balloons:

Hello KM, this thread probably does belong in general nursing. I'm very comfortable with this board and have been posting for a little while now. I wasn't thinking as rational last night- I posted on my most frequently veiwed board . Sorry. Just felt the need to "vent" a li :rotfl: ttle. Thanks.

Hello Everyone. I Had A Bad Day At Work Today. Not Going To Go Into Too Much Detail. Will Just Give You The Basics. On My Neurotrauma Imc Unit-it's Several Things That Are Disturbing To Everyone. From The Senior Parnter, Staffing ,etc.. We Deal With These Common Issues Often But We All Complain To Each Other. Me, However Have Been Known To Be The "big" Mouth. I Confront Issues That The Nurses Complain About But Afraid To Confront. Today My Manager Called Me In Her Office For The 2nd Time And Said That I Was A Little "abrasive". Iknow that i Am Such An Outspoken Person and I take constructive critisizm very well. I'm Always Eager To Learn As Much As I Can. She Did Say That Was A Very "strong And excellent" Nurse. My Question Is, How Can You Feel A Certain Way So Deeply But Hold It In with evrything u have. When I Say Things,it's Always In A Professional Manner. I Know That I Need To Pick My Battles And Just Absorb Things! It's Just Frustrating At Times. Thanks For Listening. Just Wanted To Vent A Little.Appreciate all input.