MissChloe

CVICU nurse here. All vents are 1:2 or 1:1 if critical. We do have 1:3 assignments on our floor but not the really critical and/or vented patients.

I work in basically what you are describing, we call it something different but it's a combo of cardiac ICU with stepdown beds as well. CV surgical pts stay in the same room from admission to discharge. We also take non-surgical cardiac ICU pts and often but not always keep them to discharge as well. We do have a tele floor that we occasionally send patients to. Anyway, as a new grad starting there, I didn't/don't take the critical pts (no new vents on my own, for example) yet. But I'm definitely working up in what I'm able to take; I've been here about 10 months now. My guess is that all the positions on that floor are labeled CVICU (ours are) but the stepdown manager interviewed you because that is who you'll be working for for at least a year. For the CCRN application, I'm not sure but I'm actually trying to find that out for myself so I'll update if I learn anything.

6 minutes/a little under 2 miles. I work 12 hour nights.

I find with nights I would rather work all of them in a row than have one on, one off, etc. Just get in your night schedule and power through, and enjoy your longer chunk of time off! I have worked up to 6 in a row (and certainly didn't get 5 off after that!) and while I get tired towards the end I don't really mind it.

We do not scan supplies. Pts. are charged for procedures and that covers the cost of the supplies used for that procedure. The rest (alcohol swabs, IV tubing, and so on) is just part of the cost of being in the hospital.

Female nurse here, and I have half a buzz cut. As in half of my head is buzzed and the other half is longer. Guess how much I care if you think I "should" have a different hair style or I "should" wear makeup (I don't wear makeup except maybe twice a year). Yeah, I don't care at all. I am clean and neat and act professionally as I care for my patients and that's all that matters.

Husband and I are both RNs on different cardiac floors in the same hospital (him tele, me single-stay unit which is like a CICU mostly). I love being able to talk shop when we are home. Sometimes we even end up caring for the same patients during different parts of their stays. We understand each other about the weird schedules, the stress, and so on. I love him being a nurse! The LOLs love him, too.

No kids yet but my husband and I are both RNs and possibly interested in traveling so I will be following this thread!

I'm a new nurse and have been working cardiac ICU for about 6 months, I've been to a few code blues now. I mostly take over the recorder role; I've never actually done compressions.

I got a spot in a new grad residency program, working in a CVICU, with both post-op hearts, post-op lungs, and other cardiac issues (AMI, rhythm problems, arrests, etc.)

I don't mind the drug testing or even disclosing legally prescribed drugs that could impair you, but for my current job we had to fill out paperwork about our health, very detailed, including questions about changes in bowel habits, etc. NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS, hospital. But I did the paperwork because I needed the job. I debated disclosing my previous shoulder and tibia injuries, and then decided to be upfront about it. They made me delay my starting so I could get a full physical by THEIR doctor (my own orthopedic doc's note that my injuries were cleared for work was apparently not good enough). It was ridiculous. I did not give them any information about my bowel habits though. I still think that the whole thing was a glaring breach of my privacy.

Best of luck with the interview. I also want to point out that we actually have a pretty good new grad job market here in Maine (I'm a new grad here, too). Have you considered working here for a year or two, and then trying to apply again for a job down south? Then you'll have that all important experience to get your foot in the door.

We actually were taught about this in my nursing classes by one of our professors. She was fantastic, always up on the newest research, and I was so excited when I saw it on Grey's after we had learned about it!

I am about to start my first job as an RN, and I'm looking for the perfect tote bag. I need a sweater, my lunch bag/box, my wallet and keys and phone, my stethoscope/scissors/tape, clipboard, pens, and room for whatever else I might need to slip in. I like organizer pockets but not too many. Does anyone have one they really like?

I am about to graduate and have a job lined up. I did prepare for my interview by looking up common interview questions and preparing a few answers. I focused on those behavioral type questions ("tell me about a time when you showed leadership" for example). I was able to answer all their questions without um-ing and ah-ing, and even when I got a behavioral question that I hadn't prepared for I was able to use something I had prepared and just change it around a bit. I would also have a list of questions to ask them when they ask if you have any questions. Make a long list so even if most of it is already covered you'll have a few. Honestly, even if you already know or don't care about the answer, ask a question or two.