kbrn

In most acute care facilities, RN's generally work every other week-end. In our facility if you have been there over 20 years, then you can take the option of working every third week-end. Please remember that a hospital is a 24hr/7day a week operation.

Hello, I currently work at Mills-Peninsula in Burlingame. I am a new grad as of May 2004. Started the critical care training program in June 2004. This is my 2nd career and have worked at Mills-Peninsula for the past 25 years. It is a good hospital and the critical care training program is very good. You will have classroom lectures part of the time and on the floor with a preceptor. Everyone is very willing to help you. Soon the ICU will be having E-ICU in which there is always a physician (in a remote sight) to help with any problems you encounter with patients. I really enjoy my job and am pleased that I picked the program for my new grad training. Are you a new grad, or do you have experience?? They take both in the program. Burlingame is a very nice city. The cost of living is high. I actually live about 10 min away from the hospital in a city called San Bruno. There are many cities up and down the SF peninsula in which to live. Please let me know if you have any other questions, or you can email me at [email protected] Kathy

I am a little confused. Why did you facility remove the alcohol prep pads. They are used for so many things in the hospital. What do you use to clean the IV port before giving IV push medication?? What do you use to clean off the top of a container of normal saline before drawing up some into a syringe. ETC, ETC, ETC. Please enlighten me. I do know how it is when a facility hides things from students such as dynamaps, O2 Sat monitors, etc, but not alcohol prep pads. That is a new one on me.

I am a new grad in the ICU. Graduated in May 2004. Started orientation on June 28 and am now on my own. Have done two shifts on my own. Not too bad, just very nerve wracking.

I am a new grad just finishing up my ICU orientation. I am starting my 11th week of orientation and will be on my own next week. Yes, On my own. In some ways I feel I am ready and in other ways, there is no way. I will have a buddy when I am on my own that I can use as a resource person, etc. As far as the benefits you listed, they sound great. The pay seems a little low for So. California, but I could be wrong. I live in No. California and was started at 36.00/Hr. before shift differential. The thing that concerns me is the change of ownership. Is this a Tenet Hospital?? Tenet does not have a very good reputation at the moment. They have been in trouble with Medicare and are selling quite a few of their hospitals. They are a for-profit organization. Back to ICU... it sounds like they have a good training program in place which is what you want. I had classroom time as well as clinical time as well. If you have a good preceptor, that makes all the difference in the world. Mine has been great and I am so grateful that I have her. Good luck on whatever you decide. I love ICU and I hope you will too.

I just graduated from nursing school and out of 46 graduates, 4 were male. I work in ICU and there are a handful of male nurses there as well. In my eyes there is no difference. If you are a good nurse, you are a good nurse no matter if you are male or female.

I took the Kaplan course. I was lucky that my hospital paid for it. I would recommend it as it tells you how to take the test. You of course need to know your content, but Kaplan gives you strategies which will serve you very well when you take the test. I took the course and then took my NCLEX a week later. Ended up passing - so it was all good.

Took my boards on June 26 and starting orienting in the ICU on June 28. Absolutely loving it.

I am four weeks into my new grad orientation. I am in ICU and the planned orientation at this point is 12 weeks.