awcauld

I work in a Level 1 trauma center in a 32 bed Medical Surgical ICU, we are also a teaching facility. We often use Diprivan gtts as well as fentanyl gtts as our standard sedation, but also use ativan, morphine gtts as well. We do use PRN ativan, morphine, fentanyl and dilaudid IVP to maintain sedation. I feel alot has to do with to treatment plan and if extubation is foreseen in the next 8 hours then PRN would be appropriate. I believe daily awakening is very important to the ventilated ICU pt to check on underlying issues not seen while sedated.

I agree, often the easiest way to get hired somewhere is an Internal hire vs an external hire. The paperwork is much easier to get through. I think that most PACU's require at least a year of Critical care nursing or more, Telemetry, pressors and mechanical ventilation knowledge is key to making it in PACU.

Man, I would love to be able to wear those scrubs to work, too bad they don't come in Ceil blue as that is the required color at our hospital.

I think that the market for new grads to find a job is improving, I know at my facility there are lots of RN's being hired but BSN's are definitely getting hired over ADN's. I know that if a hospital is striving towards Magnet status then they will be attempting to increase their percentage of BSN's. I don't think that you can stress and not enter nursing because worrying about getting a job. There are multitudes of jobs out there, just maybe not in your dream unit in your dream facility. May have to move or have a considerable commute.