Scarlettz

Hello everyone, I have about 3 years experience in Med Surg ICU stepdown nursing and most recently 2 years nursing in ICU. I have both my PCCN and CCRN. However, I would say that the hospital I work in now seems more like a stepdown ICU with the exceptions of certain drips (vasopressors and paralytics) and intubation with ET tubes. I have only did CCRT once and I would not take another CCRT without further training. We very rarely get IABPs and I have not had a patient with one. I am interesting in traveling. Do you it would be better to start my first travel assignment on a PCU/stepdown floor or an ICU? The stepdown I worked on was 3:1 but every now and then 4:1. We would get stable vent/trach patients. I am worried if I do ICU I won't be prepared for IABP or CCRT. I am thinking maybe staying here and training with a nurse doing CCRT first. However, we don't get CCRT super often either especially now that Covid had slowed down.

Does anyone know if you need fingerprints for the background check for Aya? What have your experiences been for other travel agencies as well? I am planning only to work in my licensed states or other compact states. Not interested in obtaining licenses in non-compact states.

I am not sure if anyone has come across this, but I signed a two year contract and received a 15K sign-on bonus. When I applied and got the job it was under a different company. About 5 months into the job, another company took over the old company. . I really dislike this job and I never said this about a previous nursing job before. It makes me sick to go there. I've considered transferring to another unit but I don't think it will be any better considering the atmosphere of the hospital. Anyway, would I be expected to pay back the bonus - even though another company took over?

I've always wanted to do psych or post-partum in school. My first job ended up being med-surg. I hated med-surg as a student but was just happy to get a job after numerous applications. I ended up liking it better than I did in school. Caring for 5-7 patients was alot, though. At this point, post-partum and even ICU were on my mind, as I floated to these units in my small rural hospital. I had a bad PP experience once (due to a father there) so it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. Though, I would have handled things differently now and just called security on him. My second job was psych. I liked it at first then it got tedious. I think it was my particular role at the facility. I still love learning about psych meds and conditions. But, might look into PMHNP as an option in the future as I still find the field fascinating. I work in med-surg stepdown now. I like it pretty well. But now I want to try either neuro or medical ICU. (Neuro stepdown would be great, but it is hard to find hospitals with this unit in my area.) I like digging deeper into meds, pathophysiology, and learning about new things I have not seen. I like the idea of two patients and providing them with great care. When I was in school, people wanted Peds or PACU. I recently decided if I were to do it all over again, I would have become a pharmacist.

I liked her books. The study guide was a fast and easy read. It was my main study book and passed the test with a score of 86. I read each chapter multiple times. I made up practice quizzes for each chapter. Wrote down the most important facts. Drew diagrams. My learning style in a combination of reading/writing. Some people like to listen to audio lessons or Youtube videos. I tried it, but I am not an audio learner. I zone out or fall asleep. Some people fall asleep with reading. What style works best for you? Do lots of questions, too, from various sources. There are some free online tests and some cheap kindle books for purchase. I bought the test book by Nicole as well. I also bought one test online from the AACN site for 25 or 35 dollars. Also make note as to what topics seem to pop up frequently from these various sources and study them, I.e. pericarditis. Also, it is a 125 question test so make sure that you are doing a few 125 tests in one sitting. It will help you with endurance for the test.

Can anyone tell me about this facility? Pay? Atmosphere? Is it hard to get hired here? Interview process? Orientation for new hires. Anything! How about some of the surrounding hospitals? Also looking into Wellstar at Hiram or Marietta, Tanner.

I recently just passed my PCCN. My main study book was Nicole Kupchick Ace the PCCN study guide. I read all the chapters multiple times for about 3 months. Pages were literally falling out of the book. I did supplement a little bit with a binder my nurse educator gave me and some slides I found online. But honeslty, I didn't study these other sources too much. I didn't want to come across inconsistencies and get mixed up. I did do quite a bit study questions from various sources just because I did not know what to expect. Many of them free or cheap kindle books online. I did get Nicole's book that has the 3 tests. I did also order a test from ACCN for 25 or 30 dollars. The main thing is to practice doing 125 questions all at once to help build endurance. Review the rationales for the ones you get wrong but also for ones you got right but were not 100 percent sure on it.

I started studying at the end of August. I probably studied about 3 hours per week for 2 months. I sort of wish I scheduled my test sooner because on month three I have not been studying much at all. Part of it is because I picked up extra shifts at work and it has been different there since switching to Covid. I have one good week to study before the exam so I am reviewing it all again and doing practice questions. I mainly used Nicole's study book and questions. But I have been doing various questions from different sources. I also am looking over the study guide my nurse educator gave me.

Did you have to do lab draws?

Does anyone work psych 11 pm to 7 am shift? I used to work psych 8 pm to 8am a few years back. I was just curious as to what you were responsibe during this time? Do you do the morning med pass or is that for the day shift? I just applied for a pt night position and was just getting some ideas.

I got accepted! Still hoping someone replies to this post who went through the program.

I don't mind doing bedside report. It seems like the patients like to interact with the nurses during this time. And if there is a question about something coming in, you can ask the off going nurse. As a previous poster mentioned, I do dislike giving bedside report to a handful of nurses. They use this time to start their assessments. I don't mind helping out if the pt. needs to be changed, but with some nurses, it takes way too long to give report.

I don't consider me an old fashioned woman, but I'd probably prefer a female nurse to do certain procedures on me over a man. Would I refuse care from a male nurse? No. But I am just shy by nature and would feel slightly more at ease with a woman. It has nothing to do with being sexist or feeling that you are uncapable as a male nurse. I asked a male patient once if he would prefer me or a male patient care technician to apply some cream to his back. This was in an inpatient psych setting. He chose a male and we were both okay with it. It goes both ways. I had an older male patient request a male to bathe him. We have available male nurses who could do so. No hard feelings. If we can help a patient out, why not? I didn't take it personally.

Is anyone in this program or graduated from this program? I am interesting in learning more about your experience. Thank you.

I forgot to give report before, too. I didn't get too far before I remembered and called the nurse to give report via the telephone. Luckily she was an easy going nurse! On the flipside, I had a nurse forget to give me report before. I tried to call her up but did not get an answer back. In a way, it was nice to know that this has happened to other people. I felt somewhat lost, but it worked out. Like others have said, I now cross off the patients' names once report was given.