QTBabyNurse

Sorry that happened to you! Best of luck in the future...keep us posted!

Just curious.....What did you decide to do?

Sadly, no good deed ever goes unpunished!

I hear what you have been saying and Q-Centrix has positioned itself to evolve with the changes that are coming down the pike. I'm not concerned one bit that my job will be phased out. I'm in quite a bit of a different situation than a lone quality coordinator at one hospital would be.

I can understand your fear because you work for ONE facility. In my position, I am an extension of the quality department for MANY hospitals that have found it more cost effective to outsource their data abstraction. That is why Q-Centrix is experiencing tremendous growth. Hospitals are looking for ways to cut costs and staffing is their biggest expense. Your hospital may have chosen to discontinue abstracting topped out measures, however some hospitals have chosen to continue to abstract for core measures that have become voluntary. There is a wide variety out there for what hospitals are choosing to abstract In order to meet their quality objectives. It's a growing field for sure! Sorry your specific position is being weeded out. Good thing you're pursuing education...sounds like you need a change.

I work for Q-Centrix and trust me when I say this is not going away. We have a remarkably busy company that is only growing day by day!

While this may be somewhat true for Core Measure data abstraction, it is far from true for other types of data abstraction such as Get with the Guidelines and other registries. Hospitals are utilizing these more and more and the information is not pulled electronically. It is all done manually.

Data abstractors review patients' medical records to locate specific bits of documentationon order to answer questions in a vendor tool that are related to core measures (AMI, VTE, Stroke, Perinatal,etc). Some hospitals also review medical records for more specific medical registries such as Get With The Guidelines Stroke or Heart Failure. These abstractions are quite involved. It takes someone who is able to find their way easily through the medical record as well as the ability to decider very specific instruction guidelines for answering each data element question. It helps to know classification of medications as well.

I work for a company called Q-Centrix and do Core Measures abstraction as well as some Registry abstraction. You can apply on their website.

Good luck with your presentation!

I did Nova Southeastern's RN-BSN online program and really liked it. I had graduated with an ADN from a community college and if I would've done an RN-BSN through one of the state universities, I would've had to take a bunch of pre-reqs first. With Nova, they didn't require that. So I finished the program really quickly. Yes, it was a bit more expensive but if you figure in that I saved time and money by not taking all those pre-reqs, it was almost a "wash". Nova offers different scholarships for financial aid than you can get if you go to a state university.

I did Nova Southeastern's online RN-BSN and really liked the program a lot! Took me about a year to complete and they accepted my ADN as most of the prereqs so I only needed to take Sociology and that was all.

First of all, I really liked working for Lee Memorial Health Systems. I worked for them over a couple years and the pay and the benefits were very good I thought. The nursing staff was very friendly to each other also. I've also done some PRN work for a few different hospitals through the years. Sarasota Memorial was one of them and honestly I didn't care for them too much. They are a magnet hospital and maybe that is why but some of the staff there seemed to be on a power trip and liked to feel they could micromanage other RN's. Being on different magnet councils was one of the methods the employees can choose to participate in to be able to advance and some seem to think they were better than others because of being on said "councils". Too much drama/politics for me. On to Fawcett Memorial and Peace River (now Bayfront Port Charlotte). I did PRN work for both of these facilities. Fawcett was very nice with good benefits and the nursing staff was friendly. Peace River was horrid and I would stay clear of them at all costs. Now, that being said, they have recently been taken over by CHS (they were HMA). Maybe that'll change things but I doubt it. They have been horrible for quite some time. Lastly, DeSoto Memorial is my favorite of any of the hospitals named. The staff is friendly, the patients (many of whom are migrants) are grateful and you really feel like you're making a difference in their lives. The downside is that the hospital has been in financial difficulty for many years and when census is down, you will be required to take your turn in being called off and having to use your PTO's to subsidize your hours. You will learn to do more with less. Your unit won't necessarily have the "latest and greatest" equipment but everyone you work with will have the patients' best interest at heart and that's something money cannot buy.

Don't get involved in the soap opera of gossipy co-workers. Stay clear of that drama...it will do you nothing but harm.

The quote above is very true. I've seen it time and time again with new nurses that I have trained in OB. The fact that you recognize what you don't know is a great first step. The dangerous nurses are the ones who think right out of the gate that they know exactly what to do, all the time, and do not question themselves ever. I would take an orientee like yourself any day! You are very new in the orientation process and so I would suggest being gentle with yourself. Take the great advice that other nurses in this thread have offered you. I especially like the comment of getting completely quiet to hear the baby's heart while trying to discern a murmur. If necessary, and if mom allows, bring the baby into a quiet nursery and close your eyes and just listen for a few minutes at a time. Of course, make sure that mom doesn't get the idea that something is wrong with her baby! Don't want to scare a new mommy! You will do fine in time. I have no doubt, because you show a genuine desire to be a fantastic and skillful nurse. Best of luck to you!

I answered this to another similar question on this topic. Hopefully this will be helpful to you... I worked in Obstetrics for more than a dozen years and then slowly moved to Quality. I'll be honest, it was an emotionally difficult change and continues to be, although I enjoy what I do now. The difficulty for me was not feeling like I "made a difference" anymore although rationally I still do. Actually I have the ability to make a difference to MORE people than when I worked bedside, I just don't visibly SEE it like I did when I worked bedside I also miss "my babies" since I'm no longer in OB. What DON'T I miss? The stress. The stress of having MD's induce a bunch of patients before they leave on vacation. The stress of taking care of more patients than is safe. The stress my body was under for 12 hours at a time. I am literally "in charts" for 75% of my day. It would be the same for a Quality Coordinator position. You'd be doing chart abstraction. It can feel isolating sometimes with less social interaction than you currently receive. That may or may not be something you would like. After having my attention pulled in a million different directions as a bedside nurse for years...it is a joy to be able to concentrate on one thing at a time now!

I've worked at a few different hospitals. An hour each way was the longest commute I've had and it was a bit much for me, although I did it for a couple of years. It was all interstate driving and it was a factor in my leaving those jobs. The job I stayed at the longest was a 40 minute drive each way through the country. The morning commute into work was hard cause I'm not a morning person and I was dead tired. The evening commute was nice cause it gave me a chance to unwind before I got home. All of my positions have been for 7a-7p. If I worked night shift, I may have had a different opinion. BTW...I have two hospitals that are within a few miles from my home but I would rather commute than work at a crappy facility. Also I find back roads easier to commute on than an interstate.

I worked in Obstetrics for more than a dozen years and then slowly moved to Quality. I'll be honest, it was an emotionally difficult change and continues to be, although I enjoy what I do now. The difficulty for me was not feeling like I "made a difference" anymore although rationally I still do. Actually I have the ability to make a difference to MORE people than when I worked bedside, I just don't visibly SEE it like I did when I worked bedside I also miss "my babies" since I'm no longer in OB. What DON'T I miss? The stress. The stress of having MD's induce a bunch of patients before they leave on vacation. The stress of taking care of more patients than is safe. The stress my body was under for 12 hours at a time. Is there a way you can do some projects on the side for the Quality department before you give up your Critical Care position completely? Possibly doing some chart reviews to get a feel for what that is like. I am literally "in charts" for 75% of my day. It can feel isolating sometimes with less social interaction than you currently receive as a bedside nurse. That may or may not be something you would like. After having my attention pulled in a million different directions as a bedside nurse for years...it is a joy to be able to concentrate on one thing at a time now!

If you have experience doing clinical data abstraction for Core Measures or Registry, look into Q-Centrix. They are legit and a nice company to work for.

I have been working for them for over a year. I love my job! Working from home has its challenges but you really can't beat this gig!!

I have heard this site is helpful. It is for the National Guidelines Clearinghouse. Hope it helps...you sound like you have quite the task ahead of you! Good luck in your new position! http://www.guideline.gov/browse/by-topic.aspx

Nurse2b7337...I am sorry that I am just now seeing your post from back in 2012 where you asked me if I knew in clinical if L&D was for me. Well to answer that question...I knew BEFORE I ever decided to go to nursing school that I wanted to work with kids....either OB or Peds. When I got to OB clinicals, it all just clicked and I loved it! It was the only area of nursing I wanted after graduation and after I passed boards I was hired on my very first OB interview! Again, I'm sorry I'm late to answering your question and I hope you are now finding that the specialty is right for you too!

StephHarri... You can either go for an associates degree or a bachelors degree to become an RN. If you are wanting to become a neonatal nurse, do not become an LPN...you will need to be an RN for that area. Your best move would be to speak with a college counselor at the local community college (if they offers an Associate Degree in Nursing program) and also speak with a college counselor at a 4 year college that offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. That way you can decide for yourself which program fits you the best. If you go for the community college and the associates degree, be aware that it will most likely take you 3 years to complete the nursing program. If I could do it again, I would've just gone to get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing right from the start...since I wound up getting it anyway later and it cost me more in the long run because I paid for an Associate degree and then later I paid again for a Bachelors degree. An L&D nurse and a neonatal nurse are two different areas of nursing. If you read my post above (under this same thread), I explain all the different areas within Obstetrics. If you eventually work in a small hospital, you might be able to do them both. If you work in a large hospital, you most likely will not. I would suggest you read as much as you can about nursing in general and about the particular area of nursing that interests you. Don't be surprised if after you study nursing, your area of interest might change...and that is ok. The only way to really know where you fit in, is to give it a try and you will have alot of opportunities for that when you rotate your way through clinicals in school. It is incredibly important to get as high a grade a possible in all your classes as nursing school admission is very competitive and alot hinges on your grades. Good luck with your decision.

Yes...that looks about right for a case manager. You are not doing every single one of those things for every single patient on the floor but you should know how to do them if needed. Case management is a difficult position..some people think it is a cake-walk. You do have a lot of authority..☺