TooManyCats

I am an RN with a little over three years ICU experience. My dream job is to work APN in an ICU, but it just doesn’t exist where I’m at. I have zero desire to teach or go the FNP route. I would love to advance my career and education in the next couple of years, and think administration would fit me well. would an MBA be a better choice for this? And if so, for someone well connected with several years in their field, does the school matter as much? USI has an affordable and accredited program, but it’s pretty far from top tier.

It truly sounds like she overreacted massively. This was a silly error that in the real world no one would even notice, and as a student nurse I think it’s smart judgment to not administer a medication unsupervised **even if you are turning it back on**.

For the most part I like students, especially if they have basic skills and knowledge by the time they reach me. I will say that I hate that professors assign them to train wreck patients and I have to teach while fighting tooth and nail to keep someone alive... or worse.... code a patient. If they’re going to assign to that patient, it should be a shadow experience.

I went into ICU right out of school. I had a long and supportive orientation, a critical care residency, and did great. My current place of work will hire new grads but something about our orientation process just isn’t right, maybe it’s the lack of residency? Maybe it’s too short? I’m not sure. You need to be passionate about critical care, require at least 16 weeks of orientation, take every class you can get but respiratory/ventilators, hemodynamics, and ekg are a must, know that it will be a full year before you stop feeling in over your head.

Having book smarts and being a great test taker are useful skills, but critical care requires a certain level of intuition and on-your-feet thinking that can’t be taught. It’s really not for everyone. there are lots of nursing positions that *are* task oriented. I would spend some time solidifying your resume with a repetitive, task oriented job (not bedside!).

So we’re you looking to the MAR or your brain page for med due times? Or relying solely on your paper and the Pyxis? When you scanned it did it not give you a warning that medications were given too close together? You have them three hours apart, when we’re the actual due times?

The oncoming nurse was inappropriate in handling that. You notified the provider, they declined to treat. Some people hang out higher, not everyone needs to be treated at 180. You could have asked for call parameters, maybe could have pushed for a PRN. But you didn’t do anything incorrectly. Hydralazine does seem to be falling out of favor, perhaps due to its need for frequent dosing or the risk for reflex tachycardia (or SVT).

I had some job hopping during my first year due to a move and a miserable work environment. Still in ICU, and I’ve found a great fit. Apply early, be prepared to explain the move... and make sure you’re getting a 2-1 ratio (for the most part). Being tripled in ICU is exhausting, I couldn’t handle it every shift.

We secure our OG tubes to the ETT using paper tape (our unit doesn’t have Transpore on hand). Occasionally we will get an intubated patient from OR or from a previous unit with an NG and we will leave it, but I prefer OGs because of decreased skin breakdown risk.

I work in a combined surgical and medical ICU, with 32 beds. For the majority of patients, we bedside report, go over lines/drips/vent settings and introduce ourselves. Then I spend a few minutes going over orders and labs. After that I go and assess and give meds. You will find the flow that works for you, and different places have different charting requirements, I&O times, etc.

You'd be surprised how picky schools can be when it comes to shoes. Ours were ALL black, no hits of white/color, no mesh, all leather or non breathable material, no clogs, the list went on. Contact your school. I will say, I wear chucks almost exclusively, and I have worn them to work one time. My feet paid the price. It's just a different ballgame. I don't even wear nursing specialized shoes either, I have a pair of Nike running shoes normally.

I work a cardiac heavy icu and recently switched from a Littman classic ii to the cardiology iv and am really happy with that decision.

You might also want to look into your states laws regarding medication administration. The facility might be fine with a tech doing it, but the state might want a qualified medication aid, and even then you'd need an LPN at minimum for injections. As far as assessments go, you're not yet an RN, assessing is outside of your scope of practice, so unless that RN would be checking your and verifying your assessment (with her findings in the MR), this is a no go.

I applied at South Bend only. I assume we'll get letters next week.

It doesn't exist anymore. It did when I started in 2013 (yes it's taken me THAT long to finish my prerequisites), but at some point they ditched it.