xxojacqueline

Current neurosurgical nurse at Mayo here! It is an EXCELLENT place to work, especially if you love neuro. I am on the neurosurgery post-op floor. We get patients right out of surgery for things like laminectomies and fusions, transsphenoidal endoscopic approaches to pituitary tumor resection, spinal or nerve tumor resections, DBS placements, VP shunts, etc. Direct/ED admits tend to be seizures, mild TBIs not requiring intervention, and any patients that need to be readmitted after discharge for wound infections. We also get plenty of transfers from the neuro ICU for CVAs, TBIs requiring hemicraniectomies or burr hole evacuation of SDH, brain tumor resections, or complex spinal surgeries that they opt for ICU care for immediately post-op. The most common diagnoses for our patients tend to be spinal stenosis, epilepsy, Parkinson's/dystonia/dyskinesia, stroke, TBI, brain and spinal tumors, Moya Moya, Chiari malformation, hydrocephalus, and many more. We also tend to get a lot of overflow from the medical neurology unit (yes there's a separate unit just for medical neuro!). We are ranked #1 Neurosurgery/Neurology hospital in the nation, so I might be a little biased when I say we're the best! As for the environment to work in, it's fabulous. The nurses are all extremely close and team-oriented (I've floated to other units and nowhere else feels nearly as tight-knit as my unit). The consultants and residents are also amazing. I would highly encourage you to apply either in the ICU or the neurosurgical post-op unit if you're interested in relocating to Rochester. Medical neurology is fine but it's also combined with Family Medicine so if you like strictly neuro, I might avoid it. As far as shifts, they vary. There are 8s, 8s & 12s, and 12s positions available. The shifts go Day/Eve, Day/Night, straight Eves, straight Nights, or midday-eve (1100-2300). *Also to respond to the previous user who replied to your message, we have a designated Trauma ICU so patients with complex, multi-system traumas would likely go to that ICU instead of the Neuro ICU. And as far as having teams for everything, this is true. However... since patients with very complex diagnoses come to us since our reputation is so high, they can have very complex recoveries so our time is already spread thin caring for these higher acuity patients. To have a urology tech to come empty my patient's bladder while I tend to my other patients that need lumbar drain management or 2-3 assist to get to the chair for lunch, I will take it! ?

Hi there! I am a current Mayo employee so thought I could give you some insight. All RNs that graduated from a BSN program that have less than 1 year of nursing experience are automatically enrolled in the residency program. You're essentially grouped with other RNs that have similar start dates to you from departments all over the Mayo Clinic campuses in Rochester (Methodist and St. Marys campuses). So there were nurses from neurology, hematology/oncology, inpatient psych, general medical, ortho, etc. all together for class days about once a month. Residency classes lasted 8 hours and would go over all sorts of things that new grad RNs run into and how to cope with these challenges. It spans your first year as a new hire at Mayo. I really enjoyed my residency. Good luck to you!

MNfutureNurse I just emailed and asked :)

Just found out they currently have it narrowed down to 100, which will later be narrowed down to the 50 who will be selected.

I received an email today saying I was not offered a spot, however it did say they got over 1,000 applications and are selecting only 50. Good luck to those of you proceeding!

When did you submit your application if you don't mind me asking?

Congratulations on applying, everyone! I wish everyone the best of luck! Hoping we all get in! ☺️

BTW, nodakstudent would it be possible to get an email address from you? :) I would love for you to proofread my essays once I have them done, if you wouldn't mind/have time!

I'm planning on applying, too! I'm going to school in Wisconsin, but I'm from the Rochester area originally. I've always loved Mayo and would love to get a foot in the door where I ultimately would love to end up working! It's truly such an amazing place and I admire everything they stand for. Good luck to all of you!

Hi lilyblooming! I am planning on applying for next summer's ('16) Summer III and I stumbled upon this message thread. You seem very considerate and I think you would be a great resource for guidance throughout my application process if you wouldn't mind. I can't PM you because I don't have enough posts on allnurses, but if you are willing and able to provide me with some assistance I would appreciate it greatly! We could chat on Facebook Messenger if that works for you.

Does anyone who has participated in the Summer III externship at Mayo have any advice for someone planning to apply for the summer of 2016? Also, if you were accepted into the program and you don't mind sharing your "stats" (GPA, work experience, extracurriculars, etc) would you please share? I kind of want to feel out where I stand in comparison to successful applicants. Thanks!!

Yeah I'm not sure I guess..! But if you are taking prereqs and getting those grades, that's a good thing! Do you have volunteer experience or are certified as a nursing assistant?

What is your GPA? I know they look at overall GPA and your prerequisite GPA and also volunteer/work experience. I think they look for diverse applicants or those who have experience working with diverse communities who possess leadership qualities. I'm really hoping I will get in!

Wondering if I can bring this thread back by asking those of you who were accepted to the U of M program (especially the Rochester campus) what your GPA, experience, etc. was when you applied? :)