Pulmonary vs. Cardiac step down

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi! I'm having a dilemma, I have 2 job opportunities one being in the pulmonary step-down unit which also has ventilator patients or cardiac step-down which has drips at a large teaching hospital. I would like to eventually go into the ICU and potentially start working my way towards CRNA. I'm unsure of which unit would be more beneficial. I was told that the cardiac step-down nurses haven't been offered ICU positions but that those who work with chronic heart problems on other floors have. I'm a new grad and I don't really know where to start. 

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Specializes in Critical Care, Capacity/Bed Management.

I think either unit would be beneficial in preparing you for a future in critical care. Although a pulmonary/respiratory SDU would probably give you more exposure to a greater amount of diagnoses/conditions. 

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

As much as I hate pulm stuff, cards scares me more. I work on a trauma stepdown unit and we get trachs (not fresh) and chest tubes. I would not feel comfortable on a cardiac ICU, personally. (I literally never thought I would say this!  LOL)

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