Quiet Unit

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Hi Everyone, 

For the past 3 years, I have worked in busy Med-Surg and COVID Units as a new grad nurse. Currently, I am working in a small rural CCU Unit of 5 beds closer to home. Most of the patients' acuity is low, and the ratio of patient:nurse is 1 to 2 patients. Additionally, we also monitor patients with telemetry (maximum 1 nurse can monitor 2-3 telemetries).

Sometimes, the patients' census in the Unit is low, Really Low! To the point that there is only 1 patient or just telemetries to monitor.

I have used my time wisely since I have so much time on my hands, to the extent that I have completed all of the required education for the Unit plus the yearly educational stuff from the Dept of Education, and I seem to have a lot of time in my hands now that everything is completed. 

We could go to other floors in the hospital and help out, but this is not always needed. I understand that I should be thankful to work in a low-paced environment after working in busier and big units. 

Should I continue my education at work? Perhaps look into getting my CCRN credentials, although I don't have exposure to critical-ill patients? Study towards a higher degree in Nursing? What would you do?

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Maybe complete the required training for the other units. I would also see if the hospital needs or has a shortage of credentials and if any of them interest me and fit with my future career plans then decide on what to do.  

What are your career plans?  

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If you're considering a MSN or NP - use the down time at work to study and do school work. 

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Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.

Make the most of it!

Years ago I worked in a four bedded CCU. We were always 2 nurses, no care assistants. So just 2 patients each but we did everything from A to Z. For me this was perfect since the esence of CCU is I believe, observation and being in front of the monitors to react quickly at the slightest change. It's one of the few units where I felt we were always able to give 100% top notch care all of the time, and actually spend time talking to the patients properly. Pace yourself appropriately, give your patients time. CCU patients really need it. And yes, spend time on your ongoing education if you can.

The other extreme to this was that I once  did an agency night in another CCU where we were 2 nurses only + 1 care assistant in a 13 bedded CCU. That to me wasn't CCU, it was programmed neglect.

Don't leave this post in a hurry. You'll look back on it as a golden age. Give yourself time to become a real CCU expert before moving on.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Red Shirt 6 said:

Maybe complete the required training for the other units. I would also see if the hospital needs or has a shortage of credentials and if any of them interest me and fit with my future career plans then decide on what to do.  

What are your career plans?  

I have completed the cross-training education/training for the ED and PACU. Since I was a Med-Surg nurse, I did not needed to complete any training when I float there. 
The hospital itself does not require or has a need for nurses with certain or specific credentials. All they promote is for nurses to have a certification of some sort. 

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Specializes in Critical Care.
mrphil79 said:

If you're considering a MSN or NP - use the down time at work to study and do school work. 

Thank you so much! I was thinking of pursuing a higher degree in nursing such as a masters degree in nursing or NP. 

However, I am a little reserved about my future plans at work and wouldn't want people (my coworker) knowing my future educational plans. I honestly don't know why am I so particular about this, but the more people know about you, the more they ask and check on you, there is an expectation and sometimes some people don't want to see you do better or greater than them. 
 

On the other hand, I have watched other nurses complete masters degree in nursing education and most of them get jobs in Colleges and teach. Most of them have told me that they are ready to leave the bedside and willing to also get a Pay-cut to teach. 
Most NP programs online and hybrid, require NP students to secure their own clinical, rotations, and preceptors. And added stressor on top of learning and becoming a practitioner/provider. 
Not sure if I am being negative or realist. 

mrphil79 said:

If you're considering a MSN or NP - use the down time at work to study and do school work. 

 

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Specializes in Critical Care.
DavidFR said:

Make the most of it!

Years ago I worked in a four bedded CCU. We were always 2 nurses, no care assistants. So just 2 patients each but we did everything from A to Z. For me this was perfect since the esence of CCU is I believe, observation and being in front of the monitors to react quickly at the slightest change. It's one of the few units where I felt we were always able to give 100% top notch care all of the time, and actually spend time talking to the patients properly. Pace yourself appropriately, give your patients time. CCU patients really need it. And yes, spend time on your ongoing education if you can.

The other extreme to this was that I once  did an agency night in another CCU where we were 2 nurses only + 1 care assistant in a 13 bedded CCU. That to me wasn't CCU, it was programmed neglect.

Don't leave this post in a hurry. You'll look back on it as a golden age. Give yourself time to become a real CCU expert before moving on.

David, thank you for your insightful post! Sounds like you used to work in a very similar Unit like mine. 
Yes, I am using my time to do exactly what you mentioned: provide quality care to my patients, I have time to chat with them, ask them health questions when I want to know more about their conditions, when my patient does not know, I have plenty of time to review reports/results/H&P from Providers. I have this hunger for wanting to read it all and not necessarily "know it all", but rather understand better my patient and what they are going through. 
 

I think what pains me the most, it's when the Unit is closed! We don't have patients and there are not telemetries to oversee from the Med-Surg floor. It really kills me to just sit there, stare at the computer all day and complete seasonal/yearly required nursing education by the Dept of Education from our Hospital. 
I have already completed all of the ECCO Modules from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. It was an extensive set of modules in the computer about CCU topics, it was so extensive to cover the education material that it took me 1 year to complete. 
Although, we are a small Unit and most of the critical patients either transfer-out or get a code status change... I like to take notes in my notebook. It's where I keep notes about everything I have learned at work, even though is a small unit, there is always some thing to learn. 
I want to savor every minute of it. But sometimes I have too much time in my hands and want to use it wisely before the years pass...!!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Depending on what your future goals are you should take those steps. If you plan on staying bedside, then further credentialing would probably be best. If you plan on furthering your degree to an NP or CRNA, then you should start looking into program requirements and achieving those prerequisites. Having short-term and long-term goals for your career will help guide you more than anything else. Hope this helps :).

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