Swan Lines

[2ndChance]

Ok, I just posted a separate message but I thought I would put this one under another title. I work in a MICU right now and do not see many Swan lines at all. How much of a disadvantage will this be to me in the application process? I have had classes to study the wave forms, etc, but I know that this is nothing like working with them on a daily basis. Do you think that admissions committees will eliminate me based on this fact, and if I do get into a school one day will I be at an enormous disadvantage? I am already anxious.

Thanks a lot.

[lifeLONGstudent]

just curious - don't most CRNA programs want you to be CCRN? You would need to know about Swans for hemodynamics info on CCRN exam - right?

[skipaway]

just curious - don't most CRNA programs want you to be CCRN? You would need to know about Swans for hemodynamics info on CCRN exam - right?

It would be nice to have your CCRN, but it is not required. Just makes your application stronger and is another tip to the application committee that you are a strong applicant and can be successful in reaching a difficult goal.

[bj76302]

The interview process is geared to your experience..If you "present" yourself as a CVICU nurse with all kinds of cardiac/ swan experience, they will expect you to know exactly what you tell them that you do. If they ask you a question that your not familiar with, they will appreciate your honesty that your not familiar rather than blow smoke. They basically look at your work experience that you provided on your application - questions are based on that. Good luck!

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

When I transitioned from the ED to our general ICU, one of the nurses (32+ years in ICU) told of me the best way to monitor your unstable pt. is "No BP, no PeePee". I very quickly learned how right she was[/

Several years ago I saw a 60-Minute story about a young cardiac surgeon who worked out of his own little jungle hospital performing cardiac muscle remodeling procedures (I think they're out of vogue now). Without the luxury of nurses, he posted a picture of pink feet and a full foley bag at the end of each bed so that who cared for his patients could compare those two "gold standard" parameters to the patient's condition.

[TennRN2004]

Well managing a patient in the ICU or during transport is different than managing a patient with PHT after a 4 hr pump run or even a 60 min run and the patient suddenly tanks as the surgeon closes the pericardium. I have to know SVR/CO now. not 2 min from now, now! I also maintain, it is not the trend you need to worry about, it is the practice at the hospital you are training at as well as what the school thinks is important. Whe i ask you in the OR about waveforms and you tell me that the trend is not to place them any longer, we'll have trouble.

Our heart surgeons would have a stroke if our hearts didn't have swans. We have one surgeon who doesn't want the Swan pulled until the patient is actually transferring out to the floor. He expects us to get them up to the chair with the Swan even two days out when they've been off Dob for 20 hours or more, peeing great with excellent VS. I guess a big part of it all depends on where you work and what type of patients/MDs you work with.

I agree in the medical patients that Swans are overrated for treatment. We can treat majority of patients without something so invasive because you can get similar data from a variety of other sources by looking at the complete picture of the patient. However, I think the hearts should have them, because when you're titrating gtts, you need to have numbers to let you know what's working.

As far as having experience with Swans to get into school, I know several people who have gotten in without much Swan experience. There are plenty of nurses in my unit who have swans every day and still couldn't tell you sometimes what the numbers they're looking at mean. So, in the end, I think it's what you know from the exposure you've had, and the effort you're willing to give in school to learn what you didn't see in the ICU.