Telemetry VS PACU GN

Nurses General Nursing

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hello there, im new to this site, but i have a decision to make by monday .. here is some background info, i just graduated this month and i have a job offer and gave me an option whether to work in the PACU or Tele. but the type of environment i want is some what towards cardiothoracic monitoring, because somewhere down the line i would like to inqiure about becoming a CRNA and i would like to work my way up to one of the prereqs of becoming a CRNA just incase the opportunity presents itself. i like critical care. basically what im asking is which way should i turn?

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, MICU/SICU.

PACU is a very tough area to start out in. A friend I grad'd with really struggled in PACU as a new grad (and yeah, she's smart). Did fine with the cases w/o complications, but when given a complicated it was very tough for her. In addition, at least in my hospital (Level 1 Trauma Center) newbies work nights or crummy day shift hours of 11a-11p. If you want experience with vents for a future CRNA path, you can start out in Telemetry and work your way to ICU (my current path) or try to start out directly in critical care. Not sure PACU is the best route, since for the most part (correct me if I'm wrong PACU RN's) your weaning patients, not really maintaining on a vent. Contact the school you're interested in going to and see if they consider PACU experience as an admission requirement.

So again, if your choices are PACU vs. Tele take tele and work your way up to an ICU area. There you have my 2 cents. :)

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I agree with Sue. I started out on a Surgical ICU after graduation, and I currently work in the PACU. I learned a LOT on ICU (managing drips, hemodynamic monitoring, ventilated patients, etc.). I occasionally use these skills in the PACU, but it's not something I would have REALLY learned had I not worked in ICU. I think a hard part of PACU as a new grad would probably be the assessment skills. Although you probably know how to do a full assessment, you also have to know how to FOCUS your assessment and ANTICIPATE when things might go downhill.

Also, like Sue said, check with potential schools and see if they consider PACU "acute care". The two schools I looked at for the CRNA Program do NOT count PACU as acute care.

Hope this helps!!!

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thank you for the reply.. well either way, im doing this more for obtaining critical care experience so that i may transistion easier to an ICU. i feel that the pacu will better prepare me to the icu rather than the Tele.. am i wrong?

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Usually, PACUs want you to have ICU exp. before you work in PACU. (See previous posts for rationale.) Personally, I've never seen the opposite.

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Get on the phone and ask the ICU manager what she wants.

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Specializes in general surgery/ER/PACU.

That's unusual to go from PACU to ICU. From my experience in PACU, you fix the immediate problem with your critical patient (usually airway), recover them, and then send them to ICU. IF there is not an ICU bed available, then they are held in PACU on a vent and we carry out the post op orders as if they were in ICU. Hope this helps.

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well guys its wed and i went to the pacu yesterday, and my only beef with Pacu is that they are on 10 hour shifts, staggered, i would be taking the late night shift from 2p-mid. and i was more into looking for a 12hr overnight. i like the environment but the work hours killed me. but the nurse manager that hired me she wanted to kind of train me for icu/tele... kind of an experiemental crossover program.. so either way i know that i would get experience to be able to float to the icu.

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