What is it like working in hospital GI Lab?

brownbook · Mar 17, 2011

Not sure if you mean an out patient GI lab? Or an in hospital GI lab?

Out patient is low stress. In hospital is usually low stress. However the occasional GI bleeder can be a life and death emergency.

You should, or have to, (depends on your hospital??) have ACLS to do conscious sedation.

If it is an in hospital GI clinic you may need to take call to cover after hour and weekend emergencies. Be real clear with your manager about that. How much call time you are expected to take. If you are called in for a night emergency are you required to still work the next day. If money is important to you, how much is on call pay, etc.

cmm40 · Mar 17, 2011

Thanks for you input. It is in a hospital GI Lab where they do bronchs, tees, and other procedures like that. It is a prn position...not sure if they would expect me to be on call. I do not currently have ACLS..mine is expired. The manger stated they would give me the class for that and for PALS, which I never have tested for.

I just desperately need a nursing position that I can do without being stressed out all the time like I have been in previous positions. I have had high pressure jobs and then I was also physically attacked by a patient and was really hurt. I am just so over nursing!!! But got to bring in some money!

brownbook · Mar 18, 2011

Still sounds low stress to me, but I am a pretty easy going, nothing much bothers me type of nurse.

Give it a try, there will be occasional moments of terror, but I think, hope, those will be rare, it will mostly be routine.

PALS is easier than ACLS because they don't use many cardiac drugs.

Sometimes it is hard to be prn because you may or may not work very frequently. You don't get a chance to get your routine down, you don't get exposed to the "problem" situations enough to feel comfortable when they pop up. You don't always know of changes in protocols or procedures because you aren't there every day.

I'm not trying to scare you away. Just letting you know the reality.

cmm40 · Mar 18, 2011

I wish I had your attitude and was as easy going. Always have been a type A, first born personality, but I am trying to change that. I have had a lot of stress in my life...horrible marriage followed by an even more horrible divorce, lost my home, and then my only sister died unexpectantly. Just do not want or need more drama.

I did think about the issues that your brought up about being prn and not getting things down. That is a very good point.

What kind of nursing do you do and do you like it?

brownbook · Mar 18, 2011

I've been a nurse 28 years. 17 years acute care 11 - 7 shift. Floated to all units of the hospital, loved floating. 5 years same hospital, out patient surgery clinic which also did GI (some bronchs, never did TEE) procedures. Currently prn position in a different out patient surgery clinic that also does GI.

Current position is very low stress. There are busy days but it is just the charting that gets piled up at the end of the day. Annoying, hate to do charting, especially when I get behind on it. But the patients are all basically healthy enough to tolerate out patient surgery. We are NOT dealing with sick patients.

Give yourself credit, you had the courage to get out of a bad marriage. And you have enough inner strength to somehow cope with the loss of your house and sister. Tell yourself you are a survivor. A survivor isn't especially stronger or braver than others, and has days, weeks, months, (ha ha) of being a physical and emotional wreck, but they (you) do survive.