A New Gig: Cardiovascular Recovery Area

I started a new contract this week working in a recovery area where cardiovascular procedures are done. So far it’s been good. They are actually giving me 4 days of orientation so I think I will be able to get a better handle on this job. It’s not difficult at all. The biggest challenge is time management, and I think you’ll find that to be true in any field of nursing.

The second biggest challenge? Changing the way that I think. I still think like a MICU nurse and now I have to think like a recovery nurse. The MICU nurse asks, “Is my patient breathing?” while the recovery nurse asks, “Does my patient have a ride home?”

Some pros and cons of working in a recovery area vs. working in the MICU:

Pros:

  • Lots of downtime (After the shift is done I don’t feel like I just ran a marathon.)
  • I get to talk to my patients (In the ICU, most of my patients were gorked.)
  • This is huge!!! After three years of nursing, I have finally mastered starting IVs. All it took was one solid day of starting IVs in the prep area, and now I finally have that skill down.

    Cons

  • Lots of downtime (the evening can go by pretty s l o w w w w w.)
  • I get to talk to my patients. (It’s tough when someone is in the process of telling you about how they were diagnosed with cancer and you have to gracefully interrupt them to go tend to another patient.)
  • 10 hour shifts and a 40 hour work week.

I’m not crazy about working full-time but my current financial situation necessitates this. In a way it was kind of fun and satisfying. I felt like I was in my 20’s again. I came home last night at 11PM and my husband and child were asleep so I had the whole house to myself. It felt good. I didn’t re-invent the wheel, but I put in a hard day’s work and for the first time in months I just did something completely mindless and relaxing: I sat on my couch and ate Taco Bell while watching Real Housewives of Orange County. I forgot how good it feels to veg every once in awhile.


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