Med-surg RN takes 8 simple computer "courses" and POOF! is step-down nurse

Ugh, just a vent. My med-surg floor just started accepting PCU level patients and most of us med-surg nurses who have NEVER WORKED PCU are now expected to be PCU nurses after taking 8 on-line classes that weren't even classes, just a PP presentation with a quiz that literally took about 5 minutes a "class"

I feel so overwhelmed.

I just wish I could have gotten a few days of orientation on a PCU unit so I would feel more comfortable with the sicker patients, the drips, the trachs, the multiple lines. . just the overall feel of PCU.

I guess I will learn.
Quote from AlphaPigUgh, just a vent. My med-surg floor just started accepting PCU level patients and most of us med-surg nurses who have NEVER WORKED PCU are now expected to be PCU nurses after taking 8 on-line classes that weren't even classes, just a PP presentation with a quiz that literally took about 5 minutes a "class"I feel so overwhelmed. I just wish I could have gotten a few days of orientation on a PCU unit so I would feel more comfortable with the sicker patients, the drips, the trachs, the multiple lines. . just the overall feel of PCU. I guess I will learn.

" I guess I will learn" and "you wish" you had an orientation to the specialty???Do not let your facility push you into unsafe practice. Refuse any assignment to that area until you are properly trained.It's up to you to manage your licensure/credentialing/ career.Document this with your Board of Nursing and your malpractice insurance carrier.

Didactic education is a necessary - but not sufficient - part of cross training. These courses should have been coupled with the "skills" part of training. How are they managing to document the new competencies? If the hospital is JC accredited, this (checkoffs) can only be done in an "actual" environment. Sounds like a real boondoggle that is going to come back & bite them in the tush. And they wonder why nurses are more "disengaged" than ever . . . <shaking head>

That is a terrible idea for the hospital. When I started in the PCU, all of the PCU nurses did the same residency minus vent class as the ICU nurses with in class and hands on training for months. Bad outcomes ahead....

This is going to less to some very poor patient outcomes. What a cheap and thoughtless idea.

What about cross over training clinical hours? Maybe a couple weeks on pcu for each nurse?

That is a very unsafe situation, to say the least! I agree - you also need "hands on" cross training before you are expected to care for these extremely complicated and critically ill patients!

Quote from CrossCountryRN2008What about cross over training clinical hours? Maybe a couple weeks on pcu for each nurse?

I offered to take the hospital's critical care course without pay but they said No because it contains clinical hours.I talked to my boss (Nurse Manager) and the floor's educator about it (which is kind of a joke position because I have never even met this person before) and they said they are still working on the details about what we are supposed to get on the floor - for example, we are actually NOT supposed to have drips (but have been getting them!) and we are only supposed to get neuro PCU (but we have been getting medical and even some cardiac ones!) I told them I would refuse patients that I felt uncomfortable with and they both sort of stared at me.They are starting to realize how unprepared we are - we have started calling the ICU whenever we have questions about anything (like the drips or trachs) and the ICU is complaining so finally someone is doing something about it.What a cluster-duck.

Quote from AlphaPigI offered to take the hospital's critical care course without pay but they said No because it contains clinical hours.I talked to my boss (Nurse Manager) and the floor's educator about it (which is kind of a joke position because I have never even met this person before) and they said they are still working on the details about what we are supposed to get on the floor - for example, we are actually NOT supposed to have drips (but have been getting them!) and we are only supposed to get neuro PCU (but we have been getting medical and even some cardiac ones!) I told them I would refuse patients that I felt uncomfortable with and they both sort of stared at me.They are starting to realize how unprepared we are - we have started calling the ICU whenever we have questions about anything (like the drips or trachs) and the ICU is complaining so finally someone is doing something about it.What a cluster-duck.