North Shore University Hospital Work Values

Daily Duties at North Shore University Hospital:

A Clinical Staff RN for the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit involved taking care of usually 2 patients each night- if there was an increase in the census, it would not be unusual to have three patients. Having a high acuity of care means that the patients need to be closely monitored by leads connecting them to the read out screen portraying blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, and pulse oximeter rate continuously during there stay. Aside from these leads are the more precarious IV lines which savor those difficult to locate veins and provide accessibility for IV antibiotics, IV pain medications, blood pressure meds, steroids, to name a few- as well as access to obtain blood samples to rule out other diagnoses and monitor progress with the medical regime in progress. Parents usually sit around the clock, watching the monitor screen and questioning every fluctuation. Once the patients no longer require such diligent monitoring, they may become candidates for the Pediatric Unit (step down Unit from the PICU - Pediatric Intensive Care Unit). Being a RN on the night shift PICU involves total care of the patient. This involves hourly vital signs (recording temperature, BP, heart rate, respiratory rate, output- urine & feces,and vomit if applicable; input- formula, IV fluids, supplements, milk, juice, and any food consumed. The RN is usually parked at the bedside, to avoid any attempts by the patient to remove IV lines and to settle a sleeping little one that awakens during the night. Because the age range is so diverse on this Unit (anywhere from newborns to 21 yrs old) "settling" an awake patient in the middle of the night may require a gamut of skill sets. A PICU patient may be a newborn who is not yet strong enough for a discharge or is pending surgical procedure that often has to be completed and redone as they age to compensate growth cycles. Any child up to age 21 that may have experienced trauma (surgery, car accident, drowning, shaken baby syndrome, a fall of any magnitude, an accidental or intentional drug overdose, anorexia/ bulimia, chronic conditions from birth, for example) Watching the parameters of the monitor and observing additional ones such as temperature, body movement, facial expressions, periods of fretfulness, crying, to name a few. The RN has to be quick to consol the patient, while not insulting the parental skills of the visitor as often the PICU RN has developed ways & means to calm an ailing child with methods the parents have not yet had to utilize. Often times the parent/ caregiver is overcome with guilt as they are unable to stay at the bedside due to jobs or other siblings to care for and they call several times throughout the shift for assurance and validation of protocol. The PICU RN does all care: bathing, feeding, hair washing; all of which are challenging when you are working around IV lines and tracheostomies (that hole in the neck with the tubes connected that require changing the pads around them and suctioning often)-

What they like about North Shore University Hospital:

You highly value a work environment built on a formal structure, rules, and regulations. You do not enjoy the unpredictability of shifting priorities and deadlines that upset your routine. You require and enjoy direction, input and accountability as part of your work environment. You have a strong need to participate in making key decisions and feel left out if your superiors or co-workers do not seek your input when making decisions. You thrive on providing good customer service to both internal or external customers, and doing so makes you feel good.

Tags

Hospital Unit Management, Long Term Care 15yr tenure, Longevity , Unit Motivator, Inservice Education, MDS Coordinator, Care Plan Chair, Dedication, BSRN, MBA in Health Services Management

Skills

Presentation, Ecommerce Strategy and digital marketing channels optimization - SEO, SEM, email, affiliates - for high-profile accounts., Technology Solutions, Software Implementation, Requirements Analysis & Specification

These are some of the questions we asked our climbers about their experiences with North Shore University Hospital: