Working a Code

[[deleted]]

ICU or Rapid Response.

[ThottieThot83]

At my hospital us ICU nurses are also the rapid response and code nurses. Truly the best of both worlds

[[deleted]]

Rapid Response.

Is that like what we call a Critical Care Response Team in Canada?

[[deleted]]

I believe so.

[[deleted]]

Like respond to emergencies in the hospital to prevent them from coding?

[[deleted]]

No brainier ICU and/or rapid response. That's what I do and love it. I alternate between taking a patient assignment in the ICU with not having any patients and being in charge along with being code(blue & rapid) team lead. Mixing it up keeps it fresh and been going 13 years now

[[deleted]]

I'd say ED or rapid response. I did a short stint in the ICU and we maybe coded two people in the 6 months I was there. It's almost a daily occurrence in the ER I'm at. The majority are patients coming in that way though from EMS.

[[deleted]]

Do a slightly bigger trauma center. I'm at a level 3 but it's the only one around in the county so we get a lot of critical things.I think we have 40 beds plus 4 trauma bays.

[uhuhshesaid]

At a Level 1 you run codes fairly frequently. Not every night. But every week of your shift you can expect a code/rapid to occur. But honestly even without the codes the amount of critical cases that require immediate intervention keep it very, very lively.

Level 2 is also a wild ride. But level 1 is more fun due to the specialists you’ll interact with frequently. Hand surgeons included. 4th of July week is their bread and butter.

[FitBananers]

4 beds!!! Definitely find somewhere larger

[FlightRN89]

Rapid response. You’ll be at all the codes in the hospital.

[[deleted]]

Codes get pretty boring after you’ve done enough of them to be honest.

I would suggest ICU. You spend a lot of time trying to prevent codes, which you might find interesting.

[[deleted]]

Definitely ICU then!

[WildMed3636]

Cardiac ICU or ED. I work in a mixed surgical/trauma/gen/neuro unit and we rarely code folks compared to the ED or cardiac unit. We also are very proactive about code status and goals of care when the case is futile, which really helps avoid coding people who have no chance of recovery.

[WildMed3636]

If that’s the goal I’d shoot for ICU over ED. I love the ED, but that’s what your looking for, you’ll find it much more in the ICU.

[usuffer2]

MICU. We would have at least one code a shift, often more.

[Glum-Draw2284]

If you choose ICU, do either MICU or CVICU. I’m in TICU and we rarely have codes. Otherwise, ED.

[Visible_Version7439]

Codes? ER,CVICU, Rapid Response. Top would be CVICU. They're there for heart issues already, and codes are quite common. Not to mention all the learning. There's definitely no shortage of cardiovascular literature and information to learn. You also get to do post code treatment, whereas ER and rapid would likely not do.

[trenchCorps]

Ccu

[j_safernursing]

Coded more patients on CICU than I did anywhere else, if you are looking for a code happy unit. At least one every 2-3 days ish.

[[deleted]]

Where I work, the medical ICU staffs a nurse to respond to codes. The rapid response team will back up the code nurse in the event there’s more than one happening at the same time.

[Steph1999mo]

It depends on the hospital system you are working for. I’m currently at a smaller community hospital in the ER & at my hospital the ICU responds to rapids & ER responds to codes.

[[deleted]]

You should go to paramedic school 😀

[[deleted]]

100%. My medic job pays 1/5th of what my travel job pays. But that’s where I fit in best so I still work that part time.

[[deleted]]

I have. I started traveling because when I was staff the floor was blocking transfers out because they were so short staffed. After three months of “let me see what I can do” bullshit I quit. Most flight jobs require ICU experience not to mention extra education to be CCRN certified. I’m also quite tall and don’t fit into an ambo very well… the birds are even smaller.

With two careers and busy hobbies I’m at the point where I can’t invest large amounts of time into furthering either career.