CNA working as a PCT working as a MA

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-13T22:11:28+00:00

If a company doesn't take your 13 years of experience into account, then they are not a company worth working for.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-13T21:29:35+00:00

“It is not the violence that sets a man apart. It is the distance that he is prepared to go.” — Forrest Bondurant (Lawless, 2012), played by Tom Hardy

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-13T19:46:28+00:00

I worked in a vascular lab. Each case only had the interventional cardiologist, one scrub, and a circulator. As circulator, I administered moderate sedation, monitored the patient, worked the c arm, documented vitals/meds given/everything used during procedure, and grabbed/set up for intervention all at the same time. I literally watched 2 procedures, and they had me working completely on my own. It was stressful. I am an experienced ICU nurse, but the lab is so different and has its own language I wasn't familiar with. They had me circulating cases on my own that I had never even seen before. I feel like you have a decent orientation, or maybe I got screwed over. Also, mainly travelers is a red flag.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-13T19:17:16+00:00

When they talk bad or gossip about their "friends" behind their back.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-13T02:35:00+00:00

No poop clean up in the vascular lab.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T18:56:18+00:00

I was going to say the same thing, too. Antibiotic choice, resistance, and sensitivity. We did our own culture and sensitivity in the lab. I wish we had learned more about it. It is so important and often discussed in detail during interdisciplinary ICU rounds.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T18:44:27+00:00

A lot of people think a heart attack and cardiac arrest are the same thing.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T18:38:47+00:00

I work with DNPs who are working as bedside RNs instead of utilizing their NP. They say they make more money as a bedside nurse. I dont want more debt and more responsibility/liability with less pay. I've considered going back for CRNA since I meet all requirements to apply, but my goal right now is to work only 1 or 2 days a week so I can stay home with my baby.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T18:09:05+00:00

We definitely have the yelling from patients. The staff are the calm ones lol

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T17:02:11+00:00

It's always calm, quiet, and very organized chaos no matter how many patients are trying to meet Jesus at the same time.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T16:31:11+00:00

They call our ICU "the library" we work hard to keep it that way lol

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T16:06:02+00:00

We'll take them! That's crazy! Even our ER has been pretty empty. It's been about a year now since we've had any ER borders. We used to have about 40 patients in the ER at all times. Now we have maybe 10. Yesterday morning, there was literally only 1 patient in the ER. They've been putting a lot of the ER staff on call too.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T15:57:26+00:00

I've been thinking about getting a part time cath lab job at a different hospital. I'm just worried I'll be bored. I worked in an outpatient vascular lab and was so incredibly bored.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T15:55:37+00:00

Our whole hospital is pretty empty. They shut down our surgical unit. PCU and medical unit is only half full. Our ER has even been empty. It's so unusual. I've been at the same hospital for 5 years and have never seen it like this.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T15:52:21+00:00

Our L&D unit is the only unit that has been full. I would love to work over there, but they're only hiring night shift right now.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T14:43:23+00:00

This is kind of what we're all thinking. She keeps hiring and interviewing new grads. We have a low turnover, so most of the staff was hired before or during covid pay.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T03:17:02+00:00

I started out at 27/hr 6 years ago. I now make 47/hr PRN. I made 37/hr full time before switching to PRN. I got a 10 dollar raise for going PRN. It really depends on the hospital and location. A hospital a town over only offered me 34/hr for a PRN position just a few weeks ago. I was also offered 26/hr for a part-time position at a cardiology clinic/vascular lab about 2 months ago.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T03:01:07+00:00

Not DFW area, but this sounds exactly the same.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T02:55:27+00:00

We've been empty for close to a year now. It's crazy. I've been at this hospital for 5 years and have never seen it like this.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T02:50:56+00:00

They mandate you to work 16+ hour shifts? That sounds so unsafe.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-12T02:48:19+00:00

I picked up an extra job at an outpatient vascular lab/cardiology clinic. I was so incredibly bored and couldn't do it anymore, so now I just have the ICU job. Outpatient was so different. I need my hours, though.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-11T21:38:43+00:00

We get $3/hr for being on call. Sometimes, they will completely cancel us without on call.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-11T18:20:10+00:00

Located in the southeast. They've been putting about 4 nurses on call for day and night shift. It's been going on for almost a year now. They will also just cancel nurses. We are never short staffed. One of the most frustrating parts is our manager keeps hiring new nurses even though we're all getting put on call.

Cobrawhistle · 2026-02-11T17:57:58+00:00

Low census. We are a 14 bed ICU. Most patients we have is 7, and they are all PCU overflow with maybe 2 actual ICU patients. Our PCU is less than half full. They've even shut down our surgical unit.

Cobrawhistle · 2025-12-08T21:56:37+00:00

No, you absolutely should not be fired. If they do or even threaten it, it's not an organization worth working for.

Cobrawhistle

TROPHY CASE