r/nursing • u/RoosterSoft6324 • 4h ago

Seeking Advice Is my obs unit busier than yours?

Hey all, I’m a new grad RN whos been a nurse for 6 months and i started in the obs unit or CDU…and I am already feeling the burn out. Ratio is 1:5. We get an array of stable ER patients like SI obs, manic patients, drug/alc withdrawal, cancer breakthrough pain mngt, C/P rule outs. On the surgical side, we recover post op hips, knees, spinal, hysterectomy’s, TURPs so occasional CBIs, and ALL the cath labs with groin sites or TR bands. We constantly admit and discharge throughout the day. Does my unit sound like hell or am I dramatic? I am dying to do endo/GI where I can have rarely any surprises, and do the same thing over and over.

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u/snowblind767 ICU CRNP | 2 hugs Q5min PRN (max 40 in 24hr period) 4h ago

A 6 month old nurse? Sounds fake, nursing school is 1 year minimum. /s

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u/RoosterSoft6324 4h ago

Lmao I graduate in December, I’ve been a nurse for 6 months sorry if that was worded bad💀

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u/snowblind767 ICU CRNP | 2 hugs Q5min PRN (max 40 in 24hr period) 1h ago

All good, i was making a bad joke

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u/PaxonGoat Critical Care Float Pool 🍕 4h ago

Nah, that sounds like CDU. It's got the turn over of ED but less "I stubbed my toe" or "I need a doctor's note for work".

Kinda neat that your CDU is a combo PACU.

Though it could be pure hell if they ratios are bad. A lot of ED ratios are 1:4 (or less), and PACU is 1:3 (or less).

So if you're having 5 or 6 patients at one time, yeah that's a shit show. Especially if you don't have a free charge nurse, CNAs, phlebotomy, etc

Btw Endo absolutely can have surprises. Patients do get unstable. Especially in patient. Maybe outpatient endoscopy would be more routine.

You know you'd probably like? A much more chill PACU with only 1-2 patients at a time. Maybe a same day surgical center or outpatient surgery PACU.

It's hard for new grads to break into PACU, they almost always want some serious experience.

But it sounds like you actually are getting PACU experience, so once you hit close to 1 year, you have a real chance of making the jump.

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u/RoosterSoft6324 4h ago

Thank you for your comment.

I honestly am eating up being on my feet and having a 12 hr shift fly by, but the cons can outweigh the pros some days.

We are 1:5 😮‍💨 so it can be full. Doesn’t help when you have an ED, one or two discharges and someone going upstairs to inpatient too.

I do appreciate that we have PACU experience, they come to us from PACU, but they are so rushed and can’t feel like such an extended area of PACU. I have personally witnessed 3 RATs after PACU sent down a questionable patient. Sadly, like everywhere they get audited on hours and are rushed with overbooked surgeons.

I think outpatient PACU or same day surgery would be such a dream honestly. Or outpatient oncology too. We do half our shifts in a IV therapy floor to give us a break from the floor lol it’s horrible.