What is legal and what is done do not always meet. Many nurses will give a "nurse's dose" of a narcotic that is slightly different (read: higher) from ordered, or "accidently" push saline in the prop line just before turning a ventilated patient who isn't sedated enough. Then there are times like you describe where the physician wants something pushed, and the nurses just do it because they often don't know their own scope.

I agree with others. RNs shouldn't be pushing propofol unless trained to handle the consequences of being too heavy handed with it.

As for working, just pick something you like. Don't pick the unit you think is most likely to get you in or whatever. Pick something that has drips, vents, and sick patients, but other than that you need to enjoy it. Never know how long you will have to do it and being in a place you hate can make nursing the 7th circle of hell.

Quote Originally Posted by C-wick View Post
Thanks for the feedback everyone. I assume, then, that the state I'm in and the hospital system I work for must allow this, however, it's surprising considering the state I'm in and the hospital I'm in...

And the trauma icu and transplant icu are both in a huge 1600 bed level 1 that ranks highly in... everything? Haha. It's a great hospital system so I'm sure I could work in any of their icus and see the sickest of the sick. I think the ICU at Magee Women's would be a great experience also, but I'm not as inclined to that patient population. Probably a lot of hemorrhage, surgical patients (With the bariatric and ortho. And OB I suppose). But I agree, I think the trauma ICU sounds sick and when I shadowed there it was too cool. Unexplainably cool. So hopefully that works out.