1. Day 1 on cvu
Be able to clock in and out using productive time codes for “training” (TRN)
Walk through clocking in as non productive time, ia pay, training pay, & on call
worked pay
Locate your locker and combination to unlock the locker
Locate bathrooms, break rooms, RCMS, med rooms, supply room, nourishment room,
respiratory equipment, and huddle room
Locate code carts, surgery c cart, and procedure cart
Have a knowledge of what is in the carts in what drawers
Discuss uses for each cart and scenarios/patients for the carts
Nursing goals for day 1
Follow your preceptor:
Listen to report and use a report sheet
Complete a head-to-toe assessment with preceptor
Watch and discuss how to best to chart, begin to navigate through
charting and “show all” in each category
Discuss what IV medications should be hung mainline vs. piggyback
Verbalize and demonstrate vital sign times, normal limits, changes of normal
limits, and how to locate those orders.
Find a blood sugar, take one, locate how to find insulin scales, and review how to
draw up insulin
Put in orders
Review how to check labs and how to get labs to lab
Lab can be called at x3470
Review how to get a hold of a doctor
Intern/resident, senior resident, fellow, attending
Locate their phone numbers/pagers
Module goal for day 1
Begin module 1 with preceptor
2. Day 2 on cvu
Complete any task left from day 1
Login to api
Review how to schedule and print your schedule
Review finding the on-call schedule
Locate CVU binder and go over with preceptor how to pick an on-call day
Go over difference between EASI lead placement and standard lead placement
Trouble shoot the monitors
o Spo2, bp programming, EKG, & respiratory adjustments
Look at report sheets provided and discuss best options for reporting
Reporting structure:
Name, age, primary team, secondary teams, code status, allergies,
diagnosis, systems, lines, gtts
Discuss and determine best report structure for you with
preceptor
Nursing goals for day 2
Complete a head to toe assessment with preceptor on stepdown assignment and chart
on at least one stepdown patient
Include assessment, vitals, meds, POC, & pt education
Walk through a discharge with preceptor
Review tube system
Fill out requisition slip and review what needs to be charged to patient
Review ordering floor stock
Locate blood bank forms
Locate code status from
Locate AMA forms
Review how to fill out all
Module for day 2
Continue with module 1 information
Day 3 on cvu
3. Complete any task left from previous days
Program your ascom phone on the pick station at nursing stations
Review safety net
o How to fill out
o When to fill out a safety net
Review color labels for the doors
Discuss prep of a room for a direct admit vs an ER admit
Who should you call for a direct admit
Who should you call for an ER admit
Review special considerations for a cath lab patient
Who do you call for a cath service patient on days and on nights
Who discharges your cath service patient and when do you get the orders
On nights call the operator via “0” and have the fellow on cath service paged
On days call the cath lab liason
Review how to put in cath pre-orders
Who is your first call in the pecking order of doctors
When do you use the Ascom phones, when should you use the pager
Nursing goals for day 3
Complete a head to toe assessment with preceptor on stepdown assignment and chart
on at least one stepdown patient
Include assessment, vitals, meds, POC, & pt education
Walk through an admission with the lead nurse in the computer system
Look through procedure cart
Look through the consult book and review frequently used phone numbers
Review patient demographics in huddle room
Locate and use resource cards from huddle room
Complete an admission in the computer using your lead nurse for assistance @
1470(AB)/1472(CD) (on nights and when there is one lead, use 1470)
Complete a discharge
o Call lead, clerk, and RCMS with discharge promptly
o Strip room or delegate to NA
Module for day 3
Continue with module 1 information
Begin working through module 2 with your preceptor
Day 4 on cvu
4. Complete any task left from previous days
Locate telemetry in RCMS
Review code status
Find the code changing paperwork
Utilize Micromedix
Print a patient friendly micromedix and chart it for your patient
Nursing goals for day 4
Take on at least 2 of the patients on your own
Manage their care in its entirety
Complete a discharge or an admission on your own
Review how to find what tube for blood for specific labs
Locate and review how to do a type and screen
Module for day 4
Continue with module 2 information
Day 5 on cvu
Complete any task left from previous days
5. Locate blood gas lab
Review blood gases
Find Central in basement
Find pharmacy for inpatient and outpatient
Review how to get blood products from lab
Nursing goals for day 5
Take on at least 2 of the patients on your own
Manage their care in its entirety
Report off with preceptor standing by
Take or review how to manage a cath lab patient
If you have not had a cath patient at this point, talk to your lead nurse with your
preceptor and request that for the assignment
Module for day 5
Continue with module 2 information
Day 6 on cvu
Complete any task left from previous days
6. Locate all code carts on the unit (4 code blue carts and 1 code surgery c cart)
Review what the carts have in them
How do you call a code blue, code surgery C?
Where is the istat?
3 B med room and may be used if trained for codes and icu
patients
Review what is in the drawers of the surgery c cart
Review the procedure cart
Review when each item is to be used in the procedure cart
How do you assist in a procedure?
How do you do a time out?
When are time outs used?
Nursing goals for day 6
Take on at least 3 of the patients on your own
Manage their care in its entirety
Receive report
Report off with preceptor standing by
Take or review how to manage a surgery C patient
If you have not had a surgery C patient at this point, talk to your lead nurse with
your preceptor and request that for the assignment
Module for day 6
Continue with module 2 information
Begin with module 3 information
Week 3 on cvu
Complete any task left from previous days
7. Care for stepdown assignment
At this point, weeks will become our orientation focus.
Complete reviewing module 3
Start working on module 4
Care for patient with an arrhythmia
o What medications was the patient on and why?
o What were the defining parts of the rhythm that confirmed the arrhythmia?
o What interventions did you use?
If you have not had a patient with an arrhythmia, ask your lead nurse for
a patient with an arrhythmia.
Care for a patient with a stemi/nstemi
o What interventions were used?
o What changes were noted in the ECG?
Compare the ECGs in the chart
o What medications were used?
o Did you have to titrate a drip?
What were the parameters for titration?
If you have not had a patient with stemi/nstemi, ask your lead nurse for a
patient with a stemi/nstemi.
Week 4 on cvu
Complete any task left from previous days
Care for entire stepdown assignment
8. Complete work on module 4
Start working on module 5 and 6
Care for patient with a chest tube
o What warning signs are there for complications with chest tubes?
o How much suction should be used with a chest tube?
o What supplies do you need to have bedside for a patient with a chest tube?
o What is available for pain for a patient with a chest tube?
If you have not had a patient with chest tube, ask your lead nurse for a
patient with a chest tube.
Care for a patient after a pacemaker placement
o What interventions should be used when the patient arrives on the unit?
o What changes were noted on the monitor?
o What medications were/are used?
What signs for complications should be used
If you have not had a patient with pacemaker, ask your lead nurse for a
patient with a pacemaker.
Week 5 on cvu
Complete any task left from previous days
Complete work on module 5 & 6
Start working on module 7 and 8
9. Care for patient post open heart
o What warning signs are there for complications can occur?
o Where would you expect to not find a pulse?
o What medications would you expect for these patients and why?
o What is available for pain?
If you have not had a post open heart patient, ask your lead nurse for a
post open heart patient.
Care for a patient after a GI tubes
o What interventions should be used with these patients?
o What changes should you assess for as complications with these patients?
If you have not had a patient with GI tube, ask your lead nurse for a
patient with a GI tube.
Week 6 on cvu
Complete any task left from previous days
Complete work on module 7 & 8
10. Start working on module 9 and 10
Care for patient with a Lumbar drain
o What warning signs are there for complications can occur?
o What medications would you expect for these patients and why?
o What tasks must be completed?
If you have not had a patient with a lumbar drain, ask your lead nurse for
a patient with a lumbar drain.
Care for a patient with a trache or trache to vent
o What interventions should be used with these patients?
o What changes should you assess for as complications with these patients?
If you have not had a patient with a trache, ask your lead nurse for a
patient with a trache.
Week 7 on cvu
Complete any task left from previous days
Complete work on module 9 & 10
11. Start working on module 11
Care for patient with neuro complications
o What warning signs are there for complications?
o What is a part of a neuro assessment
o What medications would you expect for these patients and why?
If you have not had a patient with neuro complicaitons, ask your lead
nurse for a patient with neuro complications.
Care for a patient with a wound
o What interventions should be used with these patients?
o What changes should you assess for as complications with these patients?
If you have not had a patient with a wound, ask your lead nurse for a
patient with a wound.
Week 8 on cvu
Complete any task left from previous days
Complete work on module 11
12. Care for patient with sepsis and a renal patient
o What warning signs are there for complications can occur?
o What medications would you expect for these patients and why?
o What is available for pain?
If you have not had a septic or renal patient, ask your lead nurse for a
septic or renal patient.
Care for a patient at end of life
o What interventions should be used with these patients?
o What changes should you assess for as complications with these patients?
If you have not had an end of life patient, ask your lead nurse for an end
of life patient.
Extras for CVU orientees
Cath lab day __________________________________
