Headed for big city--help!!!

[abbafather427]

SO, I'VE BEEN DOING MED/SURG/PEDI FOR FOUR YEARS NOW. I'VE ALWAYS WORKED IN RURAL HOSPITALS AND HAVE BEEN WORKING AS A TRAVELER FOR TWO YEARS.

MY NEXT ASSIGNMENT IS IN TEXAS CHILDRENS IN HOUSTON. I'M TERRIFIED THAT I'LL GET THERE AND BE THE DUMB TRAVELER WHOM DOESN'T KNOW ANYTHING! I WONDERED IF ANY OF YOU COULD LET ME KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, COMING FROM SMALLER/RURAL HOSPITALS TO A MONSTER LIKE TEXAS CHILDRENS. PLEASE HELP!

I'M SO SCARED I'LL BE IN OVER MY HEAD AND I DON'T EVER WANT TO CHANCE THE LIFE OF A CHILD!

[AmandaWIRN]

I have never worked at the specific hospital you mention, but I can tell you that bigger hospitals tend to have more staff available, which means that a lot of the tasks you would be responsible for in a small hospital, are done by someone else. For example, many larger hospitals have an IV team to start your IV's for you, phlebotomy will draw your labs, RT will give you breathing treatments (in some rural hospitals, RN's do all of these tasks). You will also have more resources available to you, such as PICU, on-site physicians around the clock, residents, etc. Try not to let the thought of how big the hospital is scare you. If you can take care of sick kids in a small hospital with limited resources, you can do it in a big hospital with many more resources!

[Kdog]

I agree with Amanda. Don't get overwhelmed, the nurse manager would not have offered you the job if they thought you did not have enough experience. Also, sometimes it's easier to work in a big hospital as there are alot of resources..
Let us know how you make out