Rosie Vitale, ASN, ACLS, BLS, RN

Background

I earned my nursing degree at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY. My goal is to go on for my BSN and CCRN.

Time at Highland Hospital

I started at Highland right after graduation in June 2004. I did a nurse residency here and decided to stay because I wanted a place where I could learn and grow and where the staff is supportive of that. 

Career Path at Highland Hospital

ICU only. 

My Dominant Personality Traits

Stress comes in many forms in the ICU—you need to multitask, constantly be on alert for subtle changes in your patients, focus and make quick decisions during emergencies, and be comfortable working with complex equipment. I'm good at prioritizing, steady under pressure, and I catch on to new things quickly. I'm also personable and compassionate. I almost always have a smile working for me!

About the Intensive Care Unit

It's a high tempo, high uncertainty environment. Like any unit, we have a daily rhythm, but underneath we know that it can change at a moment's notice because of the critical condition of our patients. 

There’s no real downtime. We each have two patients and the responsibility of the needs of every other pt. Most of our patients require constant cardiac and respiratory monitoring and continual adjustment of treatments, like the titration and dosing of multiple intravenous meds and changes in ventilatory support. We're the ones who are constantly at the bedside, so our skill in communicating our observations and assessments to the doctors is critical. While the patient's the focus of our care, we also play a big role in taking care of the family and helping them make informed decisions when necessary. 

Our attendings value us and our knowledge and ideas. Since ICU patients usually have multiple doctors, you're always working with different MDs. Our charge nurse is great, too, and very helpful. I learn so much every day.

The source of my greatest job satisfaction comes from our nursing team. We're a very diverse group so there are a lot of unique personalities and opinions. Somehow we all come together. Our strengths are complementary so we learn from each other. We also look out for one another. After all, everyone's biggest concern is to make sure our very sick patients get the best chance possible of making it.

Education is a priority for me. There are classes at Highland and the education reimbursement program really helps. Unit leadership is considerate. I'm able to pick up extra shifts and if I ever need a day off, they make it work.