New CNA in ICU need Tips!!

need714 · Feb 26, 2008

and to add to that..make sure they show you the difference between the code light and the button to turn the call light off. my first week on a unit no one showed me the difference(they were right next to each other) first time i hit the wrong button. i couldnt figure out why everyone came running when i turned off a patients call light.. lol..boy was my face red.. and that was after i graduated nursing school..:roll:roll:roll
seriously though. learn as much from the nursing staff as possible. ask questions always be willing to help the other aids and nurses even if its not your patient. you never know when you might be drowning in a code brown and need the extra help yourself!

omg!! that's funny! probably not at the time, but i'm sure you laugh about it now. at least it wasn't the other way around...like you said. i'm definitely the type to not sit around and make myself busy...even if it's not my particular job. i don't look at things that way. i'm a firm believer in what goes around comes around...have been my whole life. :icon_hug: code brown?!?!? lol! dare i ask? speaking of asking...not scared to do that either and can't wait to learn! i admire knowledge!! :bow:

thanks so much!

need714 · Feb 26, 2008

figure out what the nurses like and you will be their favorite! do things on time, chart it as soon as you possibly can and make sure things get done right. be willing to help with even the not fun stuff. you will learn a lot in the icu and the more you want to learn, the more the nurses will teach you. we have a few aides in my icu that are in nursing school and they get so excited when they learn something new, so i will take the extra time to teach them or let them help me with something.
in the icu at night, our aides help with baths, turns, accuchecks, vitals, emptying things such as catheters, colostomy bags, and certain drains and they help us with whatever else we need. the icu is pretty constant in how busy we are between day shift and night shift, the big difference is the things going on.
sleeping is different with everyone. on a rare occasion, i will take benadryl if i have a lot of trouble sleeping. i try to keep my room dark and i usually will use something such as a movie for background noise. i always set the timer on the tv so it automatically shuts off.
good luck with your new job! you will see and learn a lot!

thanks so much girl! i seriously cannot wait! i get so excited thinking about it! yeah, at the interview i was already learning just by talking with my manager. he was just kind of showing me around and was telling me how i will have to do accuchecks at certain times, and what that really means is they have to be done by that certain time...not started. basic yes...but that was just something that i didn't know. i'm real green!!!! i can't wait to read this forum a few months from now and actually have an idea of what everyone is talking about!

HillBilly7799 · Jul 12, 2012

Although I have never worked in a hospital or ICU, I can certainly give you some good tips I have learned in the nursing home. The biggest help to me has been a hand-full of non-sterile gloves in my pocket. That way, when you're doing rounds you can save time by grabbing them on your way into the room. If allowed, a bottle of Peri-Fresh goes a long way in keeping down perineal odors. If you have a patient whose feces is a little difficult to remove, a dab of shaving cream should do the trick. I've read that this can dry the skin, so some aloe lotion would be nice too. When placing patients on a bed pan, it's a good idea to put a towel underneath. That way if a little bit of urine spills, the towel can catch it instead of the bed. If you prefer not to wear a handheld watch because of germs or handwashing, I use an analogue clock on my cell phone when taking pulse and respiration. However, do not start using the cell phone on the job! I had to learn the hard way that this is dangerous to patients and my job security. Be sure when providing care that you give your patient the utmost attention. And never get behind! I don't know how busy you'll be in the ICU, but in a nursing home time is just about everything. And whoever posted the "code brown"...hee hee... I just have to say that I DEFINITELY know where you're coming from. I turned a patient after he urinated in his brief and all of a sudden I see this pyroclastic humongous flow of feces ROLL out of his orifice...it was just a big mound on the bed. He ended up do that twice that night. I had to give him a shower after the second time because he ended up playing in it. Horror. Hopefully you won't see too much of that in the ICU, but it is always a good lesson to learn!

boogalina, ADN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN · Jul 14, 2012

Regarding sleep. . .try to make sure your bedroom is dark. This doesn't have to cost a lot. . .there are blackout shades you can buy, but I accomplished the same thing with double-folded fleece blankets (put grommets in the upper corners and middle(s) and hang them from picture hooks). Cheaper with the bonus of insulating! Make sure to avoid texting, gaming, smartphone usage before going to sleep. Some have to use sleep aids, but I found that Benadryl gave me a nasty dry mouth and a bit of a "hangover" so I don't use it. You'll find out within about the first 2 months or so if you can work night shift. Some folks just can't - not a bad thing, but definitely harder to manage a school schedule and a FT day schedule.

Working in the ICU, it's very, very important to learn all the supplies, where they are located, and what ones are called for in what situations. You are the lifeline between your nurses and the supply room when they are stuck in a contact precautions room, or just can't leave their patient. It will take time, and it seems that just when you learn where everything is, things get moved, but stick with it, this is super important. Learn your hospital - where to find things, such as central supply, dietary, morgue, blood bank, surgical department, ED, etc. It's a lot easier to make a run for platelets if you learned early on where the lab is located and how to get there in a hurry!

Keep moving all the time. If you circulate through your section continuously, you will be known as the awesome aide that works hard, and as a bonus, you can solve problems before they become problems. Make sure your rooms are stocked. In the ICU, many patients may not be alert/oriented, but hourly rounding to find out what your coworkers need will go a long way toward making your life smoother.

Learn the charting system, whether paper or computer. There may be shifts where you don't get a good report, either because the person you are following was slammed and didn't know their section as well as they might, or because there was no aide on the floor, due to a patient requiring a sitter. In systems such as EPIC, you can look up when the last cares of different types were documented so you can see what needs to be done. Your charge nurse may ask you for a report on what needs to be done in the unit (i.e.; baths, room preps, etc.) so be able to provide that early and often.

Learn the alarm sounds (IV pumps, feeding pumps, vent alarms, vent heater alarms, bed alarms, SCD pump alarms, etc etc on and on). . .and try to learn telemetry monitoring if you get a chance. It's very interesting, and will come in handy in your RN career.

Watch your nurses and learn. Most of the RNs love teaching, since patient/family teaching is an integral part of good nursing. They will explain what they are doing, encourage that and you will learn more.

Use good body mechanics. Many ICU patients are bariatric, some are combative. Know how to position yourself to avoid injury.

Get a good (inexpensive) Indiglo Timex watch with the day of the week and date on it. You'll need it for taking vitals (usually in lower acuity units respiratory rate is done visually, so you'll need to time it), and it's always nice to know what day of the week it is (believe me, you'll lose track).

Lastly - enjoy sleeping in class. Get a digital recorder and record lectures, because you WILL fall asleep in some of them, with your schedule. Don't let the naysayers tell you it's impossible to work full time and go to nursing school. It is tough, but not impossible. You will learn things in your ICU job that you simply cannot experience in nursing school (unless you get an ICU rotation, which is hard to do before your final term when practicums usually occur for most programs). Keep at it, and enjoy the ride! Good luck!

Been there and doing it. . .