Calling all new grads/new to the ICU starting Feb. 2013!!!!

Specialties Critical

Published

Hello everyone!

I'm starting this topic for any new grads or new to the ICU. I think it will be good to come here to compare notes, encourage, vent and support each other. I am extremely nervous and excited at the same time.

My orientation will be 10-12 weeks and my main goal is to be a safe and competent nurse. I start out on nights which I'm kind of happy about since it will be a little slower paced and perhaps easier to learn.

I will be in MICU/SICU, anyone else starting new?

Specializes in ICU.

1 week of orientation and I'm loving it!!!!! I can't believe how much I've accomplished in just 4 days!

0 Votes

I'm finished my first week....so much information, but everyone is so nice and helpful. We did mostly classroom stuff, and will be on the floor more next week. Good news is I passed the NLN med assessment so I'm ready to give meds :)

0 Votes
Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

First 3 12s under my belt...lots of learning, big curve!!! :) Learned a lot of good tips, have admitted, discharged, transfer, pt teaching; still fine tuning giving report, relearning drugs, high alert drugs. Documenting in computer, collaborating with doctors, learning the unit. Received a lot of tips from nurses, as well as my preceptor. Looking forward to Monday! This weekend, I'm going to go on the intranet and Internet and review and write out common meds procedures and diagnoses on 5 x 7 cards to keep as a review. They already gave me this info in my orientation binder, but I need a way to keep the information more portable. So far, so good. :)

0 Votes
Specializes in critical care.

Somehow I went into work this week neglecting to realize that it was my first week on my own!! It was actually fine, despite getting an admission on each of my 3 shifts. The first 2 nights, my admissions were basically "Stable Mabels." My 3rd admission was a possible intubation, satting fine on bipap when I got her, but in respiratory acidosis. She had just been in our ICU for a couple days last month, and when we told her she needed to be intubated again, her LOC increased dramatically, lol! She said she didn't want the tube, but since she was now alert and oriented, that was fine with us. :)

The only thing that was rough was that there was a code going on at the same time I was getting my admission. They were literally coding this patient all night, so I had less help than I normally would have had, but it was all good. I made it through my first week on my own!

0 Votes
Specializes in Critical Care.

Good job, ktliz! :)

I have about 4 more weeks until I am receiving my own two patients.

Things I feel I need a lot more practice with:

Giving report - this is hit or miss for me. I either do pretty well or am stumbling all the way thru, lol

Updating pt. family - Knowing what to say that's important to them. So far it's usually a lot of "ums.." and "hmm, what else..." =\

Remembering to chart everything; also checking for new orders (on the system we use, there's no pop-up notification..)

Just seeing the whole big picture.. still need practice with that and time management, of course :)

0 Votes
Specializes in critical care.

Monkey... just realized from another post that we are in the same network. :) I'm at the other campus, though.

0 Votes
Specializes in critical care.

(BTW, it is 5 months of days and only one month of nights on orientation... enjoy your days while you can!)

0 Votes
Monkey... just realized from another post that we are in the same network. :) I'm at the other campus though.[/quote']

How far along are you? So far, i love where we work! I'm only in week two, today was my first day in the floor.

I have to say, I didn't really feel overwhelmed today. I went in thinking that I basically know nothing, and that everything will be a brand new experience. this helped ease my mind when confronted with things I have never seen/have no experience with. Plus, my preceptor was super nice and helpful, and I'm confident I will get the training I need to be successful!

0 Votes
Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Happy Monday! One down, two more 12s to go. Moving forward to the traditional step down assignment. Managed one pt w/ preceptor as a resource, and assisted with a more complex pt. I will have both tomorrow. Floor is SUPER busy, but I'm learning so much, just going with the flow... :)

0 Votes

Happy Monday! Anyone learn anything nifty lately?

0 Votes

KtLiz,

Congrats on being on your own! Woo hoo!!

0 Votes

I was just hired to start in June...I graduate in May. There is about a 5 month orientation. I am very excited to begin!

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment