New Nurses Working in Critical Care

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Hello Fellow Nurses,

I recently graduated from RN School and was offered my first job, which I accepted, in ICU at a big hospital. I was able to maintain a 4.0 during nursing school and graduated at the top of my class, which was a major reason I got the job. I am a bit nervous though. It feels like such a huge leap, going from school to an actual nursing unit...and ICU for that matter. So I am looking for any advice. Does anyone have any tips, life lessons, words of advice for a new grad about to start in critical care? I feel a bit overwhelmed, this is what I wanted but now I feel like I may have bitten more than I can chew? Any advice would be appreciated! :nurse:

Specializes in PICU.

You will do great, don't worry about it! If you managed a 4.0 in school I have no doubt you'll commit the same time and effort to your new job. The ICU is a hard place to start for reasons that are different from floor nursing but I don't think it is any harder overall and in the end you'll be a better nurse for it. If you browse the ICU forums here you'll find other threads talking about things to do to help during the orientation process.

Hopefully you will have an extensive orientation process. I know I did, and even so, I spent the better part of a year feeling terrified. Learn from the amazing experienced nurses around you. Be open to constructive criticism, and make it your goal to ultimately be able to not only react to crises appropriately, but be able to anticipate and therefore head off problems before they occur.

Good luck!

First: Don't handicap yourself by being overwhelmed, nervous, or terrified. Put those words out of your vocabulary.

Second: While most ICUs won't hire new grads, a really big one can absorb one or two from time to time to raise them up in good habits, so to speak. They know what they're doing in this process.

You should have plenty of people watching you, supporting you, and teaching you. Be a sponge. Soak it all up.

Thank you all for your replies and encouraging words! I am lucky to already know a few people who work on the unit and in the hospital (including a family member) so I know I will have plenty of support and know where to go with questions!

Specializes in Wilderness Medicine, ICU, Adult Ed..

Figure out who the best nurses are in the unit, watch and listen, and follow their examples.

Yes, mentoring is one of the best practices in an ICU. It IS a difficult first start for a new grad. Mostly because you have no feel yet for what is normal is a hospitalized patient. That's what you get on the floor, time to learn organization of care, time management, normal problems of patients, the occassional difficult patient. I started in a busy Labor and Delivery, then switched to a major surgical floor. Great experience in variety. When i went to ICU WAS overwhelmed at times with the intensity, the life & death issues, families in distress, dysfunctional families in distress. Had to develope a philosphy on death as it is a definite issue in ICU. It can be really scary dealing with the new technologies, medications, social/fmaily issuses. A wise RN's response when I asked he, "Will I EVER be as calm as you?", was, "It just takes time". And this is so. That and a great orientation/mentorship program in the unit. We are a tight ship in our ICU and reassure our new grads, "we will not let you drown". NEVER be afraid to ask for help, and ALWAYS look up new meds, diseases. Take every class you can to upgrade your skills. Keep eyes open and watch other nurses you admire, they have years under their belt. And if you're in a unit with a recent big turn around with new staff, have a place you can debrief after stress, learn to take deep breaths to stay calm, smile, your patients will be very reassured, and be willing to help all. Will get many new, fantastic exzperiences. It IS tough to be a new grad on the unit, but not impossible, and it can be wonderfully rewarding!! Good luck!

Hey, OP -- whats the update? This is like "Stump The Chumps" on Car Talk....did we get it right?

I'm in the same position as you! I'm a new grad and I just got hired on a SICU unit! I haven't started yet, but I'm trying to see what I can do in the interim, maybe look in to a great ICU book? I'm so extremely scared, but so very excited!! I hope things are going well for you!

Specializes in Cardiac Care.

The book "The ICU Book" is really, really good. I'm going through it now in hopes of being hired in the ICU after graduation in May.

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