What to expect as a new nurse in critical care (any tips)

Specialties Critical

Published

  • Specializes in PCU, M-S, ER, OPD, Dental nurse, etc..

Hello,

I Would like to update everyone that I was given the opportunity to start in critical care. Now, that I made my decision I believe most of the commentators here had or is currently working in critical care nursing. I would really really appreciate if you can give me an idea what to expect as a new nurse in a new environment. Can you give me pointers to study regarding equipment, medicines and patient care that you normally do in an average working day. If it is a lot to mention any particular book you can recommend me to buy or read? something that has all if not most of the information I need to at least prepare myself.

Thank you all in advance.

Specializes in Family Practice.

I worked ER only for 3 years then I switched to ICU fulltime with occasional floating/extra shifts to the ER. It really depends what kind of setting you work in and what your co-workers are like. My first ER was a trauma center with a really tight knit group of nurses. I learned so much but compared to ICU nursing, it's a whole different ballgame. When I went to the ICU I felt like a newbie all over again. ER is a lot of non critical crap and taking care of drunks. Obviously you'll get codes and traumas (if you work in a trauma center) and those can be really intense. But usually they try to get an ICU bed for those patients as quickly as possible.

In the ICU you need some serious critical thinking ability. I do not recommend ICU as the first unit you work on. I've seen a few succeed but overall, they end up feeling overwhelmed. You also need to think one step ahead, you are trying to avoid that emergency moment. It's important to review all the labs, look over what has been going on over the time they have been on the unit, make a plan for the day so you know how to organize yourself. In terms of how long until I felt comfortable- probably nine months in ER and probably a year and a half in the ICU.

Simply because ICU has so much more equipment- CRRT, balloon pump, chest tubes, all types of drains, Swan-Ganz, etc. Usually in ER, the most you'll get is a central line or art line placement and some chest tubes.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN

102 Articles; 27,612 Posts

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Your post has been moved to our critical care forum to elicit helpful responses and feedback from nurses who work in critical care/ICU. Good luck in this specialty.

ShaneTeam

201 Posts

Specializes in MICU, ED, Med/Surg, SNF, LTC, DNS.

Hello. When I first started in MICU many years ago, you were with someone for 6 months. I don't know if this is still the case, but know that you will not be thrown to the wolves. Make sure to ask plenty of questions, and check out amazon for books. On my Kindle, I keep a book on ABG values, and how to interpret them, critical care for the new nurse, and others. I like to keep them on the Kindle, so I can use the quick search function, and skip the page turning required in actual books. Before taking a Kindle to work for reference, I would ask the manager if it would be ok.

Cannary22, BSN

83 Posts

Specializes in PCU, M-S, ER, OPD, Dental nurse, etc..

@ blondenurse12, MSN, RN, NP & ShaneTeam, BSN

Thank you very much for your input.

Cannary22, BSN

83 Posts

Specializes in PCU, M-S, ER, OPD, Dental nurse, etc..

Hi everyone, Thank you for the comments.

I am not entirely a new nurse I am actually a come back nurse. It has been over five years since my last hospital work related experience due to other circumstances in life. I'm almost done with my RN refresher course too. I am given the chance to start in critical care while preceptor-ship so I just wanted to ready myself and do well in hopes to actually stay in the unit and get the position. I am not as confident as I wanted to be but I know once I start working again in the hospital environment I know I will get that feeling back, the feeling of excitement, the feeling of being accomplished when I do my job (right now I work in accounting so it's entirely a different story, different experience and very boring lols). Anyway, thank you and please keep the comments coming, I wanted to get as much information from the expert critical care nurses because in one point in everyone's career you are all a newbie too. It would be really great if you can share what you did, how did you handle yourself back then.

Thank you very much in advance.

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