[SheriLynnRN]

I have about 3 1/2 years of experience in med/surg and in a few weeks I'll be starting an internship in CICU which will consist of 4 hrs/week of lectures, 4hrs/wk of working on the ECHO program, and 16 hrs/wk working one on one with an experienced CICU nurse. I won't be taking a position in CICU, but in exchange for the learning experience, I will be required to work "pay-back" shifts in the unit.
I'm just looking for some sage words of advice from CICU nurses.. What should I focus on most during my clinical time? What are the usually stumbling blocks for nurses who are new to CICU? And advice or insight would be very much appreciated.

[Kolt19]

I have been in CVICU for 1 year. I would recommend being ready to learn and go into the internship not trying to prove you already know everything.

The one thing that scares everyone here is when there is a new intern or nursing student even that does everything without asking questions. That is how you make a critical mistake quickly!

I'll add to this later.