[starcandy]

After two years in Med surg, I will be starting in MICU soon. I am preparing myself for ICU and I am starting to get nervous . I have been reading the posts and noticed that some say that Med Surg nurses bring bad habits to the unit. What are some of the bad habits the MS nurses bring with them to the unit??

[jmgrn65]

I don't know about that, because most ICU's want you to have med-surg experience. On the other hand most nurses with any experience come with there little habits or own way of doing things.
My opinion is to stay open minded to learning new things/skills and incorporating them into your experience while still maintaining patient safety.

[Cin RN]

The fact that you are worried is a good thing. Observe how others do things, how they work, tricks they use, then adopt or adapt them to work for you. I was an extern in a MSICU for my last 2 years of school and now I am a GRAD RN. (Still working through the "imposter" feelings). Everyone does things differently, some things work well, others do not. You will figure out your own style. Good luck to you, the work is hard but the rewards are great, and the sorrows are heartbreaking, but when you help a family get through those "times", its worth it all!

[dorimar]

One thing that i have found with some nurses who come down(and not all by any means), is that some think iCU is going to be a break for them. Some nurses come down and expect to give the same amount and quality of care to 2 patietns that they gave to 6-8 patients on the floor. But this is truly "INTENSIVE CARE", and prevention is the word of the day. Some of these nurses never go in their rooms or review the charts and ctiically think to divert problems.

You will only have 2 patietns, but you will be expected to do so much more for them than you did for you 6-8 patients (even in a non-crisis), not the same amount of care.

You should know evertything about your patients and be on top of any subtle changes that have occurred during you shift.

Most M/S &tele nurses appreciate the opportunity to do this. However,some sit all shift at the desk on the internet or phone, and smoke and break all night, and miss important things.

On a side note, I think M/S nurses have exceptional assessment skills, as they have had to rely on these (and not the monitor) to tell them about subtle changes in their patients.

I wish you luck and think you will do well. i think M/S skills are a great asset to be brought to the unit. I myself worked M/S for3 years before I ever considered ICU. At least i knew how do a basic assessment, pass meds, and call a doc, etc. when i came down.

[Ruby Vee]

That's one I hadn't heard -- med surg nurses bringing bad habits to the ICU! Just ask lots of questions and be open to learning new ways of doing things, and you'll be fine. In fact, I'm betting the ICU will be thrilled to have a med surg nurse -- they won't have to teach you basic nursing skills!

[all4schwa]

i love watching other nurses work and incorporating what i see into my everyday work. also, nurses talk about their peeves and what other nurses do that irritates them. whether not i always agree with what someone is saying but sometimes they make a good point and i take mental note.

i would love to hear more about what some of you consider to be 'bad habits.'