Originally Posted by Kerrie_Mo
Hi ladies and Gents!!Hope you don;t mind me jumping in here.
I am starting a new chapter in my life next week as a CNA in the ICU. My background is 13 years experience mainly LTC, telemetry and home health.
Can any of you give me pointers as 1)what to expect and 2)what the nurses will want me to do.
I am a bit nervous about all the additional lines that ICU patients have in though , like the vents and such.
Any advice would be so greatly appreciated.I am so excited to get to be a part of the critical care team.
Nervous nelly,
Kerrie
Make sure your CPR is up to date. Very important (obviously).
When I work ICU, I start my day first by checking the pt's. Then I go straight to the computer and make my own notes regarding diet, code status, activities, etc. I keep this with me at all times. I also check how often vitals are needed. The nurses program the monitors to automatically take vitals at set intervals, but I like to physically go in and get them. If I have time, I'll go through the pt's history to get an idea of what brought them to the ICU. I also file labs, xray reports, page dr's, etc. Our ICU does not have a unit secretary so the aide and the nurse work together to get paperwork filed, phones answered and all that time consuming stuff that takes away from the bedside.
I try to listen to the nurse's report if I'm not busy. I like to know if they're titrating IV meds, if there's a family situation that is less than ideal. I then tell the nurse to let me know when she's ready to do am care. I answer phones if I can. I find things for dr's. I stock supplies at the bedside - this for me is very important because in an emergency the last thing you want to be looking for is an IV start kit or extra tubing.
If possible, arrive early or stay late and familiarize yourself with the stock room.
If the nurses are busy, I sit and watch the monitors. I'm not qualified to read strips or anything, but I can hear alarms and notify the nurse. NEVER depend on monitors. If the monitor says the pt's O2 sat is 60% but you check the pt and he's pink, alert, etc then obviously the finger probe is not properly attached or there is an equipment failure.
Nurses will want you to get vitals, accuchecks (if allowed in your state), answer phones if able, fax, direct visitors, assist doctors with setting up bedside procedures, and of course ADL's.
I don't do too much with vents, bipaps, etc. If an alarm goes off I'll check it and if needed I'll notify the nurse. Just be careful when turning pt's that you are aware of where the lines are.
I LOVE ICU. Good luck!
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