[Pattyo]

Hello everyone.

I am considering ICU nursing and have read many posts here asking related questions, but none that ask what do you like and not like about ICU nursing?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[RN1980]

poop...

[methylene]

Originally Posted by RN1980

poop...

Great, but what do you not like about ICU nursing?

[scarymary]

Like giving holistic care and spending the day or night with the patient, building up a relationship with them and their family. There isn't anything I don't like.

[Pattyo]

Thanks everyone for your answers so far. I learned two things:
1. ICU nurses have a sense of humour. (I don't like poop in any area of nursing, but there's good and bad in most things)
2. I love the idea of developing close therapeutic relationship with patient and family and holistic care focus. That is what interests me about ICU nursing.

[pietr422]

Likes...

1. Challenge
2. Autonomy
3. Opportunities for learning are endless

Dislikes...
None so far

[ICUyungn]

Hi! I just wanted to prove I can post a nonrambling post.....not really!

I enjoy doing the focused assessments, and total nursing care! and I feel like I am never alone. The teamwork rocks! oh, and diprovan is cool.....

[xigris79]

Likes -

medical complexity of the pts

seeing a pt improve- even if just a little

teaching the families

challenge

autonomy

focus of having 1-2pts during a shift.

Dislikes -

difficult families

seeing sad sad cases

docs who aren't aggresive

[MistyBlue]

I like the learning opportunities that often present themselves and there is a fair amount of autonomy in the unit that I work in.

I do not like DT's and docs who think that returning a page is optional.

[LuckyoneRN]

Likes;
Teamwork
Very focused-2 pts max, sometimes 2:1 for hypothermia pts
Autonomy
Respect shown by ICU physicians (ie intensivists, cardiologists, pulmonologists)

Dislikes:
Quandry of "just because we have xyz technology/intervention/scan/med, should we use it?
Difficult families
Pts. that go on to ethics committee b/c of dissention between continuing care vs. dignified death (sometimes family v MD, family v. family, or MD v MD)
PRISMA (out machines are about 15 years old...very tempermental to use...might as well just say "PRISMA=clots"