Ob to icu?

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

I am currently an LDRP nurse. I graduated in 2009 and went straight into OB. MY hospital is currently offering cross training to ICU. The more I think about it the more interested I get. My only concern is that my only experience that I have had is working LDRP. I talked with a friend who works in ICUm=, is older and very experienced. SHe thinks I could do just fine and offered to train me if I can work it out with HR/DON. I am really thinking about calling the nursing recruiter in the morning and telling her that I am interested.

ICU nurses, what do you think? Do you think a fairly new nurse from OB could make it in the ICU?

[Five&Two Will Do]

I think that you should go. The only problem with specialty nursing is that its hard to move into something else after you do it for a really long time. The ICU is great. I love the intensity and critical thinking required when trying to figure out whats going on with a patient. I spent a couple years on the floor and now I am here. If I ever want to go somewhere else, I can. Besides if you hate it, you can always go back to the mommas and babies!

[aCRNAhopeful]

Yeah give it a try. You're still new and fresh outta training so it shouldn't be greek to you. That would give you a very unique skill set.

[mpccrn, BSN, RN]

It all comes down to how bad you want it. Your experience could be invaluable as there are pre and post partum moms that require ICU nursing. Go for it! My current ICU manager was first an ICU nurse, then worked OB for years and she's the best manager I ever had.

[JoyfulRN14, BSN, RN]

I think you would be a very valuable asset in the ICU. I work in a med/surg ICU and we have a nurse up here who did L+D for 10 years before coming here within the last year. She has adapted great, and is SUCH a valuable resource to us when we get pregnant or postpartum patients on our unit.

Most of us ICU nurses haven't done much with OB since nursing school, and we get hemorrhage or severely hypertensive pts occasionally. And it's like... "what's a fundus supposed to feel like again?" "How often do we massage?", "What do we (fill in the blank)...?". Our coworker with L+D experience is a boon!

My advice is - go for it!