Which ICU Unit To Work In???

[BSPRN11]

Hey guys,

So I am going to start applying for ICU positions. I am looking at job postings at the Level 1 Trauma hospital near where I live. I am interested in cardiac ICU's, but there seems to be so many cardiac units at this hospital. They have CVICU, CVRU, CCU...I am lost on which unit would be best for (eventually) applying to CRNA school! I have heard that a CVRU gets fresh hearts, but they don't keep these patients long (ie) they get turfed to CVICU and stay there for the majority of their time in the hospital. I have also heard that the CCU is kinda like a step-down CVICU. Is this info correct? Thanks so much!

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Moved to SRNA forum

[CowboyMedic, DNP, APRN, CRNA]

If you are interested in cardiac then I would suggest CVICU. Other options are Medical ICU, Surgical ICU, MSICU, Neuro ICU, Neuro/Surgical/Trauma ICU, Burn ICU, Shock Trauma ICU, NICU, etc, etc, etc. It doesn't sound like you would get the right experience in CVRU. I work in MSICU that is also our Neuro ICU. We have a CVICU and a Burn ICU in our hospital as well.

[dread_pirate_roberts]

Even if CVRU doesn't have their patients for very long, they have them for the time when they are most likely to be hemodynamically unstable and require quick thinking and problem solving skills. You will get very good, very fast at titrating drips, understanding hemodynamic parameters like CO/CI/CVP/SVV/SVR, etc, and how to apply them to your practice.

Some say cardiac is "best", but from my understanding that's not true. I was admitted to CRNA school from a general surgical ICU where we saw everything from septic bellies to traumas to brain bleeds to CRRT to open hearts (it was great). Not only that, but you work more closely with CRNAs and perioperative patients in a surgical ICU setting, but in the end most of my 15 person class came from a medical ICU. For the most part, you can't go wrong as long as you have high acuity patients and are open to being a sponge to information. Good luck!