All Hail ICU Nurses

Specialties Critical

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This is a huge shout out to the mega-talented ICU nurses. All of you do what many of us aspire to do with our lives, but some of us will never get to do. You work with the sickest of sick, with the most complex interventions possible. You save lives on a daily basis. You have more knowledge and skills than many of us could ever comprehend. With your intelligence, confidence and nursing skills, you make a huge difference in the lives of all you care for, in a way that no other nurse can. You are the true definition of success in nursing. Thank you for doing what some of us, including myself, will never be able to accomplish.

All Hail ICU Nurses!

I may have to change my entire career so I don't get stuck doing old people nursing for the rest of my life. 16 months = enough already!

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I have gotten at least 10 rejections from the employer I am trying to gain a nursing job at! There's a very real possibility I will never work in one of their ICUs!!! Therefore, congratulations to those who are able to do so because it certainly does not seem to be in my future!!!!

Perhaps this should be telling you something. Have you broadened your horizons beyond just this one employer? You know what they say about putting all your eggs in one basket.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I may have to change my entire career so I don't get stuck doing old people nursing for the rest of my life. 16 months = enough already!

If you are unhappy, then yes, YOU must make a change. It isn't going to happen on its own.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
I may have to change my entire career so I don't get stuck doing old people nursing for the rest of my life. 16 months = enough already!

I'm truly sorry you feel that way. It's really sad.

Edited to add: I've gone from feeling sad to feeling physically ill. I'm going to bow out now.

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Specializes in Psychiatric and emergency nursing.
I may have to change my entire career so I don't get stuck doing old people nursing for the rest of my life. 16 months = enough already!

I'm going to assume you mean geriatric nursing here, and respond to this while shaking my head in disbelief. While geriatric nursing is not my forte per se, there is nothing about the care of the elderly that is beneath me, and taking care of these special patients requires a skill set I don't have (rock on gero nurses!). I've also found that, while doing my psych NP clinicals, elderly patients still possessing all of their faculties are treasure troves of knowledge and wisdom, and even those whose cheese has slid off of their crackers a bit can still be funny and feisty, and totally worthy of a good conversation or two. I find I may also be doing you a service in reminding you that, unless PAS and euthanasia gain a bigger foothold, you too one day will be old.

I have gotten at least 10 rejections from the employer I am trying to gain a nursing job at! There's a very real possibility I will never work in one of their ICUs!!! Therefore, congratulations to those who are able to do so because it certainly does not seem to be in my future!!!!

Please stop with the woe is me here. You may not be a good fit for the ICU... you may not be hitting it off with unit managers... you may not have the necessary qualifications. Whatever the reason, you seem to be shooting yourself in the foot by constantly applying to units that have rejected you 10 times, and not looking for opportunities elsewhere. As others have suggested, try branching out to different facilities or apply to different units within your current hospital. There is nothing about working ER, psych, med-surg, ortho, etc. that should be beneath you, so why don't you try giving one of those a go? You may find that one of these may be more up your alley than the ICU you seem so desperate to work in, and they all come with a unique set of challenges and opportunities to learn. If you're still dead set on the ICU, take it upon yourself to earn your BLS, ACLS, and your TNCC if you can afford them, as they will make you more marketable for hire on an acute care unit. There are constructive ways to improve your current situation. Simply bemoaning your current job is not one of the ways to go about it.

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I'm going to assume you mean geriatric nursing here, and respond to this while shaking my head in disbelief. While geriatric nursing is not my forte per se, there is nothing about the care of the elderly that is beneath me, and taking care of these special patients requires a skill set I don't have (rock on gero nurses!). I've also found that, while doing my psych NP clinicals, elderly patients still possessing all of their faculties are treasure troves of knowledge and wisdom, and even those whose cheese has slid off of their crackers a bit can still be funny and feisty, and totally worthy of a good conversation or two. I find I may also be doing you a service in reminding you that, unless PAS and euthanasia gain a bigger foothold, you too one day will be old.

I have gotten at least 10 rejections from the employer I am trying to gain a nursing job at! There's a very real possibility I will never work in one of their ICUs!!! Therefore, congratulations to those who are able to do so because it certainly does not seem to be in my future!!!!

Please stop with the woe is me here. You may not be a good fit for the ICU... you may not be hitting it off with unit managers... you may not have the necessary qualifications. Whatever the reason, you seem to be shooting yourself in the foot by constantly applying to units that have rejected you 10 times, and not looking for opportunities elsewhere. As others have suggested, try branching out to different facilities or apply to different units within your current hospital. There is nothing about working ER, psych, med-surg, ortho, etc. that should be beneath you, so why don't you try giving one of those a go? You may find that one of these may be more up your alley than the ICU you seem so desperate to work in, and they all come with a unique set of challenges and opportunities to learn. If you're still dead set on the ICU, take it upon yourself to earn your BLS, ACLS, and your TNCC if you can afford them, as they will make you more marketable for hire on an acute care unit. There are constructive ways to improve your current situation. Simply bemoaning your current job is not one of the ways to go about it.

Problem is, I've been applying to other jobs that aren't in ICU. Many other jobs. I've probably sent in 30 or 40 applications to this employer, with only one interview that didn't result in a job. I'm willing to work lower acuity jobs until I can get up to ICU but that doesn't even seem to be happening. The longer this keeps going, the more grave danger I'm in of staying where I'm at and never advancing. At this point, I may have no choice but to take a full time position at my current nursing job, which would decrease my chances even more so of getting a job at the employer I desire. I wish I knew what successful nurses are doing right.

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Specializes in Mental health, substance abuse, geriatrics, PCU.
Problem is, I've been applying to other jobs that aren't in ICU. Many other jobs. I've probably sent in 30 or 40 applications to this employer, with only one interview that didn't result in a job. I'm willing to work lower acuity jobs until I can get up to ICU but that doesn't even seem to be happening. The longer this keeps going, the more grave danger I'm in of staying where I'm at and never advancing. At this point, I may have no choice but to take a full time position at my current nursing job, which would decrease my chances even more so of getting a job at the employer I desire. I wish I knew what successful nurses are doing right.

You have a terrible attitude. I wouldn't hire you either.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Problem is, I've been applying to other jobs that aren't in ICU. Many other jobs. I've probably sent in 30 or 40 applications to this employer, with only one interview that didn't result in a job. I'm willing to work lower acuity jobs until I can get up to ICU but that doesn't even seem to be happening. The longer this keeps going, the more grave danger I'm in of staying where I'm at and never advancing. At this point, I may have no choice but to take a full time position at my current nursing job, which would decrease my chances even more so of getting a job at the employer I desire. I wish I knew what successful nurses are doing right.

You need to expand your search beyond one employer. 30-40 rejections should tell you this employer is not interested in you as a nurse. Move on, or continue to be miserable. Your choice.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

Wow, thanks for slamming every other speciality in nursing.

Now I can clearly see it is your personality.

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You need to expand your search beyond one employer. 30-40 rejections should tell you this employer is not interested in you as a nurse. Move on, or continue to be miserable. Your choice.

I actually have looked at other employers and so far the SNF I work at is "winning." There has been no other interest. My intent with working at the SNF and my job at my other employer was that I would get a year experience at the SNF, and then move on to a nursing position at the employer at which I am an ECG tech at. That is why I have applied so many times, as that is my preferred employer. 16 months in, and my plan is not falling into place.

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Wow, thanks for slamming every other speciality in nursing.

Now I can clearly see it is your personality.

It wasn't my intent to insult every single other type of nurse. Unfortunately, I am obsessed with critical care/ICU nursing and tend to get carried away with it. You're right, though, it is sort of a personality issue of mine--I get fixated on one thing and tend to put it on a pedestal where maybe it doesn't belong.

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