All it takes to be an ICU nurse?

hcox1975, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2010

I like to know why we do certain things too, and there are people on your unit you will learn to trust. I also carry post it notes in my pocket and write things down to look up later.

manusko · Oct 27, 2010

So I am close to finishing my orientation to an ICU. My night manager said to me "What we are looking for to let you off orientation is safe nursing practice and seeing that you know who to go to for help. You don't have to know everything or even know why a certain thing happens but if you know who to ask that's the more important part."
Do you find this to be mostly true? I am the type of person who wants to know everything and it makes me really nervous when I don't understand something or how something is done.

Yeah it did seem to be true for myself and many others as well. I had 3 month orientation and then was on my own. I had great nurses who I knew to go to with my many questions. I also did not get the harder patients to start off and had to earn that right when they trusted me more and more. Started in May and was getting the harder patients by November.

hcox1975, BSN, RN · Nov 4, 2010

I too wouldn't take the harder patients when I first started. If you can choose your assignment, I would listen to report and try to choose a patient that you were comfortable with. I also would try to go back to the same assignment if possible because I was familiar with the patient and their family. We have a split partner that we share a patient with and I would also choose an experienced nurse to split with. I work nights and my unit works really good together so we are usually not alone when we get new admits or have a critical situation.

silentRN · Nov 5, 2010

I've come to realize that no one knows anything about anything. The MDs guess, we guess...and sometimes we may learn something from it for the next time :)

mpccrn, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2011

Yep, that's mostly true. While it's great to understand why things are happening, it's not a realistic goal for any new grad. Know it's better to ask first then fix something later. Know who you can trust to guide you as you continue to learn. Know it's OK to be afraid, but fear cannot stop you from doing what is needed to save your patient's life....and listen! Listen to the stories, they hold valuable information, listen to the dumb things we did when we first started out, listen to the docs talking, it hold valuable tid bits.