Hello all! This thread is basically a big rant. hahaha. Well! I went into this profession with the ulitmate goal of becoming a CRNA. I've wanted it ever since the beginning. I will be starting my BSN program in the fall. I already have my ADN and am working in a med/surg ICU. During the next 2 years, I have to finish my degree, take the GRE, take a chemistry/stats class, take CCRN, and start the grad classes before I even apply......which will be in the spring of 2010. I plan to start the grad classes before I get an interview which would hopefully be in the fall of 2010. By that time I should have almost 3 years of ICU experience. Here's the thing. The ICU is soooooo depressing. None of our people end up getting better unless they're overflows. The staff is so rude and they don't help you at all. Ha, but they will criticize your every move......ESPECIALLY if you're new like me. I feel like I don't really know that much yet. I've only been in the ICU for 3 months. I don't know. I guess I'm just feeling down right now. I just wish that I could get it all now but I have to play the waiting game. People tell me that it is sooooo normal to feel overwhelmed in the ICU especially as a new grad but I just want to understand things. I do my research if I have questions, but I just wish that I could be super smart like these other ladies on my unit. Of course, their experience backgrounds range from 3-10 years. So, right now I am not enjoying my time in the ICU. I know this sounds bad, but I just want to learn everything I can and "do my time" so I can get the great experience that I need. I have a friend who is a CRNA and she told me that she HATED working in the ICU so it is normal to feel that way. One girl who worked on the unit hated the ICU so much that she dedicated all of her time and energy to meet the pre-reqs for CRNA school and got in eventually. I just wanted to hear your thoughts!!! To my aspiring CRNAs or CRNAs, did you like working in the ICU?? Be honest! :) Thanks for stopping by! :)
I've worked in a variety of critical care settings and there are always things that I don't enjoy about the work. Certainly having coworkers who point out your mistakes and don't help makes for difficult work conditions. I agree with the other posts. If you can change to a different unit, do so. There is a big enough nursing shortage that finding work in another ICU should be a reasonable thing to do. If not, then take advantage of every little bit of learning you can do on even chronic, end-stage patients. Find a physician who likes to explain and teach and bombard him/her with questions. Every little bit of learning helps and will only boost your confidence and knowledge.
I am currently in MICU/SICU (mostly MICU pt) and I HATE it... I really wanted to work in CVICU but they would not accept any new grads.
When I graduated I was also told no new grads in CVICU - I worked for a few months in ICU, busted my tush, and went to the manager and asked for the opportunity to work CVICU because I had a passion for it and I was willing to work hard to succeed. The manager got a kick out of me being so assertive and allowed me to transfer. I spent 7 wonderful years in that unit and truly enjoyed it. It cant hurt to try!
I started out ina MICU about 10 years ago and hated it so much I went to a nursing home to work after a year of ICU. My coworkers were very experienced and really didn't have time to train me. I didn't feel wanted at all. I have since returned to ICU and love all of it. My first impression of your situation is to find another job; it does get better. Learn everything you can. If something is going on with one of the patients ask questions. Look everything up in a book if you can't get answers. You will begin to irritate people but you need to find some way to like ICU. It is so awesome to learn critical care. The best thing about it for me is the independence and respect I get from physicians. I can call one of them at 3 am and tell them what I need and they say OK. It did take me 10 years to get to this point though. I am slowly working on my BSN and want to be a CRNA asap! I would say try to stick it out for a few more months and then if things aren't better find another ICU. There are hundreds of jobs for ICU nurses. Start studying to become a CCRN now too, that will help you learn why you are doing what you are doing. :wink2:
This is off the AACN website regarding ccrn eligiblity
"Critical care practice as a registered nurse is required for 1,750 hours in direct bedside care of (adult, neonatal or pediatric) acutely or critically ill patients during the 2-year period preceding date of application, with 875 of those hours accrued in the most recent year preceding application. All 1,750 hours must be in care of same patient population (for example, for the adult CCRN exam, all 1,750 hours must be caring for acutely/critically ill adult patients). Clinical practice hours accrued in an undergraduate student role are NOT acceptable."
I studied off and on for a few years before I was brave enough to take the test but you can never start studying too soon. It's been a few years ago that I became CCRN certified but i think you are required to have enough hours in (equal to 1 year in icu) experience before you can take the test. This might not be accurate. Your employer has to verify this so you can send it in to AACN. The AACN website has a lot of valuable information. They used to have a blueprint that you could use as a study guide to prepare for the test. Check out the AACN's website it has some great info on it. I am a member of the AACN and they have so many cool benefits....you should look into that too. www.aacn.org
Nope - you need a lot more hours of bedside to qualify. See below:
CLINICAL PRACTICE ELIGIBILITY
Critical care practice as a registered nurse is required for 1,750 hours in direct bedside care of (adult, neonatal or pediatric) acutely or critically ill patients during the 2-year period preceding date of application, with 875 of those hours accrued in the most recent year preceding application. All 1,750 hours must be in care of same patient population (for example, for the adult CCRN exam, all 1,750 hours must be caring for acutely/critically ill adult patients). Clinical practice hours accrued in an undergraduate student role are NOT acceptable. Nurses serving as manager, educator (in-service or academic), CNS or preceptor may now apply their hours spent supervising nursing students or nurses at the bedside. Nurses in these roles must be actively involved in caring for patients at the bedside; for example, demonstrating how to measure pulmonary artery pressures or supervising a new employee or student nurse performing a procedure.
Do I like cleaning up patients, dealing with some obnoxious/threatening family members, babysitting and getting grabbed/kicked by confused patients? No. Do I enjoy working short-staffed? (Taking care of 3 vented patients?) Do I enjoy have very few senior staff to look to for support? No. Do I like working every other weekend? No!
But do I like taking care of a fresh heart/AAA - very sick, titrating drips, giving multiple blood products, etc. Be able to critically think. Helping a patient/family die with dignity. Supporting my co-workers. Yes. Those things I like. Unfortunately, you can't pick and choose what you do. The negatives outweigh the positives.
I've been working in the ICU's for the past 9 years. The first year was the worst and the scariest. The anxiety level when getting dressed, driving to work, clocking in and finally walking into the unit was CRAZY! This was the my first year in the MICU of a major county hospital in South Florida. If you took 18 of the sickest patients, one from each of the hospitals in your Tri-county area and put them on one unit then this would describe what I walked into daily. However it makes you stronger and it builds character. You are always going to have co-workers that make your days at work a little uneasy. The way past that is to focus on your goal everyday and then visualize yourself delivering your post-op patient to them as a CRNA. The work in the ICU is tough emotionally and physically. Sometimes I wonder how some older nurses do this for 15 and 20 years. Get all of that experience and don't forget because it is invaluable. Once a CRNA you will never go back to bedside and you just might wish that you grabbed a little more along the way. I think passing the CCRN will take a little more than 3 months. It depends on if you are just studying to pass a test or absorbing everything at work for the sake of gaining confidence and increasing your knowledge base. The latter will make passing the CCRN soooooooo much easier.
I've been working in the ICU's for the past 9 years. The first year was the worst and the scariest. The anxiety level when getting dressed, driving to work, clocking in and finally walking into the unit was CRAZY! This was the my first year in the MICU of a major county hospital in South Florida. If you took 18 of the sickest patients, one from each of the hospitals in your Tri-county area and put them on one unit then this would describe what I walked into daily. However it makes you stronger and it builds character. You are always going to have co-workers that make your days at work a little uneasy. The way past that is to focus on your goal everyday and then visualize yourself delivering your post-op patient to them as a CRNA. The work in the ICU is tough emotionally and physically. Sometimes I wonder how some older nurses do this for 15 and 20 years. Get all of that experience and don't forget because it is invaluable. Once a CRNA you will never go back to bedside and you just might wish that you grabbed a little more along the way. I think passing the CCRN will take a little more than 3 months. It depends on if you are just studying to pass a test or absorbing everything at work for the sake of gaining confidence and increasing your knowledge base. The latter will make passing the CCRN soooooooo much easier.
foxyhill21
429 Posts
I am currently in MICU/SICU (mostly MICU pt) and I HATE it... I really wanted to work in CVICU but they would not accept any new grads.