Best prep for ICU

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I am a Neuro, Tele, PCU RN working on the same unit for 16 months. I want to move to ICU, but prefer to broaden my scope to include CVICU, as my current hospital does not have a Neuro ICU. Would you go to another hospital with Neuro ICU to start in ICU or apply to CVICU? Should I work as floor nurse in a cardio unit before making the jump if my only choice is CVICU/MICU? Looking for advice...Thanks!!

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Specializes in Cardiac/Transplant ICU, Critical Care.

I would say that getting experience on a cardiac surgery step-down will help, but is not absolutely necessary since you already have the tele experience. I currently work in a Cardiac/Transplant ICU in a top 10 hospital in the country, that being said I highly recommend getting experience in a CVICU. The reason for that is our ICU can take overflow from every other unit (CCU, MICU, SICU, NICU) in the hospital but the other units are unable to take all of our pts especially the sick ones i.e. (ECMO, Balloon Pump, VAD, Tandem, Impella etc). If you can learn, hang, and flourish in a CVICU, you will have the tools necessary to be successful on any other unit.

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You can also take the ACCN course called Essentials of Critical Care Nursing (ECCO).

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Don't worry about stepdown, go for ICU if you can get it.

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Thanks for the different insights. I was not aware of CVICU being a take all if necessary. Sounds like learning opportunities for me.. I just happened to float to the PCU cardiac/tele unit the other night and had the usual drips. But I received a transfer pt from another hospital that they were going to start on Tikosyn drip, which would have been new to me. But I was covering a night shift, so they weren't going to start the drip till the cardiologist came in to see patient in AM.. darn!!

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