Ccu, Cvicu, Micu

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Specializes in CNA.

What is CCU, CIVCU and a MICU? Is it kind of the same as an ICU? When CRNA programs require ICU acute care experience for a year, can you also do CCU, CIVCU, and MICU? for a year?

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Specializes in Cardiac ICU, L&D.

well, ccu usually stands for critical care unit (i believe) cvicu- cardiovascular instensive care unit and micu-med-surg icu ...hope this helps:up:

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Specializes in Cardiac ICU, L&D.
well, ccu usually stands for critical care unit (i believe) cvicu- cardiovascular instensive care unit and micu-med-surg icu ...hope this helps:up:

and as far as i heard crna schools love the cvicu, but that does not mean it is a sure thing.

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CCU stands for Cardiac Care Unit or Coronary Care Unit

ICU stands for Intesive Care Unit

CVICU stands for Cardiovascualr Intensive Care Unit.

CCU is less of a surgical unit and deals more with people that have had MI's and possibly recovering caths and such once in awhile.

ICU is going to be your Traumas, GSW's, Stabbings, and the unit for general surgery

CVICU.........is the Big stuff............the open hearts, ballon pumps, LVADS, Fast paced dying patiens trying to code on you that are bleeding from every body orfice. Most commonly, CVICU has the largest population with swans so the Hemodynamic expericence is great here.

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CCU stands for Cardiac Care Unit or Coronary Care Unit

ICU stands for Intesive Care Unit

CVICU stands for Cardiovascualr Intensive Care Unit.

CCU is less of a surgical unit and deals more with people that have had MI's and possibly recovering caths and such once in awhile.

ICU is going to be your Traumas, GSW's, Stabbings, and the unit for general surgery

CVICU.........is the Big stuff............the open hearts, ballon pumps, LVADS, Fast paced dying patiens trying to code on you that are bleeding from every body orfice. Most commonly, CVICU has the largest population with swans so the Hemodynamic expericence is great here.

Im a CCU nurse, depending on where you work, how big the facility is (if its a big teaching hospital or not), you do get post-cath pts with IABPs, PA catheters, Pre-CABG pts, pts with cardiogenic shock on multiple pressors, and stage iv Heart failure patients. But besides that we also get a mix of MICU pts who are in septic shock. But thats in a big teaching hospital/ level 1 trauma center.

The bigger the hospital, the more the specialization of ICU's.

We have a CTICU (Cardio-Thoracic ICU-recovering hearts-pressors and PA cath's), SICU (surgical-ICU and Trauma-good for post op), BICU (Burn-ICU-good for fluid status), MICU (Good for Medicine pt's), and Neuro-ICU.

Each one has it's pros and cons.

My advice to you is to get experience in the sickest unit of the hospital. Whether it be SICU, Neuro-ICU, CVICU, MICU, or CCU.

Most programs like the Cardiovascular ICU-like some people on this thread said, contact the directors for each program and find out if they have any preference for the ICU they like and take it from there.

Good luck!!!

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Thanks for clearing that up, also...what do u guys suggest as the best experience for CRNA aspirants, SICU, trauma/neuro, or open heart unit....i have to choose one for being interviewed...

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I am also currently debating b/w SICU, Trauma/Neuro or Oper heart unit. how wud i know which has the sickest patient? Also i plan to work for atleast 2 years then apply to as many schools around me, so inquiring from each director doesn't seems feasible. My personal reading at this forum point towards SICU as the most preferred one, but i am still debating...what do u guys suggest for a "critical care Float pool", if i take that position, i wud be assigned to everywhere from sicu, micu, burn, trauma/neuro, and neuroscience...or i can try for cardiac float pool which covers open heart and ccu....gosh lot of choices...wud appreciate ur valuable input guys!!

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I am still debating between sicu, trauma/neuro, and open heart. i am being interviewed for a critical care float pool where they wud assign me to micu, sicu, trauma/neuro, neuroscience....or i can try for the cardiac float pool which covers open heart and ccu....my reading at this forums suggest SICU as the most desirable for all crna programs...can anybody concur this....any and all suggestions wud be appreciated guys..thanks!!

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Thanks for clearing that up, also...what do u guys suggest as the best experience for CRNA aspirants, SICU, trauma/neuro, or open heart unit....i have to choose one for being interviewed...

Best advice I can give.....it really doesn't matter which unit you work in, but rather how high the acuity is of that unit. Many people will tell you that anesthesia schools prefer cardiac units. Typically those are people who work in CVICU telling you that! :chuckle But seriously, let's say you work CVICU in a low acuity unit where you rarely have intubated pt's, no swans, etc. Then you really aren't getting the exposures you want. The schools look for lots of experience with hemodynamics, swans, vents, potent drips, etc. Also, many units have rapid turnovers and only see the pt through the immediate post-op period before shipping them off, so you often don't get to experience the long-term care of critically unstable pt's. I worked my whole career in trauma and neuro ICU. None of the schools I applied to had any issue with my working in a neuroICU at all because my experience was all in level I and II trauma centers. Also, in our units we used swans, vents, Bio-Z, BIS, EVD's, potent gtts, CVVHD, etc. all the time. We also managed a lot of organ donor's, pregnancy in brain death, etc. so the experience was very well rounded. Just pick the area of practice that interests you most, be it neuro, cardiac, medical, etc. and then find a job in a high acuity unit....you will be fine.....:up:

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I am also currently debating b/w SICU, Trauma/Neuro or Oper heart unit. how wud i know which has the sickest patient? Also i plan to work for atleast 2 years then apply to as many schools around me, so inquiring from each director doesn't seems feasible. My personal reading at this forum point towards SICU as the most preferred one, but i am still debating...what do u guys suggest for a "critical care Float pool", if i take that position, i wud be assigned to everywhere from sicu, micu, burn, trauma/neuro, and neuroscience...or i can try for cardiac float pool which covers open heart and ccu....gosh lot of choices...wud appreciate ur valuable input guys!!

Oh, forgot to comment on this.....float pools are good for ICU nurses who are already experienced but not so much for those looking to learn. Why? Typically float nurses are given the lowest acuity patients. The units usually give the really sick patients to their own tried-and-true staff first. You are better off sticking to one unit in the beginning. However, once you are experienced you can change. I was working in a level I trauma center float pool when I was accepted into anesthesia school, but already had over 14 years experience.

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Specializes in CNA.

thank you for clearing that up. I was getting confused and wondering what the heck all this stuff is. ALl of these things would look good on the schools your trying to apply with no matter what right?

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Specializes in CNA.

Does it matter which one you take? What would colleges prefer or what would you prefer for a Rn to take for a acute year of expierence? DOes it really matter in much?

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