cardiovascular ICU new hire

Specialties CCU

Published

I am so excited/nervous to have officially accepted a position in CVICU! I have 9 months experience in Cardiac PCU and decided I wanted the challenge of this career move. I'd love any advice, book recommendations, etc, for a newer nurse in the CVICU setting. (This was my dream job since nursing school!)

Background on the hospital: Level 1 trauma, specializes in heart/lung transplants, ECMO, Lvads/Impella's. I will have 3 months of orientation and classes throughout my time on the unit on topics surrounding critical care.

Thank you all in advance!

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I am so excited/nervous to have officially accepted a position in CVICU! I have 9 months experience in Cardiac PCU and decided I wanted the challenge of this career move. I'd love any advice, book recommendations, etc, for a newer nurse in the CVICU setting. (This was my dream job since nursing school!)

Background on the hospital: Level 1 trauma, specializes in heart/lung transplants, ECMO, Lvads/Impella's. I will have 3 months of orientation and classes throughout my time on the unit on topics surrounding critical care.

Thank you all in advance!

Congratulations on your new job!

I'd say see all of your friends, catch the latest movies and have some fun in the sun now, because when you start the new job you'll be studying at home. (Or at least you should be!) You'll get hand-outs and reading assignments in classes. If you're in Cardiac PCU, you know the patient population and probably the providers as well. Make sure you know your rhythms, your ACLS protocols and if you get a chance to read journal articles on ECMO, transplants and VADs, have a look at them. But have fun now and be prepared to study!

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Specializes in ICU, CVICU, E.R..

Good luck! You'll enjoy it there and learn a lot!

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Be proactive in understanding your patients care and plan. Ask the docs, "I'm new here, can you help me understand my patients picture a little better? Why are we doing xyz... or what are we doing about abc." Most docs love to teach and those that dont will still answer ur question and you will learn not to ask them next time ?

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