Who went straight to ICU after getting your BSN

Specialties CRNA

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NeuroICURN

377 Posts

Specializes in Neurology, Neurosurgerical & Trauma ICU.

Skip the med-surge!!! Whoever said that ICU nurses have a different mentality than floor nurses hit it right on the nose! It's easier to train you to be an ICU nurse straight out of school, rather than try to break all those bad habits of floor nursing later.

Go for it! I did and it's worked wonderfully for me and many I know.

P.S. Those who say go to med-surge first are stuck in the "old-ways" of thinking!

zrmorgan

198 Posts

Specializes in CRNA, ICU,ER,Cathlab, PACU.

fortunately the shortage allows us to go straight to ICU...can't say that I missed anything by skipping med-surg, but I wouldnt know, and now dont care since I am where I wanted to be all along.

get into an ICU, learn as much as possible, and get into anesthesia school as soon as possible. the ICU was fun though.

skipaway

502 Posts

Skip the med-surg!!! Whoever said that ICU nurses have a different mentality hit it right on the nose! It's easier to train you to be an ICU nurse straight out of school rather than try to break all those bad habits of floor nursing later.

P.S. Those who say go to med-surg first are stuck in the "old ways" of thinking!

NeuroICU:

So far no one has said to go to the floor. An opinion was expressed on how I believed it helped my progression as a nurse and how I believe it helped me in the ICU and subsequently, as a CRNA. You do a disservice to a lot of nurses who work incredibly hard taking care of more patients then you'll ever see at one time and doing the best they can. I'm not sure what "bad habits" they bring when they finally decide to go the the "hallowed" ground that is ICU nursing. There certainly is a difference in thinking when you have to take care of 10 patients, correctly, without mistakes than when you only have 1 or 2. So, ease off on those nurses. If it wasn't for their excellent care, where whould it leave the majority of people who are not in critical condition? Floor nursing is not "old thinking," it's just a different way of getting to the same goal, patient wellness and discharge. IMHO

skipaway

mayberry

37 Posts

Go for the ICU...my suggestion/advise, if your preceptor is not working WITH you and FOR you then demand to work with another. There is nothing worse than being precepted by someone who is making your life miserable (been there, done that, VERY unpleasant :imbar )....nothing that drives me up the proverbial wall than nurses eating thier own, esp. new grads and students.

LadyBugLass

90 Posts

I agree...don't slam the floor nurses, or any nurse for that matter. It's ALL hard, whether it's a nursing home or the best ICU in the world. I worked at my hospital as an aide on the med-surg floor for 3 years before I was a paramedic, and it was really intense. I learned so much there. In fact, I think your assessment skills are much sharper on the floor, because you don't have any machines or lines or numbers telling you that your patient is starting to go down the tubes.

It's just a matter of math. 1-2 patients who can't even breathe on their own, or 10 patients who are up and moving around and are more likely to be actively recovering and discharged soon.

ICU is about learning about the more technical side of nursing; ALOT of monitoring and machines and numbers to juggle. And I do mean ALOT. If you feel good about the basic things that all patients need (like skin care and assessments and medication administration, etc.), then the ICU will not be "too much" for you.

Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.
... all those bad habits of floor nursing ...

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

PROPOFOL

13 Posts

post removed by Moderator

KacyLynnRN

303 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg.

edited by a Moderator

skipaway

502 Posts

edited by Moderater.

DC2RN

99 Posts

I just graduated with an ADN and just passed the NCLEX. I am starting to look for a job. I know it is easy to get a job as a RN. How competitive is it to get into ICU New Graduate orientations?

Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Oh, oh! What the heck happened above?

Remember boys and girls: let's play nice. Don't take these posts personally. Everybody's got her / his own point-of-view.

NeuroICURN

377 Posts

Specializes in Neurology, Neurosurgerical & Trauma ICU.

Ok, geez...I apologize...I really didn't mean for it to come across like it did!! I agree that I should have posted more carefully...chalk it up to exhaustion!

What I was referring to (if you reread what I wrote) was the OP who mentioned that floor nurses and ICU nurses have different "mentality".

I was not in any way trying to "slam" floor nurses. Comparing the two jobs are like comparing apples and oranges. They are both busy, but in different ways.

However, the one thing I will not apologize for is my statement regarding people thinking that you have to do med surge for a year. What I said was this: People who think that you HAVE to do one year of floor nursing before going to an ICU are stuck in an "old way" of thinking.

So, put away your :angryfire . You're not gonna get a rise out of me.

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