CICU vs Shock Trauma ICU

[Piranahhh, ASN, BSN]

I'm currently a new grad nurse (6 months in, the settings would only let me select two years in my bio haha so ignore that) working in a pediatric CICU at a level one trauma center. I think I'm set on going to CRNA school and applying next fall/Winter. Where I work is quite far away from where I live (almost an hour), and I don't love the people I work with. The patients we take care of are VERY sick and I have no doubt that it would prepare me for CRNA school (in my knowledge) but because it is peds and I live so far, I am thinking of transferring. There is a trauma level one center (the biggest in my state actually) only 20 minutes from my house in the same hospital chain but it's only adults. They have six ICU's: CICU, Shock trauma ICU, Neuro ICU, NICU, Respiratory ICU and Thoracic ICU. I am thinking of transferring once I've hit my year mark to either the CICU there or shock trauma. I think shock trauma would be the most interesting but I'm not sure it will prepare me (knowledge wise for CRNA school). This shock trauma unit was actually my dream job in school but they don't hire new grads, but I could always transfer! I'm wondering if the CICU will look better on a resume. However, their Thoracic ICU job listing says they take care of those on ECMO, CRRT, LVAD, RVAD, Impella, etc, not sure what that leaves remaining for the CICU at this hospital to take care of...I mean, I do but it takes a good chunk away for the CICU patients (as on my current peds cicu, we take care of the patients that are on these machines on top of everything else). It says quote "our patients are predominantly surgical in nature". Im definitely leaning towards shock trauma. But What are your thoughts on what will prepare me best?

[UNF2016, BSN]

I am presently in Anesthesia School here in Florida.  I have worked in Trauma ICU, Medical ICU, CVICU, Neuro ICU, ECMO ICU. But the unit that prepares you best for Anesthesia School is CVICU.  As a CVICU nurse, you manage complex cardiac surgical patients and require a deeper understanding of medications and hemodynamics. Think about it, when a patient comes from a open heart surgerie, they are on multiple drips, Levophed, Epinephrine, Milrinone, Dobutamine, Propofol, Precedex, etc. They are on the vent, has multiple chest tubes, with Swanz connected to the monitor showing their SVR, CVP, PA Pressure, Cardiac Index, Cardiac output, SV02... See? This patient is the most difficult to manage and help prepare for Anesthesia School 

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

IMHO, it doesn't make any difference.  In the real world, anesthesia will be considered pretty bread and butter considering the level of care you are providing to patients in either of your intensive care units.  CICU will be a very slight edge because you will learn some more lingo of your cardiac physiology classes in anesthesia school.  But I believe the edge is slight and either place will be a great experience.  Go where you would rather work.  You may not get into school on the first try and have to spend another year there before you apply again.  That hour commute sucks.

[Lipoma, BSN, RN]

UNF2016 said:

I am presently in Anesthesia School here in Florida.  I have worked in Trauma ICU, Medical ICU, CVICU, Neuro ICU, ECMO ICU. But the unit that prepares you best for Anesthesia School is CVICU.  As a CVICU nurse, you manage complex cardiac surgical patients and require a deeper understanding of medications and hemodynamics. Think about it, when a patient comes from a open heart surgerie, they are on multiple drips, Levophed, Epinephrine, Milrinone, Dobutamine, Propofol, Precedex, etc. They are on the vent, has multiple chest tubes, with Swanz connected to the monitor showing their SVR, CVP, PA Pressure, Cardiac Index, Cardiac output, SV02... See? This patient is the most difficult to manage and help prepare for Anesthesia School 

I'm not CVICU but I am CCU/CICU and get patients on these gtts in addition to Swanz, vents, CRRT, IABP, TTM, chest tubes, and the occasional impella. Even recover the occasional TAVR patients. SAVR, ECMO, and other impella cases go to the heart bed in the MICU. If the OP is interested in cardiac surgical cases then CVICU is where they should go, if they're interested in cardiac medical patients, then CCU/CICU would be the place. However, the OP should choose an area they are willing to learn in. Coming from the ED, I was not interested in the trauma ICU so I didn't go there. Neuro is my least favorite subject so that wasn't even a thought for me. Shock reminds me of trauma and I'm not interested in peds so NICU was also not a thought (most schools don't even accept NICU or PICU experience) which is weird since it is I C U. Some Anesthesia school might say they have a preference but if you look at a global scale, all adult ICU experience will prepare you for the basics.