I'm a new graduate nearing the end of my orientation at my first job on a busy Stepdown unit at my local hospital. Although we don't deal with vents, we do most every common gtt (cardizem, dopamine, insulin, nitro etc...) and I'd say we have a pretty high acuity. It's not uncommon to have a code or near code situation on our unit during the night, and often times they don't even get called because we have the resources to manage them.
I know my topic of "things I wish someone would've told me when I was a new-grad" is a common question on allnurses, but my goal is to narrow this strictly to clinical facts that you have learned over the years.
For example, "Don't give dopamine to someone who is dehydrated. First replace volume, then the drug will help B/P otherwise you'll make them tachy and worse."
I posted this in Critical care because I think I will get the best and most relevant responses from you all. So finally I ask, what do you wish you would've known when you were a new-grad?... strictly clinical.
