New grads shouldn't work in ICU?

Specialties Critical

Published

I graduated in May and was hired in a small town four bed ICU/IMC unit. I previously have experience in a 20 bed neurological ICU unit as a nurse extern, so I have some experience in critical care. I recently have heard from many I work with that I should not have been hired in the ICU as a new grad and that there is no way I'll be ready to work by myself since I need nursing experience before I gain critical thinking skills. This is extremely frustrating to me since I know I would be a capable and safe nurse in this unit working by myself, and my manager agrees. Any suggestions on how I can handle this negative feedback or has anyone experienced the same thing?

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Specializes in ICU.

I can definitely see their point of view. Honestly, you don't even know what you don't know and a more experienced ICU nurse can run circles around you in terms of avoiding complications before they even rear their ugly head. However, to be fair to you it is a small ICU, you probably won't get many 'sicker than snot' patients :nailbiting:, and the cases that you will see you will handle just fine. Show confidence in your abilities and as always, be a sponge when you do see new things.

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Ignore them and prove them wrong.

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I just started my first job in an 18 bed CVU/ICU. Prove those people wrong and knock them dead!

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Thank you everyone for the feedback!

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I started out in a specialty unit ((LDRP). I graduated with honors, sigma theta tau, took extra clinical courses through an additional collage, took a beginning midwifery course separate from my nursing courses, and became a certified doula during nursing school. There are your average students and your above average students. Some new grads do great in specialty units while others do better starting in med/surg. To make a blanket statement that new grads should not start out in specialty units is saying all new grads are equal; (I don't know how to say this without being rude) but that simply is not true.

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I started out in a specialty unit ((LDRP). I graduated with honors, sigma theta tau, took extra clinical courses through an additional collage, took a beginning midwifery course separate from my nursing courses, and became a certified doula during nursing school. There are your average students and your above average students. Some new grads do great in specialty units while others do better starting in med/surg. To make a blanket statement that new grads should not start out in specialty units is saying all new grads are equal; (I don't know how to say this without being rude) but that simply is not true.

To be fair, graduating with honors and taking extra clinical courses/certification courses also does not indicate anything about your ability to function clinically in any setting. My nursing class had many stellar *academic* students that just weren't confident or adept when it came to performing skills or thinking on their toes in the clinical setting. It seems as though you are somewhat "blanketting" the topic as well...

Clarification: I do agree with your point that not all students or new grads are the same; I also started in ICU Step Down and did just fine. Classmates of mine started in TICU and also did well. I disagreed with your argument as to why this is true, however.

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Specializes in Surgery, Trauma, Medicine, Neuro ICU.

One of our trauma surgeons holds that belief and is VERY vocal about it. On my very first day in the unit (straight out of nursing school, BTDubs) he told me I didn't belong there and should go work med-surg to learn assessment skills and that I'd need to do a lot of reading. He was so rude his intern came and apologized to me later.

I asked him what he thought I needed to read (Marino by the way...ICU Book) and now I'm one of his favorite nurses and we're pretty good friends AND he told his residents I was smart once - I almost fell down from standing. Then reminded him of the day he told me I shouldn't be there.

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Ignore them you dont have to have experience to be a good learner or performer. Just have the desire to learn everything and apply it safely from your new job. You sound like you want to jump in and become a novie. In my 15 years of nursing ive seen it all from nurse with and without experience and im here to tell you it was the ones that didnt get complasive. Ignore them and find your confidence. Once you do they will back off. I couldnt image being negative to someone wanting to go into nursing and a new grad at that.

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I meant novice nurseI meant novice nurse.

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Specializes in PACU, presurgical testing.

My cousin started right into the icu at a huge teaching hospital and has been there ever since. Learn everything you can (including what you don't know!!), and realize that with such ill-defined paths to nursing specialties, you're always going to hear varying views. And take the sickest patients you can with a preceptor!!

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Honestly, you don't even know what you don't know

precisely

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