Critical Care .....trying to make it work as an LNA there....help

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This is for all of the CC RNs and LPNs out there...I am working very hard to keep my current PT job at a nearby hospital. I work as an LNA on Critical Care and need some insight, suggestions, guidance as to how I can shine on this floor....

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Do your work.

Network well.

Be open to learning.

And whatever you do...don't disappear all the time.

That's it.

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Specializes in ICU.
Do your work.

Network well.

Be open to learning.

And whatever you do...don't disappear all the time.

That's it.

What Jo said.

Do your job. Don't make me remind you to do mouth care. Don't make me hunt you down to turn a pt. Remember to tell me ASAP about that temp of 102 or that BP of 75 (or 200!) If you know I'm swamped, see if someone else will help you turn my pt - I don't need to be there for every turn. If I ask you to do something, don't make excuses all the time for why you are too busy (it's OK to be busy sometimes, it's the constant excuses that really get to me). Don't wait for me to do your job and then come to me and say "I was just going to do that." Keep the room stocked with frequently used items; saline flushes would be a good example of such an item. Hang out outside the door of the code room and listen for the team to call for items that might not be on the code cart and be ready to "go fer" or run stat bloodwork to the lab.

Attitude is everything. Never say, "that's not my pt." Be willing to help. On my unit, we gang up in groups of four or five to hammer out baths/bed changes on all our vent pts. Have some compassion for what the pts and families are going through on a critical care unit.

Once you learn your job well, if you can anticipate what I need, that will really make you stand out. For example, if you see we are going to intubate that new ER admit, bring the suction setup, NG and foley supplies without my having to ask. If you know the pt has orders to transfer out, pack them up and do the property checklist before I even get a chance to ask.

That alone would put you in on my list of folks I love to work with. If you are in school and want to learn about extras, like rationales behind a specific pt's plan of care or assessment oddities or unusual diagnoses, that is icing on the cake for me because I like to teach. Not every nurse in critical care likes to teach, though, and you have to pick your moments. During the code is not the best time to ask questions.

:paw:

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