CVICU vs. SICU

[cvicu80]

Ok, I know this question has been asked a million times..... I'm graduating this May from nursing school and I'm looking at either the CVICU or the SICU to work in. I have been offered 2 CVICU jobs so far. As of now I'm going to take the CVICU job at a large urban, university hospital. I have been told by many CRNA's and managers that I will get an awesome experience with lines, vasopressors, swans, and the whole overall hemodynamic picture. I feel that this is important to me as well as learning the whole cardiovascular system. Anyone have any ideas or comments?

JC

[BULLYDAWGRN, RN]

Man it sounds pretty good to me. I work in a smaller county hospital with a icu of 10 beds, but its really a sicu/micu since we don't do hearts here. Good experience, use all the fancy drugs and hemodynamics, esp. since we got a new hotshot intensive care doc. But I work part time in one of the larger hospitals in the state that has a cvicu, and it is different, cause your taking care of a pt with a different type of primary health modaility. There is a learning cure, and I have to make sure I get on the scheduale at least 2 12hr to 16hrs shifts per pay period just to stay abreast of things. The only advice I could give you, and again this is comming from a "poor country nurse", learn and master your basics first, all the other cool stuff will come. good luck.

[japaho41]

SICU, most of the time = more variety

CVICU, may over time get to feel like you work in a heart & lung factory. Why do I say that, because if all goes well you do the same thing to every patient. There is a great deal of predictabilty because in most cases patient post bypass will have the same drugs, same lines. The advantange as a new grad is that you will consistently get that experience, always have patients on vasopressors, invasive lines and vented. Just the time of experiences that you need to get and move on to bigger and better things if you so choose.