New to ICU

Nurses New Nurse

Published

  • Specializes in Ambulatory and Emergency medicine.

Who started working in an ICU right out of school? How did you feel initially and please tell me that it gets better and/or easier. I'm not a quitter and I've only been in orientation x2 weeks, but it just seems like a lot! Any advice

Nunya, BSN

771 Posts

Specializes in NICU/Mother-Baby/Peds/Mgmt.

I didn't start in an ICU but a Level 2 NICU. Back then it was pretty much everything but vents. We had 4 patients, or started with three and always always got a transfer from the Level 3 NICU. Today probably half those kids would still be in the Level 3. It will get better! I felt pretty stupid because most of what I was learning was new as I never had a NICU rotation in school, and I think only 1-2 times in well baby nursery. Luckily we started orientation with one baby and slowly worked up, and it was personalized as to when that happened. And my preceptor was great! It took probably a year to feel fairly comfortable in the unit, but luckily there were 4 other people working I could call on for help or to bounce things off of. And the actual pain in my legs and feet!! Not discomfort but pain, I would come home and cry to my boyfriend that I couldn't keep doing it. But I stuck it out and it was a great job. You're going to feel discombobulated two weeks in, if you don't something is wrong. Hang in there, there's a reason you were chosen to work in an ICU your first job! PM me if you want!

+ Add a Comment