Future MICU RN

NPOaftermidnight, MSN, RN, NP · Dec 22, 2013

When you apply for nursing jobs, no one is going to know or care what your grades were (especially nonnursing grades). That being said, I find myself doing quite a bit of math on a daily basis in the SICU but it's all pretty basic concepts. Most nursing programs have a clinical calculations component (even if it's just one test, like it was in ours) and as long as you are able to do that, you are going to be fine (also, you are never going to be without a calculator!). Good luck

Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN · Dec 23, 2013

I'm confused, you want to be a MICU nurse "so bad", yet you don't know what a MICU nurse does????

Most any *ICU requires ACLS and BLS minimum. Other certifications vary by facility.

As for your grades, most employers look at the RN behind your name, not the grades that got you there.

Brad2019RN2b · Dec 23, 2013

I know general things that an ICU nurse does but it varies from person to person so I want different people to explain what it's like in their unit and what they do. Just to clarify I'm worried about my grades getting into nursing school not getting a job. Thanks for replying guys!

mcubed45 · Dec 24, 2013

How can you want to be a MICU nurse "so bad" if you don't even know what they do?

If you're not even in nursing school yet, your area of specialty shouldn't really be a concern. Focus on your current classes instead.

Brad2019RN2b · Dec 24, 2013

As I've stated before, I know what an MICU does for the most part, but I'm sure there are things that I haven't heard about. I've been readings icufaqs.org. The reason I've already picked a specialty is because my grandmother was MICU RN. She told me what they did but said that it's probably changed since she was working. That's why I asked. I know what they do, I'm not stupid.

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · Dec 25, 2013

MICU is generally people sick for medical reasons as opposed to surgical. However, overflow occurs commonly and you could get post thoracotomies and such. Commonly illnesses in MICU are respiratory failures, vents, post arrests with arctic sun (special cooling blankets), sepsis, and CRRT. However not all hospitals do CRRT.

You usually have one or two very sick patients. Your assessment skills are sharp and you become very detailed at what you do. You work closely with the specialists such as pulmonologists, intensivists and update continually. There is a lot of charting. It's a great place to learn a lot though.

I found MICU wasn't my calling, but it was a great background for me to go to a level 1 trauma ER. It's hard to know what you like until you have tasted it. Math is a good skill to have, but nursing is science and an art. Most of us have to work more at one or the other to get a solid foundation. Stick it out, it's worth it. :)

Brad2019RN2b · Dec 25, 2013

Thank you for taking the time to respond! I guess I should say MICU is what I'm interested in because you're right I won't know what I like till I get out there and do it lol

Grizzly20, MSN, CRNA · Dec 28, 2013

Shadow a MICU nurse for the day and you'll see if it's for you. People can tell you about their experiences until they're blue in the face but you will never know if it's something that you want to do until you see what we do with your own two eyes :-) Seriously though.....shadow! It will look good on your nursing app too. They will take you more seriously than others who don't shadow and you will have something to talk about in your interview or your essay.

dandelion9 · Dec 28, 2013

I am a new-grad/new-hire into the MICU at a local teaching hospital, so I can't pretend to know really anything about MICU nursing. What these experienced nurses have said covers about all of my understanding of it, but here's some additional (probably very basic, probably also repetitive) information from my own, humble viewpoint:

Getting the job: I think what got me an interview over other candidates was a great impression during an observation for one of my nursing classes. My grades were definitely not a detriment, as I graduated first in my nursing class, but basically I listed that on my resume and that was the end of it. That is obviously not to say you shouldn't work hard to learn and do well in nursing school - it's SO important to KNOW your stuff and always keep learning! I developed a contact and maintained it throughout the remainder of my nursing program, and when the time came to apply, I let my contact know. I also have a couple years worth of experience as an LPN, which probably helped as I have basic nursing care, time management, etc. skills and am not a "super-green" new grad in terms of basic nursing. I don't think it is usually so simple to get into MICU, and I still sometimes think it's some sort of fluke/stroke of luck, and thank my stars that I got in.

Getting into nursing school, well... It depends on the school. Generally, I think if you get the grades, you get in. Some places have interviews as well. I personally didn't make the grade due to my GPA from my first time around at college (10 years ago - nursing is my second career) to attend the nursing school at the university, so I attended a local community college with a great nursing program. I am applying to earn my BSN from the university once the tuition reduction kicks in and I can afford it. If you want to do something, you have to work hard to find a way.

Math in nursing is actually pretty simple (I think). You do have to be able to understand and apply basic algebraic concepts with accuracy, and you always, ALWAYS check your work - check yourself, and have someone else check you, as well! Just google "med calculations practice questions" or "IV calculation practice questions" to give yourself an idea of the type of math that is necessary. I am sure there is a lot of other information about this in the "Students" section of the site. Work hard, study hard, be resourceful - those skills will pay off when you get into nursing school and on the job.

I haven't started on my unit yet, but what I observed in my time there was a very team-oriented environment with nurses, RT, and physicians working closely together to care for critically ill patients with severe/exacerbations of medical issues as their primary diagnosis. It is total-care nursing of 1-2 critically ill patients in the unit that I will be working on, which means you will likely do absolutely everything for your patient - including bathing, peri-care, turning, etc. Not a lot of delegation for the "dirty work" - several nurses I have worked with don't like total care for that reason. It can be a very physical job because of the "total care" aspect, so there is always a potential for injury. Very close and frequent patient assessment and management of parameters, as mentioned by others! Management and administration of multiple IV infusions with lots of interactions. Multiple, multiple comorbidities and exacerbations. Many of the more "intense" procedures are performed in the MICU (chest tube insertions, Swan-Ganz catheterizations, intubations, etc. - not to mention codes) but that comes with the territory. It goes without saying (we are talking ICU, of course) that these patients are often in very fragile states, and that is something that some people can't handle looming over their shoulder as they work. People do die in ICU environments, and a lot of people don't deal with death well (no shame in that). It can be a major source of stress. You have to be able to cope, as well as think and act effectively in stressful situations, and be able to be assertive for your patient's benefit. These skills are very important in a lot of areas in nursing in general.

I don't know if it's helpful to share, but...the reason that the MICU environment appeals to me is that I have a tendency (need?) to understand and concern myself with EVERYTHING that is going on with my patient and how exactly their comorbidities or their various medications are interacting. I am very detail-oriented by nature. My interests have always gravitated toward pathophysiology and critical care - even in the first semester of my practical nursing program (I was an LPN before becoming an RN). There are multiple other reasons, and I am sure everyone could give you a different reason why it is interesting to them, why they started there, etc.

Like I said, these are just my basic perceptions as I prepare to start on my unit. I know I have SO much to learn, and I am super excited and a little nervous/intimidated. I am sure my perceptions are going to change or be clarified very quickly once I start, though I hope that I have gotten a pretty good idea of what I stepped into from my observation.

I think that would be the best recommendation I could give - In order to learn more about the unit, take your observation and preceptorship experiences seriously once you get into school. Maybe call and ask about job shadowing, like Grizzly20 said - I agree that you won't really know until you see it with your own eyes!

I hope this has been helpful, and I hope I am not filling you full of glossy-eyed, new-grad, poppycock. I am counting on the veteran MICU nurses to help me keep that in check (haha). :) Good luck!

Brad2019RN2b · Jan 20, 2014

Thank you guys so much for taking the time to reply! Your responses were helpful. Can't wait to get into nursing!