Demoted from ICU to IMCU

Nurses General Nursing

Published

So I'm a new nurse working in a 14 bed icu. I just graduated in May and started working there in late July. It was going well with my first preceptor on day shift training then I was assigned a new preceptor on midnights which is my assigned shift. And from the beginning she had an attitude with me which I just ignored because almost everyone there is mad because they just started hiring new grads and there is alot of jealousy because most of them had to start in a step down unit or med surg area. Understandable to be jealous just sucks they're taking it out on me.

So with my preceptor on midnights like I said she always had a terrible attitude or gave me a stupid look when I asked a question. I had a question about the IV medication that had a warning on the pump that said it should be in a glass bottle and it wasn't she just sighed loudly and snapped it's fine! And hit submit.

I got over that and then later she snapped on me for following her after she said to follow her to get the aid she yelled I should actually be doing something instead of following her.

So I went to do an assessment on a patient and she said she heard my preceptor and said my co-workers should be nice and that I should like where I worked.

I almost lost it I wanted to cry so bad.

So the next day I asked to meet with my manager to switch preceptors and she some how ended up turning it around to where I was too slow for critical care and talking me into going to IMCU which I knew would happen because they didn't want new grads in Icu and they're super short in Imcu they need to hire like 10 nurses over there so I seen it coming.

People were making up lies like saying I don't help out and I'm like....i definitely help. This nurse asked for help putting in a rectal tube and I was the only one who would volunteer. I could definitely feel the nurses eat their young.

I am just so bummed and disappointed. I feel like a failure. I don't even want to show my face. I'm going to be known as the girl who couldn't handle Icu.

I understand not having new grads in Icu I just wish I would have started in Imcu instead of icu so I didn't get demoted. It also hurts that nurses would lie about me to try to get me out. I was nice to everyone, listened, helped when needed, and brought in treats...i just don't get it. I feel like such a loser. I feel like I shouldn't be a nurse....

I also don't even think IMCU is for me....its not an area I ever thought to do nor have an interest in. But I love patients so I'll try...

I just wanted to vent thanks for listening.

Any advice is welcome

Jealous of anything that human beings can be jealous of! I obviously don't know the OPs unit or anybody she works with, but I do know human nature.

Oh come on...the entire unit? I really doubt it. What wouldn't surprise me is that the experienced nurses collectively were displeased with the idea of the new grads going straight to the ICU because they didn't feel that new grads were capable of providing the level of care the patients needed and they weren't too excited about having to start them from scratch. That can be a daunting task for the nurses precepting the new hires.

Someone educate me, what's IMCU?

Specializes in Emergency Department.
Someone educate me, what's IMCU?

IMCU is (I think) an acronym for Intermediate Care Unit (aka ICU step-down). Its' for those patients that are too sick for Med/Surg or Med/Tele but not sick enough for an ICU bed. Because of this "intermediate" place, they can get overflow from either department and the pace can be quite demanding.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

Starting out in any "high performance" unit like ICU, IMCU/Step-Down, or the ED can be very challenging for a new grad. This is partly because they're not only having to orient you to the unit and the patient population, they're also having to teach you the basics of being a nurse in that hospital. A lot of new grads start out in med/surg because you do become a lot more solid in doing the basics of patient assessment, charting, medication passes, etc. Because the patient load is usually >4:1, you must learn good time management strategies to keep from getting too buried by your tasks. It can take 6 months to a year to learn the basics and then you have around another year to become reasonably proficient.

I'm lucky in that I started out as an ED nurse as a new grad but because of the aforementioned issues, they had me do an extended orientation as compared to a typical orientation of a more seasoned nurse. They had to teach me how to be a nurse while also teaching me how to be an ED nurse. That's hard and it took around 6 months for me. I'm pretty well specialized as an ED nurse but I also know there's no way that I could easily substitute for a med/surg or med/tele nurse because I'm not oriented to doing that work. While I often do work with ICU-level patients, I only get things started while we're waiting for an ICU bed to be made ready. An ICU nurse can't easily float over to the ED without being oriented there either. The nursing done there is different than what's done in ICU and sometimes we get sick patients that push the ratios... but we keep going and going and going. We don't have any control over the timing of patient arrivals. The other night I went from having 3 patients to having 1 to having 4, all within an hour or so. Why? Two of my initial group of patients were admitted or discharged, their rooms were cleaned and made ready, leaving me with 1 patient (and 3 nice and clean rooms!). Then in the span of 20 minutes I had 3 patients land in my 3 clean beds... so all 3 needed assessments, IV lines, initial labs, meds, and so on. It was a zoo. It took a little time but it all got done. Could I have done that on my own as a new grad? Noooo... but I can now that the learning curve has flattened quite a bit for me.

Why did I put all this in here? Simple. ICU has a very steep learning curve. IMCU will too, but it'll be different from ICU. It's not a demotion, it's more of a lateral move into another department where you will hopefully have a better time learning what you need to and hopefully you'll have a preceptor that is willing to teach you how to be a good generalist nurse while adding in the more critical care stuff that needs to be done in IMCU. That might be the best starting point for you. No matter what you do or where you go, do NOT stop learning and do NOT think you've learned everything you need to know.

Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

You were not demoted, you were transfered.

it seems that every commenter missed the point that they lied about her. she did not have issues on day shift. only nocs. the OP made it abundantly clear what jealously she was talking about, that the staff felt she had not paid her dues yet, and they did not want her there because of that. To me, going from ICU to IMCU would certainly be a demotion, especially when I was lied on to facilitate that move. I would do the job, all the while filing out apps anywhere else with in commuting distance. that nurse manager does not sound like she should have her job.

You should be ready to work ICU after working in the IMCU. You will have more patients and get plenty of practice.

it seems that every commenter missed the point that they lied about her. she did not have issues on day shift. only nocs. the OP made it abundantly clear what jealously she was talking about, that the staff felt she had not paid her dues yet, and they did not want her there because of that. To me, going from ICU to IMCU would certainly be a demotion, especially when I was lied on to facilitate that move. I would do the job, all the while filing out apps anywhere else with in commuting distance. that nurse manager does not sound like she should have her job.

I disagree that all commenters missed the point. In my response, I pointed out that the OP was merely a cog in the wheel.

Another poster, recalled his experience as a new nurse and told of how he was lied to, to his face.

Maybe you didn't fully read all of the responses.

Yes, this is how healthcare/nursing operates. NM will lie to you, and about you, as will co-workers if it suits the needs of the facility.

There is nothing new about that. Yes, it is a slap in the face for the new nurse who isn't expecting such treatment.

Which is why I made a point to tell the OP that in no way is she a failure.

It is my professional opinion that no new graduate should ever be hired to work in any critical care location. That means ICU, ER, NICU, etc. A new grad needs to hone his/her skills so that they are sharp and can be utilized at a moments notice. Basic nursing skills, assessments, and techniques need to be fully developed before going to work in such a critical, specialized area. These are fast paced environments that often do not lend themselves to "teaching." Most facilities are short staffed and with the addition of a "new" nurse, with no previous experience, it is frustrating for the staff as well as the new employee. They are working short and now have to train someone who isn't able to pull a full load. They probably don't see that as "help" but a hinderance to them being able to get the work done. I know staff can be rude to new grads, been there, done that, but I think being assigned to such critical areas only fuels that flame. If this IMCU is a bit slower paced then maybe it is a better environment to learn and get prepared for your final assignment in an ICU setting. Look at it as a way to sharpen your skills so that in the end, your patients will receive care from a qualified, well-trained nurse.

morte - I did not miss the point about the writer indicating "they" lied about her. We do not know that for a fact. I am not saying this nurse lied about it, but it is a one sided report. If in fact fellow nurses are already lying about her, then maybe the recommendation should be that she go work somewhere else. Good luck though. I have never worked somewhere were my co-workers weren't talking about someone or lying about them. It happens everywhere to everyone at some time or another! Especially the comment about her not helping out. I've heard that a million times. Unless you are actually doing the work for them too many times my co-workers fussed that I wasn't helping them. So I would not read too much into the point of people supposedly lying about this nurse.

Specializes in L&D.

I agree with the posters who said the transfer or "demotion" as OP called it, happened for a reason. Who knows OP, maybe you may like the new unit better whether it's the work load, supportive staff, or a better group of nurses on the shift. Some nurses still succumb to mob mentality or may have not liked you for whatever reason (that's life). I remember when I was a new nurse of 6 months, a newer nurse started. One group of nurses didn't like her; one evening they were talking bad about her. I interjected and said what they were stating wasn't true and I gave examples. They told me to mind my business. A month later the young lady turned in her letter of resignation. I believe everything happens for a reason. We may not know why at the moment, but somewhere along the way the reason is revealed. Good luck OP!

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