ICU and New Grads!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi! I am going to be graduating soon and have been offered an ICU ( better known as a complex care unit) postion in a small town. I was all for it and ready, because i know that complex care is where i want to work. I have a lot of nurses supporting me, however there are a lot that don't like the idea of a new grad in ICU. I have been told some things in which i have second guessed myself. I was also told that new grads should start off on med/surg before even thinking of ICU. I know that the majority of ICU nurses have accepted me and have even volunteered to preceptor me when i start working. But my question is: should new grads work in ICU? I did mention to the nursing manager that i haven't seen some things and haven't had experince with certain procedures, but she assured me it would be all right, but with everything thats being said about the ICU i have second guessed myself.

Specializes in ER/Trauma.
But, if you enjoy being a waitress with a lot of liability, go for med/surg.
Way to diss all Med-Surg nurses out there.

Please mention this comment to your "waitress" (I mean Nurse!) the next time you're a patient on a "med surg floor".

Can I get you some fries with that?

Roy

Thank-you all so much for your advice. I was starting to second guess myself, because of one particular nurse in ICU who does not like the idea of a new grad in ICU and in a way started discourging me from going in there and has been saying things like you don't have your ACLS (which i have signed up for sep) therefor you are not prepared. The hospital that i am working in will be offering me a 6 week orientation and then a follow-up with my preceptor. This ICU has only has one nurse during each shift in its unit, which scared me a little, but two ICU nurses have already told me that they will be there whenever i needed them. Thank-you all for your support and i hope you all realize what a great bunch of nurses you are!

P.S. to all of you who work in Med/Surg, i loved it during my undergrad and i have asked to work in both areas (ICU and Med/Surg).

Yeah, go for it. I started in ICU as a new grad (only 5 months ago). I got a total of a 14 wk orientation which I feel barely prepared me for being on my own. However, I work with an EXCELLENT staff, and they're there when I need something.

I seen you said your orientation is only 6 weeks. I hope you get AT LEAST another 6 wks of precepting afterward. If you don't feel prepared, speak up! I did. It helps too that you said you work with a lot of nurses there who accept new grads in ICU. And as for that one you mentioned that's discouraging you, forget that... Of course you're not prepared! No one's prepared to start in ICU when they've never been there before!

One thing I do on my down time, if I have any, or when I get home...Is to look up info r/t to the pts I had that night. It's a lot easier to remember information about a specific disease process etc when you actually have a pt you can relate it to.

Just go in there, learn, ask, study and do your best! You'll be fine :)

Best wishes

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