GN Having Doubts About Going Right into CC

[CarVsTree]

Hi all,

I'm starting to have major doubts about going right into Critical Care. Will I really be a good CC nurse? Am I doing myself and my patients a disservice? Would I be better off doing .5-1 year Med/Surg or starting out in a Step Down unit. Please give me your completely honest opinion. Right now I work as a tech on a Transitional Trauma Unit and am getting the overwhelming opinion to wait.

[zambezi, BSN, RN]

I think that you are the only one that can decide this. It is challenging, but it can be done. I am sure that you have read the bunches of other threads on this subject and you know that you will get opinions say both yes and no. So you need to sit down and figure out what you want to do. I am one of the ones that went straight into critical care- a cardiac internsive care unit. The learning curve was steep...I had the opportunity to do six months there full time as a student and felt that this was helpful. Plus I was given a good orientation with lots of help when I needed it when I was on my own. I think that other than my desires and motivation to do well, the fact the my unit supports learning and has a good atmosphere and teamwork was a key point. I don't think that new grads do well in an environment that is negative and does not have good teamwork or support. Does the unit that you want to work in support you? Does it offer a good orientation? Look around- is there good teamwork, are people helping one another? How do you feel when you are in the unit? Are you so overwhelmed that you can't think? It is not a bad thing to get telemetry or med/surg or surgical experience before critical care. It will only make you a better nurse. But if it is not where you want to be, do critical care first...you can start in the unit and excel. I am sorry if this is not concrete, but I know that you will all kind of answers. There are people with both schools of thought. You need to do what is best for you. I say, if you know you want critical care...go for it.

[LindaMarie76]

I don't regret starting my nursing career on the surgical/telemetry floor. I very quickly learned to triage and get my priorities straight.

I was sick of it within the first 3 months and transferred into ICU after ten months on the floor.

I never look down on the med/surg nurses because I've been there and done that. The experiences I learned on the floor made me a better critical care nurse, and a more appreciate critical care nurse.