How much does the size of ICU matter?

Published

So my goal is to one day become a CRNA. I'm starting my first RN job on monday in an ICU step-down unit. I would have loved to get a job in ICU, but it was hard enough to find the job I have in this type of economy as a new grad, so I feel lucky. Anyway, supposedly the unit will be transitioning to a surgical ICU shortly. But it is only an 8 bed unit. Is that very small for an ICU? How much does the size of the unit really matter? Is it more what type of experience and the accuity of patients that matters?

Also, on a side note... I have researched and can't find an answer to this anywhere... does anyone know if ICU-stepdown hours would count toward the hours I need to take my CCRN exam? Or does it have to be an ICU?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It's not so much the size of the ICU, but the acuity of the patients. My experience was from a small ICU, but at a level 1 trauma facility with a wide variety of sick patients including surgical, medical, neuro, trauma and burns. Is it level 1?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Anesthesia.

Hey,

The physical size of the unit may play a small role in you gaining experience just because you wont have the volume of patients flowing through the unit as the bigger ones do.

I think the more important factor to look at is the acuity of the patient population. Is this unit in a community hospital or a university based teaching hospital? The unit in which I gained my ICU experience was 8 beds, however it was a Burn ICU in a university based teaching hospital (Level I trauma center) so our acuity was very high, we routinely had some of the sickest patients in the hospital.

You want to find an ICU where your patients are ventilated and on multiple drips (i.e. sedatives, opioids, vasoactives, etc.). Take the highest acuity patients you can and don't just hang the drips and let them run, read up on them, know how they work and how they interact with the entire patient scenario......as this is what you will being doing on a daily basis and at a moments notice as a CRNA.

That what I did and it worked well for me while I was in school.

Good Luck!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
It's not so much the size of the ICU, but the acuity of the patients. My experience was from a small ICU, but at a level 1 trauma facility with a wide variety of sick patients including surgical, medical, neuro, trauma and burns. Is it level 1?

Hmmmm.... no it's not a level 1, I probably sound dumb but I don't think it's a level anything. Because I don't think it's a trauma center. It's a 431 bed community hosptial. There is a level 1 trauma center close by, so I guess all the really serious patients go there. I hope I will still get some good experience though. Thanks for responding. Maybe after I get a year's experience, if I'm not getting high acuity patients, then I can try to get an ICU job at the other hospital, maybe even just something prn on the side.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hey,

The physical size of the unit may play a small role in you gaining experience just because you wont have the volume of patients flowing through the unit as the bigger ones do.

I think the more important factor to look at is the acuity of the patient population. Is this unit in a community hospital or a university based teaching hospital? The unit in which I gained my ICU experience was 8 beds, however it was a Burn ICU in a university based teaching hospital (Level I trauma center) so our acuity was very high, we routinely had some of the sickest patients in the hospital.

You want to find an ICU where your patients are ventilated and on multiple drips (i.e. sedatives, opioids, vasoactives, etc.). Take the highest acuity patients you can and don't just hang the drips and let them run, read up on them, know how they work and how they interact with the entire patient scenario......as this is what you will being doing on a daily basis and at a moments notice as a CRNA.

That what I did and it worked well for me while I was in school.

Good Luck!!!

Thank you so much for the advice. The hospital I will be working at is a community hospital... and is not a teaching hospital, nor a trauma center. I guess I will see what type of patients I get. It was really hard for me to get any job as a new grad, so like I said, I am thankful... but it just may take me longer to get the ICU experience that I need to apply to CRNA school. So I guess I will try to take the highest acuity patients and learn as much as I can, and if I'm not getting the experience that I need, I will try to get an ICU job at the level 1, teaching hospital that is close by... or the one in the next town. But most likely... being a new grad, I will have to get some experience first before I can get into a good ICU. But thanks again, and I can't wait to get to the point where you and a lot of the other posters are... I'm soooo jealous lol.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion