I got a job ICU! New Grad. Need input to review and prepare.

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a new grad. Graduated june 2010 with a BSN. Have my license and just got a job in ICU at a county hospital. I Externed in the emergency department for 9 months, so I have some experience with critical care. Want to make sure I am prepared. Can anyone give me tips to prepare. I have a full month before I start. I was top of my class, active learner, and want to make sure I am well prepared before I start. Any input please! Thanks

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Congratulations on landing a position in the ICU! I have an interview this week, also for an ICU internship. I hope I succeed in the interview, as you did!

Have you checked out this website?

index

I find it to be a great resource.

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Specializes in ED.

Be patient with yourself and pray for a good preceptor!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Sounds like you will enjoy critical care. Although the ED is considered a critical care unit, it is different from the ICU, but I'm sure you'll adjust well. I would just suggest keeping your brain open to all of the new information, and get some good resources to learn from and reference in the future.

"Rapid Interpretation of EKGs" by Dale Dubin is a great learning resources for EKGs. Lets be honest, nursing school does a terrible job of teaching EKG interpretation (if they even try).

"Fast Facts for Critical Care" by Kathy White is another great resource. It is probably better to reference things that you've already learned though. Has lots of information on drugs and drips you'll only see in the ICU. And has lots of other great information.

I'd suggest joining the AACN. They offer free CEU's and the montly chapter meetings can offer great learning too. Also, see if your hospital provides you the AACN's "Essentials of Critical Care Orientation" (ECCO). It is a total pain to do because it is 70 hours of CEU, but it is all great information, most of which is totally new from nursing school and unique to critical care.

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Thanks. Just bought the Kathy White book. Have a month, so going to try to study the be-jesus out of this book.

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