ICU Essay for ICU position

[26.2, BSN]

Hi Everyone,

I just had a phone interview for ICU. Next step is to send an essay response back. I would like to get some input or advice please

1. State your goals/reasons for pursuing a career in critical care or emergency care

2. List and describe the three most challenging aspects you see as a critical care or emergency care nurse.

3. What do you see as the differences between your current role and your role in critical care or emergency care?

Thank you in advance

[26.2, BSN]

These are the answers I have so far

1. State your goals/reasons for pursuing a career in critical care or emergency care.

My goal is to challenge my critical thinking skills and knowledge. I want to be an active learner, critical thinker, and think outside the box.

My reasons for pursuing a career in critical care or emergency care are as follows: I work well under stressful conditions. I am also pretty good at showing compassion but emotionally detaching myself from the situation, which is a good combination for critical care. I love to know everything that's going on with my patient, and with the ratios on the floor that's just not possible. I like being able to help someone in their most desperate situation. I feel like the Physicians respect our input into the patients situation more then they do on the floor

2. List and describe the three most challenging aspects you see as a critical care or emergency care nurse.

1. Gaining respect from Physician and employees
   

Being new into the ICU/ED. I think the physicians and nurses will view me as completely useless because of my inexperience in critical care.

1. Having multiple drips at a time.
   

I have had two drips at a time without difficulty. It is going to be a challenge to manage and titrate multiple drips at a time.

1. Time Management
   

I have had 4 patients on a step down unit and was able to manage their multiple comorbidities well. I think the ICU is a different kind of time management to get used to. I also think the Emergency Care is a much more fast paced environment with quick assessment skills needed.

3. What do you see as the differences between your current role and your role in critical care or emergency care?

On my current Medical unit we are not allowed to do any cardiac drips or insulin drips. We are a remote telemetry unit, but if a patient goes into AFib with RVR we have to send them to another unit. I just feel limited on this unit. Report is not as detail oriented as I would like it to be. It seems as though a lot of orders are missed due to lack of time and being task oriented.