icu experience

I think in my area they ask that you have experience in a cardiovascular surgical recovery type unit.

I currently work in a cticu...however, we do not have a busy heart program, so we see a lot of the sicu/traumaicu/micu patients to fill our rooms. I do not know what anesthesia school is like yet, however I can attest that open heart recovery is definately a proving ground for competent icu nurses. Although you would gain a lot of respect for being an open heart nurse, remember it is still specialized. From applying and asking a lot of the same questions I get the notion that good adult sicu or micu experience with a variety of dz is desireable.

For example, this week we had a pt that had a liver trisegmentectomy gone awry. It was a lot more challenging than any ct patient I have ever had. I learned a lot, that I think may benefit my learning as an srna (she has returned to the OR 4 times this week). I am not sure I would have had an experience like this if we did solely CT pts.

Sorry about the rambling...hope this helps

zrmorgan

I agree that a good mixture of ICU patients is desirable for many schools. However, as long as your ICU gives you plenty of experience with various vent modes, vasopressors, PA caths and other invasive tools, you should be fine. Your experience should also come from an academic center and not a smaller hospital ICU. I would be careful if your CICU is actually a CCU, you may not get the experience you need. Just my opinion. Good luck.

Most of the schools around Ohio and Mich list SICU as the prefered unit. Some actually look at CICU or MICU as unfavorable. You really need the experience of post operative patients. The vasoactive drips are one area. But fluid resuscitation is something most med and coronary ICU RN's have rarely done.

Check which areas schools in your area prefer.

My .02

Originally posted by Laughing Gas

Most of the schools around Ohio and Mich list SICU as the prefered unit. Some actually look at CICU or MICU as unfavorable. You really need the experience of post operative patients. The vasoactive drips are one area. But fluid resuscitation is something most med and coronary ICU RN's have rarely done.

Check which areas schools in your area prefer.

My .02

Hmm.......while I do agree that caring for an immediate postoperative patient can be valuable experience, I do have to greatly disagree with CICU or MICU being unfavorable.... the schools want you to have a good background, know your gtts, know hemodynamic monitoring, be able to manage a critically ill patient. CICU's and MICU's certainly do that. In my humble opinion, the medical aspect of it is broader and gives you a better perspective than following the same protocols day to day on how to recover a patient.

And as far as fluid resuscitation, I don't know how you are basing your comment that "most med and coronary ICU RN's have rarely done that" Any shock patient, unless they are in cardiogenic shock or a CHFer in terrible failure. ... (obviously) gets fluid resuscitation. That is front line...........

I work in a MRICU and several of the nurses in the unit have gone on to CRNA school. I called a few schools in PA and asked what kind of experience they want, and most simply recommended a general ICU where you get lots of experience with hemodynamic monitoring, vasoactive gtts, dysrhythmias, etc.

Even cardigenic shock patients get fluid resusitation depending on where you want their wedge to be!

As a PICU RN, I would suggest going that route. If you are in a large teaching hospital your PICU will include the surgical, medical and CV challenges that you would need. And as kids change FAST your assessment skills are fine tuned to any minute change. You also will see the needs of a variety of age groups.

The best thing to do is to speak directly with schools that interest you regarding their criteria for experience.

FYI - Many programs specifically exclude NICU and PICU. Others will acknowledge your experience in those areas, but require you to work a year in an adult ICU.

You act as though there is no medical treatment in an SICU. I have worked in medical/coronary ICU and I now work in an SICU. They are generally 2 different schools of thought. We have actually had patients transfered to us because the CCU nurse refused to give a large fluid bolus. I have learned 10 times more in the SICU than I ever did in my old CCU.

Obviously no school will turn you away for CCU and not SICU. You originally asked where the best experience was. You will get a better experience in an SICU. This is reflected by the fact that the schools I have looked at all list SICU as the prefered place of experience. All ICU's will give you experience with swans, gtt's etc, yes. But with all things considered equal, who will a panel pick? A nurse with swan, vasoactive gtt and medical ICU experience, or a nurse with all of the previously mentioned... plus experience recovering the very patients you intend to work with?

As for the person who recommends peds.. Very few schools recognize picu, nicu etc at all. Allthough it is probably a very good thing to have on your resume for school.