ICU Experience

[FlyMurse, BSN, RN]

Hi all!

Just wondering/venting about this ICU experience requirement for all these schools.

I'm an ED nurse at heart, and recently transferred to ICU in January to fulfill the requirement for schools. I'd been floating there since 2016 but realized I had to suck it up and do it FT to count and gain experience. The problem is the acuity on my unit- a catch-all CCU of a (newly designated level 1 trauma) 204 bed hospital. We do Neuro, Medical, Surgical, fresh hearts/CRRT (no ECMO) and now trauma. But the actual percentage of true ICU patients I take care of is miniscule. I'm newer so they won't give me super sick pt's but I've had 'simple' pts decompensate requiring pressors and albumin etc. I'm pretty comfortable with vents.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that, while on paper I have x amount of ICU experience, a good chunk of it is spent with non-ICU tele downgrades and non critical patients. I had more acuity in the ED, especially since we went level 1. The only thing I don't do down there is long-term management and titration of pressors. I've asked to do the classes for hearts and CRRT but hear the educator takes a long time to get back about those. I'll keep trying.

Was considering doing critical care transport PRN with an ambulance company. Anything else I can do to get better experience so I'm actually prepared for my interview and CRNA application process?

Thoughts? Similar experiences?