ICU here I come

exnavygirl-RN · Mar 9, 2009

Congratulations!!! :yeah:

NC Girl BSN · Mar 9, 2009

Good for You!!! Wishing you much sucess on your new career. EC grads Rock!

:clpty::clpty::clpty:

Editorial Team / Moderator · Mar 9, 2009

Only two weeks of orientation? Man, that's pretty fast!! But if anyone can do it, you can. Congrats, and good luck!! :) :) :)

NurseEllis · Mar 9, 2009

hehe should have been more specific, 2 week general GN orientation....then up to 6 months of unit specific orientation with a preceptor. The ICU manager said she expects me to have less but I won't rush things!

OMG, there is no way I could function on the unit with 2 weeks orientation, except to crap my pants! lmao

Editorial Team / Moderator · Mar 9, 2009

LOL!! Whew, I was wondering ...

Definitely ride the orientation train as long as possible! I think I ended up with about 16 weeks of orientation, which was awesome.

2CareerRN · Mar 9, 2009

Way cool Chris....I am a medic too and I was wondering how it would be going into the hospital setting...keep us posted! When you take the boards?

Congrats!!!!

Raggedy Ann · Mar 9, 2009

Congrats to you! Traci

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Mar 9, 2009

congrats to you. i am also looking for a internship probably in surgery ...i want as much orientation and training as i can get...

ivanh3 · Mar 9, 2009

Graduated from EC on Feb 20th got my ASN diploma in the mail on the 21st. I interviewed for a ICU position on Feb 10th and offered a position on feb 25th.
Although the last few days on the unit have been culture shock coming from the streets as a Medic and now functioning as a critical care RN! boy I have alot to learn from my preceptor......
Chris, GN, ASN, NREMT-P

There is always the assumption that when medics cross over to the dark side they will go to the ER, but I honestly think the ICU is a better fit for a medic. Although we are used to mass tragedy, umm I mean casualty, we are best at taking really good care of 1 to 2 patients and all of the technology that goes with critical care. That is what I did. After I came off orientation though, they let me pick up extra shifts in the ER and that was fun too.

Congrats. You will rock the NCLEX.

Ivan

NurseEllis · Mar 10, 2009

Way cool Chris....I am a medic too and I was wondering how it would be going into the hospital setting...keep us posted! When you take the boards?
Congrats!!!!

All I can say going into the ICU is "culture shock". That about sums it up. I have had some bad patients, and very comfortable with 1 hour, but the ICU nurses must go to all "rapid responses" and CPR's in the hospital. I ended up doing CPR for like 20 mins and then transfering her into ICU and critically taking care of her for 7 hours, were she eventually passed away. It is a completely different world and thinking. I do feel out of my "realm" I will say but I'm always up for a good challange!!! I will rock the ICU :smokin:

NurseEllis · Mar 10, 2009

There is always the assumption that when medics cross over to the dark side they will go to the ER, but I honestly think the ICU is a better fit for a medic. Although we are used to mass tragedy, umm I mean casualty, we are best at taking really good care of 1 to 2 patients and all of the technology that goes with critical care. That is what I did. After I came off orientation though, they let me pick up extra shifts in the ER and that was fun too.
Congrats. You will rock the NCLEX.
Ivan

I do love Critical Care medicine, it is what I do....in my blood as they say. Unfortunately in NY you have to have 1 year RN experience to work in the ER, state law. I did try to get a waver as I'm a paramedic but I was shut down by both the Dept of Health and BoN. I do think working in the ICU will give me a leg up, and I really would like to get cross-trained in our CCU as well. I plan on taking the CCRN exam as soon as I get the bedside requirement out of the way which is like 1700 bedside hours.

Darkside....lol so so true