ICU nurses can work anywhere??

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Is this true? How many years experience do you think it's good to have before applying somewhere else?

I'm a new grad who's starting ICU orientation soon..:jester:

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Specializes in Critical Care, Capacity/Bed Management.

As an ICU nurse you will have critical care experience and skills that will be invaluable in other fields of nursing such as ER, PACU, and OR. After working with ICU nurse's for a few years I would find it difficult to see them work on a Med/Surg unit with 7 patients. Since ICU nurse's tend to me very detail oriented. However, working ICU does open doors in other fields that require critical care skills and usually 2 years of experience is needed but the more the better.

P.S. I do not mean any disrespect to nurse's working in Med/Surg. I understand that it takes a special type of nurse to care for the wide range of patients admitted to such a unit and know the difficulties.

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Specializes in CCU,ICU,ER retired.

Whenever I had to float to M/S I had such a hard time keeping up. We did such detailed assessments in ICU and it usually took a good 20-30 minutes for just one. When I had 5-7 pts it took me 3-4 hoursfor just initial assessments and from then on I could never catch up.

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Specializes in Med-Surg Nursing.

They think so at my hospital! I've been pulled to the ER, med/surg(I started off there and was a med surg RN the first 4 yrs of my career) and OB at my current hospital. Apparently because you can take care of a critically ill adult, it also makes you competent to be able to handle a just born baby!!:eek::uhoh3:

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Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.

I do ADULT ICU. I would freak out if I ever got floated to NICU, PICU, or OB.

I once went on a travel contract for ICU, and got floated every night except once

to tele! :rolleyes: I found tele with 4 pts "doable" - but I don't think I would adapt easily

to 6 or 8 pts. I know some hospitals in my area do 10:1 staffing in med/surg. That

would be impossible for me.

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I would spin like a top if I had to work outside of ER, ICU, or PACU

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

I've only done ICU, so I could do PACU, ER (just tasking) and a step down floor with 4 patients. Anything else is a simple no go.

I have no time management skills to take 10 med surg patients and lack the ability to just do a problem focused assessment and care. It's very challenging to do less than you are trained to do.

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