ICU nurses!

[aquille4]

Hey everyone!

I have been working 6 months on a Trauma med/surg floor and I decided to move on because I am not being challenged and am, quite honestly, bored. I want to be a flight nurse so I applied for the ICU and was asked my first choice between STICU, MICU, and CTICU. I picked STICU. Unfortunately, they do not have an opening and offered me MICU. I was given the option to start MICU or wait 6 months and start in STICU with the commitment of at least 1 year in the home unit. I was heartbroken because I LOVE LOVE LOVE trauma. BUT I also recognize the learning opportunity as a future flight nurse to work with medical patients. SO opinions? Should I wait it out bored in my current position for STICU or take a year in MICU before going to STICU? TIA!!

[Wile E Coyote, ASN, RN]

Most of the flights in my area are medical calls ( interfacility or pick ups in outlying remote clinics) usually for cardio-pulm disease processes you will see less of in a trauma unit.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

A lot of my patients (MICU) get flown in from outside facilities. I take report from the flight team fairly often. So, you will definitely be transporting a lot of medical patients - it would be to your advantage to get MICU experience.

[RNperdiem, RN]

There is a lot of overlap in MICU and all ICUs. Personally, I prefer surgical patients, but there is a lot to learn in any ICU. There is a whole generalized ICU skill set that works in all ICUs.

What is the root of all this boredom in someone still new to a department? You do realize that there is a lot of similar routine in ICU' right?

We get report, assess the patients, chart our assessments, look up the first round of meds and so on. In ICU, we still rate fall risks, document restraints and do many of the same things you are doing now.

[aquille4]

There is a lot of overlap in MICU and all ICUs. Personally, I prefer surgical patients, but there is a lot to learn in any ICU. There is a whole generalized ICU skill set that works in all ICUs.

What is the root of all this boredom in someone still new to a department? You do realize that there is a lot of similar routine in ICU' right?

We get report, assess the patients, chart our assessments, look up the first round of meds and so on. In ICU, we still rate fall risks, document restraints and do many of the same things you are doing now.

I like the routine. What I don't like is the patients I am working with. They are stable and need very little monitoring. I do assessments, give morning meds, some pain meds throughout the day, and maybe if I'm lucky have a heparin gtt or PCA pump that I have to monitor. It is not what I feel I could be utilizing my skills. I feel I am better suited where I can use my brain, work with drips, participate in codes more frequently, deal with invasive lines, and care for a more complex patient who requires more attention.

Besides that, wanting to be a flight nurse I will need to have ICU experience either way, so moving forward in ICU is what is best. I am not learning anything new where I currently am. We see he same patients with the same medications and I'm not doing anything different than I did the day before-- except when I have a rapid or code and am in my zone. :-)

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Thread has been moved to the Critical Care forum.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

I feel I am better suited where I can use my brain, work with drips, participate in codes more frequently, deal with invasive lines, and care for a more complex patient who requires more attention.

You sound a lot like me.

I think you may be surprised in what you like more - you might actually like MICU better than STICU with that personality.