Ideal qualities of an ICU nurse

[MoLee228]

For all of you experienced critical care nurses, what would you say are the top few MOST important qualities that a critical care nurse should have? For example, I know ICU nurses need to work well under pressure, make difficult decisions quickly, etc. I graduate nursing school in May and I have always been interested in critical care, but I would like to know what are the biggest qualities I should work on improving during my final semester. Thanks!!!

[meandragonbrett]

Attention to the minutiae of patient assessment.

[detroitdano]

Being willing to accept criticism for your judgment, being willing to give criticism and question others judgment, being able to admit when you're wrong, not being full of yourself, not caring if you don't eat/drink/pee/sit for 12 hours straight (because it'll happen a lot), stellar teamwork skills, to list a few.

Number one would definitely be the ability to recognize/think up small stuff by piecing things together. You are the bedside far more than the docs are, don't think they'll find or think up everything. It's the ability to add up weird things or look at meds/labs/vitals/telemetry and know what needs doing that differentiates an ICU nurse from a nurse who works in the ICU.

[Da_Milk_of_Amnesia, MSN]

As the other people said above me, it's all about picking up little nuances and small chances in your patients status. Asking for help when you need it or might not be sure about something and being able to take criticism and work as a team and of course being able to keep your **** together when it's hitting the fan. I've only been an RN for 7 months but I was brought into the ICU/CCU due to my extensive EMS background and prior experience as a nurse extern and of course my 'phenomenal assessment skills' as my NM put it. And it's not to toot my own horn but I got floated to the CCU one night and had my patient go bad fast and I had to code another one on the floor, after the supervisor and my fellow CCRNs saw me preform and how level headed and quick I was they wanted me there and so tada! Here I am. But had it not been for having a good assessment I totally could have missed the boat and I would have been coding my patient instead of saving her life. Understand that I have close to 10 years EMS under my belt and I've handled worse in the field with a WHOLE LOT less than we have in the hospital and kept PTs alive. Alot of this nursing stuff is experience and as a new grad we just simply dont have it, but you will. Work hard and never stop learning and you should be alright.

[OptimusPrime]

Keep the room clean... thats all I can think of

[kimmie518]

Stay calm.

Nothings worse that in a very sticky situation, you have very frantic people.....

[OptimusPrime]

Staying calm is great, if you're calm because you have a handle on whats going on.

I've seen some very "funcionally frantic" nurses that are awesome, but there's not a calm bone in their body when it comes to emergencies, but they rock.

I've also seen alot of "incompetently calm" nurses. You know who Im talking about. You walk in their room and they're staring at the monitor, which shows Vfib. But by god, they're as calm as the sloth. And they suck.

Just keep your room clean, everything else will be fine

[Da_Milk_of_Amnesia, MSN]

Room clean and lines nice and untangled...nothing grinds me gears worse than tangled UNLABELED lines !

[Jumpsuit Jim]

Two:

1) Critical Thinking skills

2) Ability to multitask

If you can think and know and understand while doing 4 things at once, you'll be just fine. Nurses who can't see the picture because they can't think and nurses who can only focus on one thing at a time make the absolute dumpiest ICU nurses in the world.

[BULLYDAWGRN, RN]

just try to learn from others by their examples and mistakes. take it upon yourself to educate yourself (read, learn, explore). litsen, everyone has their own way to nurse and you will discover your own before long. good luck.