In the ICU, do you get a tech?

[Blondekristi]

I have only had one RN job and currently work in the ICU. We do total care on our patients and do not have a tech. I actually like it because I am actively aware of I/Os, vitals, when my pt was last turned, etc. We have a lift team on staff for the whole hospital we can call to help with bathing and turning. I am applying for jobs now, as my husband is relocating for work and I noticed one of the ICUs I applied at staffs CNAs. What is your experience with this? Other than helping with turns, what do they do? Do you have more than 2 patients if you get a tech?? What situation do you prefer? Tech or no tech?

[smf0903]

We have a tech if we only have 1 or 2 ICU patients. In that case, we have an RN and a tech. The only other time we have a tech is if we're full, then it's 1 RN for every 2 patients plus 1 tech to help out.

[ICU-BSN]

I have two jobs (One FT, one PRN), both in ICUs. FT uses techs...they help with turns, baths, cleaning poo, they can draw labs, pick up blood from blood bank, room set up...all manner of tasks. They do NOT touch Foleys, so I am still acutely aware of my hourly I&O. I have 1-2 patients depending on acuity.

At my PRN job, no tech. I have anywhere from 1-3 patients, depending on acuity, but more often than not, I have 3.

[Blondekristi]

Sounds like having a tech would be pretty nice. I hate waiting for lift team or telling a patients family I have to wait for LT's 30min lunch to be over before I can clean up their moms incontinent stool... I am worried about them trying to give my 3 ICUs... isn't the national standard 2:1? Sometimes we will get tele over flow and take 1 ICU and 2 teles but never 3 ICU patients, at least where I work. I have a phone interview tomorrow and will ask. Thanks for the responses!

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I don't know what a tech is. In ICU's where I have worked they staffed CNAs. They are helpers and don't really have an independent roll. Maybe record hourly urine output. Mostly they help each RN with their baths & ADLs.

[Blondekristi]

Where I work, a tech and a CNA are synonymous. Sorry for the confusion and thanks for the response!

[AutumnApple]

A lot of ICU's don't have techs/CNA's at all. Or, if they do have them, they aren't allowed in the rooms.......they just run for supplies and make deliveries and such. If a nurse needs help, another nurse has to go in the room with them.

From what I understand, this is the more "insurance friendly" approach.

[R5RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

We have techs(/CNAs/PCAs or whatever you prefer to call that roll) in our CTICU. There are two during the week, and one during nights and weekends. They are not assigned rooms, they help throughout the entire unit and they are absolutely fantastic. They help with things such as turns, bathing, ADLs, setting up rooms, doing EKGs, assisting when patients arrive from the OR, moving patients out to the floor/step down, and doing blood sugars. They do not draw blood or do I&Os, they don't really do anything that requires any type of charting and they don't act independently (i.e. they don't just go in and turn a patient without the nurse being present to assist). This does not increase our ratios, we still only have 1-2 patients.

[DisneyNurseGal, BSN, RN]

I don't know what a tech is. .

In my facility a tech is a CNA with additional training allowed to perform certain tasks, while working under the licence of the MD. Insert foleys, IV placement, assist at bedside while the MD inserts central lines etc.

[TheInformaticsNurse]

I used to work in an ICU where there used to be CNAs, but that eventually got phased out. After that, we had "float nurses" who gave breaks and assisted with nursing tasks when needed. Otherwise, we did all of the bedside care that CNAs used to help with including turning, bathing, etc.

[Blondekristi]

That would be so nice. Our "techs" are not even allowed to check blood sugars...

[Ddestiny, BSN, RN]

We've had a couple different dayshift techs in the ICU but we are down to just one who works 3 days per week and it looks like when she eventually leaves, she will not be replaced. It's unfortunate, she is a great help! Helps a lot with turning, ADLs, code browns, stocking rooms, grabbing blood sugars, feeding pts that need help, etc. She also does a lot of bed baths. She doesn't do anything without asking first since she's not as familiar with each pt's needs (I do the same thing whenever I help out someone with their patients because things change rapidly) and she doesn't mess with our foleys. Oh, and she will run to grab blood for us, help us transport patients if we're taking someone by bed down to radiology, etc. Just all kinds of things, really. We have a 16 bed ICU so her help is very impactful, especially on days when our acuity level is high so all the nurses are really busy. Not having to pull another nurse all the time to help with basic tasks is amazing.