how long after orientation until you felt comfortable in the ICU?

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I've been in the ICU for almost a year, and I completed a successful ICU orientation last November. :)

Task-wise, I feel okay, especially with time management, charting, getting priorities taken care of before anything else, etc.

However, there are times where I still feel uncomfortable putting all the concepts and critical thinking together so I feel like I'm still one of the people who needs to ask for help from one of the seasoned nurses. I love going to rapid responses and code blues with seasoned nurses, but still somewhere in the back of my mind, I'm also scared to death.

How can I learn to be more comfortable without asking so much help from the other nurses? I wish I can stop feeling like such a novice nurse, as I'll have been a nurse for 3 years this coming January. The reason why I transitioned to ICU was because I didn't want to be uncomfortable anymore when a patient was deteriorating rapidly; I wanted to feel more confident about what to do in case a code blue happened. I wanted to take on more challenging patients so I could apply my critical thinking skills. I do feel more comfortable now, but there are just times when I don't. :confused:

When/how did you start feeling comfortable in the ICU? Do you ever study critical care books/journals on your days off from work?

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Specializes in SICU.

I bet if you asked those experienced nurses that you talk to, if they feel totally comfortable, they would say no. As time goes on you get more comfortable, but there is always some pt that will throw you for a loop. I work with some nurses that have been ICU nurses for 15 to 25 years. They still tell me that they are learning. Not being totally comfortable is a good thing, it will keep you on your toes.

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Specializes in ICU.

I was a tele nurse for 6 months before going to ICU. I've been in the ICU for a little more than a year. I feel I'm getting more comfortable with all the routine stuff, but feel overwhelmed with the critical thinking process sometimes. I'm the kind of nurse who wants to know "why we're doing this", instead of just "for this condition or symptom, we do this..."

Don't EVER be afraid to ask questions, and always educate yourself. Many nights, I'll come home from work exhausted, but I research those things that happened during my day that I was so afraid of, so that the next time I deal with it, I feel much more comfortable. You can't possibly know EVERYTHING, no one does. I recently asked a fantastic RN how long it took her to feel comfortable with her job as an ICU nurse.....she said 7 years.

The ICU is not for everyone, and some days I ask myself "what the hell was I thinking" (I became an RN @ 41...something I always wanted to do, but just put it off due to various obsticles). I have gained so much weight from the stress and think I have an ulcer, but I wouldn't want to do anything else.

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I don't think it's safe to get "comfortable"...it is human life, right.

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Specializes in STICU; cross-trained in CCU, MICU, CVICU.

After working in a Surgical-Trauma-Neuro ICU for 5 years now I am "comfortable" within my setting...However I still am NEVER 100% comfortable with patient care. There are too many unknowns to become comfortable. Any RN who tells you otherwise has gotten complacent and that in itself is a frightening thought

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Specializes in ICU.
I was a tele nurse for 6 months before going to ICU. I've been in the ICU for a little more than a year. I feel I'm getting more comfortable with all the routine stuff, but feel overwhelmed with the critical thinking process sometimes. I'm the kind of nurse who wants to know "why we're doing this", instead of just "for this condition or symptom, we do this..."

Don't EVER be afraid to ask questions, and always educate yourself. Many nights, I'll come home from work exhausted, but I research those things that happened during my day that I was so afraid of, so that the next time I deal with it, I feel much more comfortable. You can't possibly know EVERYTHING, no one does. I recently asked a fantastic RN how long it took her to feel comfortable with her job as an ICU nurse.....she said 7 years.

The ICU is not for everyone, and some days I ask myself "what the hell was I thinking" (I became an RN @ 41...something I always wanted to do, but just put it off due to various obsticles). I have gained so much weight from the stress and think I have an ulcer, but I wouldn't want to do anything else.

I am happy to report that I do feel more "comfortable" and less stressed now than I did when I posted the above. After 2 years, there are some very critical situations that arise and I KNOW what to do next! Of course, it's true that you should NEVER feel too comfortable; EVERY patient and EVERY situation are different!

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I went from nursing school to an eight bed medical ICU. 3months orientation with a preceptor and armed with a volume of information. Routinely, assessed by the Manager for weekly updates. The doctors were told they had to teach at bedside and they did. I had a wonderful introduction to ICU and have never left. 15 years of nursing and have never worked anywhere but an ICU/CVICU/SICU/CCU/MICU. If you show the initiative to learn, that means when something is going on and is not your Pt. get up and be apart of the team. Even if it means running and getting supplies. Because what you hear others say will mean more if you feel you have contributed.

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