Med Surg vs ICU

[tlsweet]

For one I'm an old new nurse. Well, I've been a nurse now for 5 years, 2 as an LPN, mainly working in LTC and then as a RN I did a year in Hospice and currently in Med/Surg. I've got 16 months of med/surg. I just turned 51. Long story, but I wish I would have become a nurse many years ago. Life and raising kids just got in the way.

Anyway, I never thought I'd be thinking this, but I am seriously considering transferring into ICU. I had the chance to float........only once, I was so scared, but I was given 2 easy stable patients. Kept busy though with their med and the charting. But, it was them & me. On med/surg we can have anywhere from 5 to 8 patients. Last night was that 8 pt night. According to census I was suppose to get help. But, working nights that is easier said than done, and nobody was available to come in, so I had all 8. I got it done though.

I've read that people in ICU like it because they get to know their patients. I would enjoy this. Now they come & go, some stay longer than others, but you know for the main part most are there 1-3 days.

Working in ICU I'd have more responsibilities for sure. And that's scary, but I know with more training my confidence could be built up. I've heard good & bad of course from everyone.

We once had a younger nurse float to our floor once from ICU. She hated it on our floor. She was so worried about having to care for 4 patients. I'm thinking now if she is freaking out about that, it can't be that much more stressful on ICU. Now, I know there will be bad & good days. But, I have that hear.

What are your thoughts about this? Why do you love ICU, have any switched from med/surg to ICU? And do you think being 51 I could handle it. Now I'm running up and down the hallways, so it would seem I wouldn't be running around. Just busy charting and keeping my 2 or 3 pts. alive.

Thanks in advance, and sorry this got so long.

Teena

[nursejill155]

I get the impression that you want to go to the ICU so you have less pts....am I correct? You stated that you would not be doing so much running, just keeping your 2 patients alive. Let me tell you, I worked on Med surg stepdown, and thought I was busy, I did not know what busy was! You will run, when a pt is crashing you may be running all over the unit, to the blood bank etc. You may be physically tired from work now, but you will be mentally tired from work in the ICU. If you want a challenge then I would say do it, but don't think that having only 2 pts will be easy because its not, you have only 2 pts because they are so sick you cannot care for more then 2 properly. You will know the family's better, but not always the pts, the really sick ones who are with you for a while in the unit usually are not talking, so you know nothing about them besides a dx and maybe a family! Comparing my med/surg work to ICU experience...ICU nursing is way more busy. I give credit and respect the floor nurses a lot! But ICU is more of a complex work, its physical and mental with critical thinking all the time!!! Good luck, I hope I helped, maybe you could shadow in the ICU for a few days and really get a feel for it, one day floating is not sufficient enough to understand "critically ill pts". :nuke:

[AZRN4life]

I spent 4 years in Med Surg and recently transfered to ICU. Like you, I was nervous. Now I could kick myself for not going sooner. I was taking care of 7 patients and doing charge nurse on the floor. I'm glad I did Medsurg first though. I learned time management and got my skills down. Don't get me wrong, ICU is busy. Stable patients don't get to stay long in the unit. There is always someone more critical to take their place. That being said, I know my patients from head to toe. I am now able to spend time with my 2 patients and their families. I am now able to spend time teaching. Remember how nice it was it was in nursing school to take time to listen to the patients and hold their hand and comfort them and their families? I get to do that again. The ICU is not easy. Life is very fragile and you are faced with death, or the threat of death, daily. But it is so rewarding to know that you made a difference. Go for it!

[tlsweet]

Thank you nursejill and azrnforlife. You both brought up very good points that I have considered.

I have thought about shadowing, and think before I jump into this I must do it. My house manager suggested the same thing. But, I do hear from several nurses where I work they would much rather take care of 2 critically ill patients then to come up on our busy floor and run like crazy.

The time I did float there I was busy that was no doubt, and these patients were pretty stable, I can understand how much stress there probably is when you have patients that need more monitoring. But, I feel I'm up to that challenge. As azrnforlife said it's rewarding. I worked hard for my license and no way would I want to do anything to get it taken away. I know I would get good training. I also like the aspect of being able to get to know the patients as I've heard others talk about and spending some quality time with them.

Thanks again for your comments, I appreciate them both and will continue to carry on. I've prayed a lot about it and have asked God to guide me. I'll continue doing so and I think the next step to do is get in touch with the right source so I can go in and shadow.

Blessings to you both,

Teena