christyness BSN

christyness has 12 years experience as a BSN and specializes in MICU.

Latest Activity

1. Moving to Indy

   christyness posted a topic in Indiana

   Hi there! I am an MICU nurse and moving to Fishers soon. I'm wondering how the profession has been affected in the last few years in Indy. Are there crazy patient ratios? Have they given good raises? What hospitals would you recommend?

2. Why don't you just read the chart?

   christyness replied to Guest219794's topic in Relations

   Weird, I always wonder the same thing about most of the ER nurses I take report from - why don't they just take five minutes to read the chart before they call me to give a "report" on a critically ill pt they apparently know next to nothing about? H...

3. How do women feel about pts that only want female RN's?

   christyness replied to hodgieRN's topic in MICU

   1. A little humor - "Now, Mr. So-and-so, you know there's no politics and religion at work! Are you tryin' to get me in trouble?" This approach depends a lot on the patient's personality, the situation, etc. 2. Redirect - make it about the patient ...

4. MICU reading material

   christyness replied to d00d00butter's topic in MICU

   Absolutely! Best online resource: index Best books (imo) - AACN Essentials of Critical Care Nursing, AACN Advanced Critical Care Nursing, The ICU Book (geared toward doctors, but still full of information that is valuable to nurses). I also really l...

5. How do women feel about pts that only want female RN's?

   christyness replied to hodgieRN's topic in MICU

   If it were any old patient saying this, I would just chuckle, take a moment to feel sorry for that patient's loss of a kick-ass nurse, and then move on. I didn't become a nurse to make patients like or accept me, I became a nurse to help people becau...

6. Med Surg Nurses That Switched Over to ICU Nursing

   christyness replied to GaMommy81's topic in MICU

   Yes, it is likely you will deal with death and emergency situations, so the qualities and skills needed by nurses in that area would be similar.

7. First "actively dying" experience 6 months in....

   christyness replied to stefkane07's topic in LPN/LVN Students

   You will come across nurses like this. Sometimes they are people who should never have been nurses. Many times, they are human beings who have run out of emotional resources. You have to try to understand what the nurse may be going through whole al...

8. Med Surg Nurses That Switched Over to ICU Nursing

   christyness replied to GaMommy81's topic in MICU

   I am speaking as a new nurse (I have been working for 7 months) but I'll give you my observations so far: Skills: •Strong assessment skills •Time mgmt and organization •Ability to work with several lines, drips, etc. (I find this takes a ton of pat...

9. Med Surg Nurses That Switched Over to ICU Nursing

   christyness replied to GaMommy81's topic in MICU

   I went straight into the ICU. It is possible. Good luck!

10. Seeking knowledge

    christyness replied to jlimpach's topic in Critical

    You can join the AACN, subscribe to critical care nursing journals, and read books. I just got the AACN Essentials of Critical Care Nursing and The ICU Book by Paul Marino. I like them both. Icufaqs.org is a great site as well. You can also search...

11. How long does the "new nurse anxiety" usually last?

    christyness replied to ASM90's topic in New Nurse

    I'm a new grad in an ICU. I currently have been working for a little over six months, and o my own for a little over two months. I'm starting to get more comfortable in some ways. The beeps and the noises are beginning to get to me though I have be...

12. New Grad - ICU

    christyness replied to KelKelRN's topic in MICU

    There are a lot of new grads who go straight into ICU, including myself. It depends on the hospital and whether they have the resources to train and mentor new RNs.

13. ICU nurses, Is 3:1 patient to nurse ratio a common occurence or am I just tripping?

    christyness replied to Scrubs911's topic in MICU

    Pts on my unit are 1:1 if they are very unstable, on an oscillator vent, or receiving CVVH. Otherwise, they are 2:1, never 3. If they are well enough to be 3:1, they go to the IMC.

14. New Grad - ICU

    christyness replied to KelKelRN's topic in MICU

    I like the AACN Essentials of Critical Care Nursing. For quick reference, I like a book I have called Critical Care Secrets. If you decide you want something more in-depth at some point, The ICU Book by Paul Marino is a staple. Also - a great online...

15. Home address on license look-up

    christyness replied to christyness's topic in Florida

    Awesome, thank you!