What do you like/not like about ICU nursing?

[Pattyo]

Hello everyone.

I am considering ICU nursing and have read many posts here asking related questions, but none that ask what do you like and not like about ICU nursing?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[RN1980]

poop...

[hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN]

poop...

Great, but what do you not like about ICU nursing?

[MaryAnn_RN]

Like giving holistic care and spending the day or night with the patient, building up a relationship with them and their family. There isn't anything I don't like.

[Pattyo]

Thanks everyone for your answers so far. I learned two things:

1. ICU nurses have a sense of humour. (I don't like poop in any area of nursing, but there's good and bad in most things)

2. I love the idea of developing close therapeutic relationship with patient and family and holistic care focus. That is what interests me about ICU nursing.

[pietr422]

Likes...

1. Challenge

2. Autonomy

3. Opportunities for learning are endless

Dislikes...

None so far

[Burnenup]

Hi! I just wanted to prove I can post a nonrambling post.....not really!

I enjoy doing the focused assessments, and total nursing care! and I feel like I am never alone. The teamwork rocks! oh, and diprovan is cool.....

[xigris79]

Likes -

medical complexity of the pts

seeing a pt improve- even if just a little

teaching the families

challenge

autonomy

focus of having 1-2pts during a shift.

Dislikes -

difficult families

seeing sad sad cases

docs who aren't aggresive

[MistyBlue]

I like the learning opportunities that often present themselves and there is a fair amount of autonomy in the unit that I work in.

I do not like DT's and docs who think that returning a page is optional.

[LuckyoneRN]

Likes;

Teamwork

Very focused-2 pts max, sometimes 2:1 for hypothermia pts

Autonomy

Respect shown by ICU physicians (ie intensivists, cardiologists, pulmonologists)

Dislikes:

Quandry of "just because we have xyz technology/intervention/scan/med, should we use it?

Difficult families

Pts. that go on to ethics committee b/c of dissention between continuing care vs. dignified death (sometimes family v MD, family v. family, or MD v MD)

PRISMA (out machines are about 15 years old...very tempermental to use...might as well just say "PRISMA=clots"

[RNFELICITY]

I absolutely love being a nurse!

I love the ICU because it challenges me. It makes me think on my feet and sometimes make educated guesses in the best interest of my patient. There is a great deal of respect given to you as an ICU nurse by other nurses in the hospital. We have greater autonomy to order things and do things without a specific order than a floor nurse has. We have a more focused relationship with our patients and families because of the amount of time that is spent in each patient's room.

The thing that was the hardest to get used to was the loss of patients. When you deal with the sickest of the sick, the outcome is not always that they go home and lead a happy healthy life. I have come to really have a much greater respect for an honorable death...a good death.

[blueheaven]

The thing I hate the most (I work in a teaching hospital) is when we get know-it-all interns and residents who totally have NO IDEA what they are doing and I have to go up the food chain in order to get appropriate care for my patient!!!!!!!!!!!!