MSICU vs trauma ICU?

MLB55 · Jul 7, 2012

I work In a large teaching, level 1 trauma hospital. I'm specifically in neuroICU, we also have mICU, sICU, ctICU, and ccu. In mICU, you will see your sepsis, ARDS and everything in between medical. Where as in sICU and neuroICU, you will see MVCs, GSWs and other sorts of weapon inflicted injuries. Anything to the head or spine goes to neuro, everything other trauma goes to sicu. Just depends on what patient population you want.

meandragonbrett · Jul 8, 2012

It's all very hospital dependent.

Trauma ICU is going to be people who have had some sort of traumatic injury...whether it's via weapon, motorvehicle collision, a fall, a farming accident, etc. Something is generally broken in the Trauma ICU.

The advantage of trauma ICU is that trauma affects all ages, populations, and medical problems. So you will still have your sepsis, ARDS, pneumonia, multi-organ failures, CHF, COPD, MI, etc. but their trauma is complicated by their existing medical problems.

missnurse01, MSN, RN · Jul 10, 2012

another thing to consider is that in most places I have been across the country there isn't enough trauma to keep all er nurses happy. after paying your dues of a few years to be able to even be assigned the trauma rooms, you might not get any for a week. or you might get 5 a night. it is the luck of the draw. the majority of er nursing is NOT emergency nursing at all, more like urgent care and clinic. the great thing about nursing is that you can always start in one area and move to another! you will always be learning new things to keep you interested!

good luck

TRUtraumaRN · Jul 13, 2012

I love trauma and I've found that the trauma ICU or surgical trauma ICU is much more exciting than an MICU. Every nurse is different as far as likes and dislikes. I'm strictly a trauma person. I hate medical pts so naturally I wasn't too thrilled working in the MICU (don't get me wrong there are tons of EXTREMELY critical pts and it's a huge challenge). I worked in a 16 bed STICU and loved it. Only thing is a lot of the fun stuff is already taken care of in the ED or OR, but you do get to still see a lot of procedures and cool stuff. Just depends on what you like. If you want to take care of them for a longer time then ICU is the way to go.

mmutk, BSN, RN, EMT-I · Jul 13, 2012

I concur, SICU will be much more exciting than MICU (but the patients may have more infections)

airborneinf82, BSN · Jul 14, 2012

Just curious as to why you think it's more exciting? Not trying to start and argument, just curious as to your reasoning for your viewpoint.

traumasurgRN · Jul 14, 2012

I work in the TSCU (trauma surgical care unit), our hospital is a level 2 trauma center. We of course get any and all trauma pts, mva's, falls, assaults, crush injuries... you name it.. we also get every crain and any other complex neuro surgery, as well as general surgical pts who went bad in OR or the PACU. Like someone else mentioned earlier, trauma pts are generally medical pts as well. I prefer TSCU over MICU because we get both medical and surgical pts as well as neuro pts. MICU gets strictly sick medical pts.. a lot of sepsis, acute renal failure, ARDs type stuff. I feel that I see a wider spectrum of pts in my unit than our MICU. Don't get me wrong, MICU is fabulous experience, and some of our best nurses worked in MICU before they came to trauma.

mmutk, BSN, RN, EMT-I · Jul 14, 2012

In our MICU there are rarely any SWANs or ART lines and other toys that very sick patients carry. I just got board of the ETOH and drug overdoses and routine pneumonia cases in our MICU. I think it's more "fun" to have lots of toys to play with and sicker patients, such as balloon pumps, ECMO, ect. I am sure there are MICUs elsewhere that may be more challenging than ours.

Bec7074 · Jul 15, 2012

Totally facility dependent. Ask a nurse recruiter about it. I work in a level one trauma center, and we don't have the name "trauma ICU" or anything like that but all the traumas come to us. Personally, I think trauma is a better experience. Trauma patients are complex and there's never 2 patients alike. Besides the broken bones and blood loss, you have to think about where their injury is. I also enjoy "the drama with the trauma"....meaning how they ended up with whatever it was happening to them. I've cared for inmates, criminals shot by the police in pursuit, guys who fell off a ladder drunk, MVAs, MCAs, a guy who was kicked by a cow, and of course moped accidents. Trauma keeps it real and I'd take that over a COPD exacerbation any day....just my preference :)

Good Morning, Gil · Jul 18, 2012

Not to be a dream crusher, but you'll just have to take the job that hires you. You may be able to get into your area of choice right away, but if not, don't be disheartened. You can work your way into that area or you may decide you like the area in which you start. If you enjoy the fast-paced traumas, then you would enjoy a setting like ER, but you said you also like to continue in their care; if that's the case, then you may enjoy NTICU.

I work in a MSICU, and while we do get critically ill, unstable patients, most are not unstable, but are critical, stable (but that can and does change in a moment at times). Then, others are more intermediate ICU patients, but we don't have an intermediate ICU, so they hang with us until stable enough for the floor. It really is a variety, and what I have learned in my time there, is that I enjoy caring for the oncology patients (both terminal and those with a good prognosis), so in the future (not looking to leave ICU anytime soon), I will do oncology nursing and hopefully research, as well. I enjoy this unit, though, and feel I am able to make a difference in my patient's outcome during my shift. Point being: you'll probably end up in different nursing roles/units during your time as a nurse. Start somewhere, and see where that takes you.

Best of luck to you!