My dream Job!

[Dressagern]

So I feel bi-polar with the emotions that I am feeling right now. I am 8 months into my nursing career, I graduated with my ADN last May and got a job in a PCU unit. This is my dream and my passion. I worked extremely hard during school and have been loving my time on a PCU unit. However, I knew from the start I want to spend my days in an ICU. I recently saw my dream job come up…some how I got it! I will soon be starting in an ICU!! I am over the moon excited and over the moon anxious! Any advice or words of wisdom as I start in the intense world of ICU?!

[AccelCNL, MSN, RN]

Congrats!!! I'm graduating in a few weeks and I hope to eventually end up in the ICU as well. But I accepted a position in a PCU. Hopefully, I'll end up in an ICU before one year of practice is complete as well.

Good luck!

[BeatsPerMinute, BSN, RN]

I left my first nursing position 8 months in for ICU just as you. The big suggestions from someone still new in the ICU: be a sponge and write everything down. Create a folder or binder that you can have on hand to add notes to so that you don't forget things taught to you (ICU is a steep learning curve and there will be LOTS to learn). Also, pay very very close attention to your patients at all times. Several times I ran into situations where my most stable patient was suddenly the one in an emergent situation. Anybody can make a turn for the worst in the ICU, including those who were supposedly near ready to be discharged.