My Dream Was/is To Be An Icu Nurse - Advice Please!

Published

I currently work on a med/surg floor and was hoping to finish out this year giving me 1 1/2 years of experience. My dream has always been to work in the ICU. My fear is that I won't be able to handle it. I'm doing well where I'm at, but ICU seems so interesting. I've read books to help me, but I look on this site for example and wonder what the heck everyone is talking about!! Sometimes, it seems so over my head....like I don't know anything. Is that normal?

I was thinking about taking the ACLS class soon. What else can I do to help me along the way so I won't be quite so lost when the "dream job" becomes a reality? Thanks so much.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Take the plunge- get your feet wet or you'll never know if you can swim or not but give it at least 1 full year once you are there before you look back. It takes on the average a full year before any nurse even starts to feel comfortable in showing up for work in any ICU.(In my opinion.) You will either love it or hate it by then.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, Education.

I believe that 1 & 1/2 years is a good strong base if you are doing well where you are at. Of course you don't know about all this stuff, because you have not worked with it. You will learn it. I love that you are reading and wanting to learn before you are even thinking about doing it. You'll do fine.(and I don't say that lightly). Go for it!

Doris

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I second everything that Dorimar just said.

Go for it!:mad:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.

Critical care isn't 'harder' than Med/Surg; it's 'different'.

It's focus is different, the skills are different, etc.

Some people can't handle critical care. But then, some people aren't cut out for med/surg, either. I will say that critical care is a much more assertive part of nursing. The people who thrive there tend to be people who aren't afraid of sharing their opinions. Grow a thick skin and don't let random comments bother you - and don't let the WAY something is said deprive you of learning from WHAT is said. Those same assertive tendencies are what make critical care nurses awesome in an emergency. You have to take the bad with the good.

I will say critical care is more about 'critical thinking'. That might be a 'duh'! comment, but critical thinking is part of all nursing, it's just more in focus in critical care.

I believe that I get paid as much for what I do as I do for the things I prevent having to be done. Critical care is much more proactive in that sense.

And critical care is more detail oriented.

Don't be afraid that you don't know what you've never been taught. Nursing is 'on the job' training for all of us. You'll learn, and you'll probably love it.

My advise: take ACLS. Take PALS (Ped Adv Life Support), Take TNCC (Trauma Nurse Core Course) - learn EKGs if you don't work with them regularly. And find out how to move towards critical care and make sure TPTB know you exist and desire such a move.

Good luck.

~faith,

Timothy, CCRN.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I agree with the idea that you take the plunge. As an ICU nurse, you'll be taking the plunge every day. If you are confident that you can learn the things you have to learn, take criticism well, and care about the patient, you'll be fine. I started in ICU with no experience, only an ICU internship, which many disagree with, anyway, and for good reason sometimes. I did it, anyone can if they have some fire to 'em. The thing that seperates me from the people who I see flounder around and fall apart in the ICU is that I have the confidence that I can learn the complex concepts, new drugs, procedures, new diagnoses and treatments, and things like that which are required. Some are there to punch a clock or are timid and don't think they can do it, and these are the ones you have to worry about.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.
Critical care isn't 'harder' than Med/Surg; it's 'different'.

It's focus is different, the skills are different, etc.

Some people can't handle critical care. But then, some people aren't cut out for med/surg, either. I will say that critical care is a much more assertive part of nursing. The people who thrive there tend to be people who aren't afraid of sharing their opinions. Grow a thick skin and don't let random comments bother you - and don't let the WAY something is said deprive you of learning from WHAT is said. Those same assertive tendencies are what make critical care nurses awesome in an emergency. You have to take the bad with the good.

I will say critical care is more about 'critical thinking'. That might be a 'duh'! comment, but critical thinking is part of all nursing, it's just more in focus in critical care.

I believe that I get paid as much for what I do as I do for the things I prevent having to be done. Critical care is much more proactive in that sense.

And critical care is more detail oriented.

Don't be afraid that you don't know what you've never been taught. Nursing is 'on the job' training for all of us. You'll learn, and you'll probably love it.

My advise: take ACLS. Take PALS (Ped Adv Life Support), Take TNCC (Trauma Nurse Core Course) - learn EKGs if you don't work with them regularly. And find out how to move towards critical care and make sure TPTB know you exist and desire such a move.

Good luck.

~faith,

Timothy, CCRN.

very good advice!! anyway, i am 22 yrs old and hass been working in a general ICU ( med/surg/neuro/cardio) for almost 1 1/2 years now. I am so thankful for the hospital to assign a new graduate like me into the ICU. AT first, it was sooooo exhausting. but with all the things you learn, you wont mind the exhaustion. i couldnt imagine myself working in other areas!!

anyways, i am from the philippines and hopefully soon will be working in the US. do hospitals there place nurses like me into special areas right away? because i am hoping, and have been praying for me to land in an ICU. I already took ACLS and PALS course, although i havent received the certificate yet. When i get to the US, do you think i will end up in ICU??:uhoh3:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU/CCU/MICU/SICU/CTICU.

If your dream is to be an ICU nurse, then be an ICU nurse. You stated that you see things on here that you have no idea what is being said. You have to keep in mind, that on here when things are being said, they are coming from nurses who have been doing ICU for years. When they first started, they didnt know it either.

Will it be hard? Probably, but you will learn new things everyday. No matter how long you work in ICU. Things change on a daily basis. You have to be very detail oriented. Have to be able to pick up on the slightest change in your patient. Coming from med-surg you may think that is going to be almost impossible. But you are going from a ratio of 1:6-9 to a ratio of 1:2.

One patient may be busier than the other, but you still have to notice the small things. Even the most stable patients can go bad quickly in an ICU. Dont be so set on a schedule, sometimes schedules are blown out of the water when things are happening so fast. Make sure that at the beginning of shift, you dont get behind in case something does happen. There will always be someone to help you if things get bad. Just dont be afraid to ask for help.

If you really want to do this, then go for it. If you dont, you will always wonder what if..........

Good luck to you!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Go for it. I did 1 1/2 years of med/surg prior to starting a ICU internship. I would definately do it again. ICU is in my blood now. Your med/surg experience will help you tremendously in the ICU. All the ICU lingo, lines, vents, drips, and everything that goes with it will come in time. But give it at least a year to feel a little more comfortable in that setting. Good luck to you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion