need help for clinicals in SICU and MICU

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Specializes in General Surgery & Open Heart Teams; NICU.

I know I should ask this on the student forum, but I wanted to hear from nurses who work in these departments.

I start my critical care component clinicals tomorrow. I am excited and nervous at the same time. Our instructor has advised us to bring our critical care manual, durg book, and lab book along with the usual steh, penlight, calipers, wound measurment tool, tape measure, and all the paperwork like our preceptor evaluations to clinicals;.

We start at 0645 until 1845. A full day. But what I would like to know, is there anything else I should bring??/ I think I have most everything covered. then I would like to know, how can I be a great student nurse to my preceptor and not get in the way or bug her too much. I want to learn everything, but I don't want to get "eaten alive". Can anyone give me advice about what a nurse will expect out of me and how I can work with her without getting in her way????

Thanks

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Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

OMG Regglyn, I graduated from CCCC!!!!

The best advice I can give you from working in ICU and being in that very same clinical group, is to show up with an open mind. You will be paired with a nurse for that day to assist him/her in the care of that patient, and if they have a second patient to assist with them as needed. You will not be left alone with the patient, and you will not assume total care of the patient.

Don't question the nurse if they are very busy, wait until after the event is over. VOLUNTEER to help, offer to start the IV or place the foley or drop the NGT. When I work with students I am much more likely to really go out of my way for a student if it appears that they want to learn. Don't worry about gathering information upfront unless the day is going slow. Unless they have changed, generally they call a halt to the clinical activities around 1600 to give you the extra 2 hours to gather any necessary clinical information from the chart to complete you patient profile.

BTW are you in the group at Moore Regional or at Cape Fear Valley?

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Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.

We start at 0645 until 1845. A full day. But what I would like to know, is there anything else I should bring??/ I think I have most everything covered. then I would like to know, how can I be a great student nurse to my preceptor and not get in the way or bug her too much. I want to learn everything, but I don't want to get "eaten alive". Can anyone give me advice about what a nurse will expect out of me and how I can work with her without getting in her way????

Thanks

Though I have only been a MICU nurse for 10 months (was a new grad); I enjoy working with students.

Things to do to be helpful:

Record hourly vitals and urine outputs

Do all procedures you know how to do

Ask questions on procedures you are not sure about

Volunteer to do nasty stuff that normally a CNA would do (empty linen baskets, help to clean and bathe patients, etc).

Jump in to watch exciting or new to you procedures being done even if it is not your patient.

Be eager to learn - doctors will even answer questions for you.

Things that are unhelpful:

Do not go to lunch when the RN needs your help with something

Do not sit in the breakroom and work on your care plan - be on the floor learning.

Do not act bored

Do not spend much time in the workday looking things up in books; books are for later and homework.

Enjoy your ICU clinicals!

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