need info

RedBait · Dec 10, 2004

what do i need to become a ccu nurse??

You need a job in a CCU! Not trying to be glib. It would be more than useful to have spent at least a year working on a med/surg floor. It is worthwhile to have your basic nursing skills and organizational strategies down pat, critical care builds on a base of these skills.

It would be more than useful to have spent some time working on a telemetry unit to aide your comfort around monitoring equipment. But, once you are hired, you will begin a preceptorship that will give you time to learn. If you would like a sample of the things you will be expected to master, surf around the AACN.org and SCCM.org, these are the major critical care organizations.

If the unit that interests you, doesn't promise you support for your learning, find another unit. Critical care is a most rewarding field, I have worked ICU for 22 years and I have learned something almost every shift.

loulou10484 · Dec 11, 2004

if you are a new grad try to find a hospital with an internship type program. I just recently graduated and went into a program my hospital calls the "critical care fellowship" where I get extra classes and 'clinical' time for six months. I am getting ready to move out on my own soon where I will still receive a normal orientation to the unit for 2-3 months, so by the time I will be practicing on my own I will have neen a nurse for 8 months, but got to directly move into a critical care unit.

RNforLongTime · Dec 12, 2004

It would be more than useful to have spent some time working on a telemetry unit

Yeah that. You really have to know your cardiac arrythmias! It's helpful to first learn this on a telemetry unit. It's my opinion that you should have a year of med/surg(floor) experience before moving to the ICU/CCU. It gives you time to learn your assessment skills, time management skills, communication skills, etc. Again, that's my opinion. We use new grads in my unit all the time and for the most part they all do well. Some however do not and they usually don't make it through orientation, which is typically 12 weeks, or longer if needed. Good luck to you!