NEURO ICU

merlee · Sep 10, 2011

Lose your skills???? Who says that? No one who has ever worked in a neuro unit!!

You will gain amazing assessment abilities, learn to anticipate what it means if BP is rising, nurture entire families thru difficult times.

And there will still be all the 'usual' stuff - IV's, NG tubes, every manner of care.

Best wishes!

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2011

Merlee was right. You will gain amazing assessment skills. We do it all in the neuro icu.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2011

Hopefully someone can give me some advice, I am a newly qualified nurse, and I have two job offers one in general surgery and one in neuro icu. I would love to work in Neuro icu, however, I am just worried that newly qualified nurses do not get on that well, and people have said to me that I may lose my skills in neuro icu... is this true? would i be better to just accept the job in surgery? Please help... thanks :)

By general surgery...do you mean the OR? Who told you you'd lose nursing skills working in an ICU of any kind with all the tubes, vents, lines? :confused: I think a Neuro ICU may be challenging to a new grad, acclimating to all the comples nuances of a neuro patient....but if you aren't afraid to be challenged and are willing to work hard.....The brain is a facinating organ......good luck

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2011

I did an ICU internship right out of nursing school. I rotated through all of the ICU's, but did the majority of my internship in the neuro ICU. I agree with the others that whoever told you that you would "lose your skills" could NOT be more wrong! What in the world are they talking about?! You will be one of the most skilled nurses in the hospital after you have worked neuro ICU for a couple of years. Choosing between general surgery and neuro ICU is a no brainer in my opinion. Go for the ICU position.

makawiliwili · Sep 10, 2011

My daughter is valedictorian of her nursing class, did a summer internship and has accepted a job at the Mayo Clinic- her choice of specialty? Neuro ICU. There isn't a better place to be- you should be very proud to be offered a position there!!!

silentRN · Sep 11, 2011

Ya I agree with what everyone here has said. It will be just the opposite as you say. You will actually gain a lot of skills. I work in a Surgical-Trauma ICU, and we get all of the neurosurgery patients. A lot of traumas end up having brain injury, while at the same time brain surgery falls under surgery. So I see both trauma related injury to just your tumors, strokes, and so on. I'm sure in your Neuro ICU you will see a lot of head injuries related to trauma and the so forth.