New grad in ICU needing advice

Specialties MICU

Published

So I wanted to know, how many out there have felt this way during their first year or what your advice would be to me. Im a new grad, starting out in ICU, have about 6months of orientation. The hosptial I work for is a small community hospital, the pts we see are not traumas, it's mostly MIs, strokes, resp distress, so mostly it's an MICU. The orientation when it was presented to me, during the interview process, consisted of education classes with preceptors, mentors to help me through this "new grad" process, etc. So very excited about the job and even more when I did get the job. Well, all that went down the toilet pretty fast! The suppose "classes" were not "ICU" specific, as a matter of fact all the "ICU" learning was given to me to learn on my own time, I didn't get a hemodynamic class until my 10th week in, I wasn't given a class that goes through the P&P of the ICU unit, just told it's on "a binder somewhere and it says ICU P&P, it would be good to look through them". Couldn't look them up online, but it's not online, and when am I going to have time when Im on the floor taking pts? I wasn't given a class of the different/common drips used on the unit, reg concentrations on them, how to titrate them, nothing! All this I guess they thought I would learn on my own or with my preceptors. So now that I was given a "trial" few weeks on my own, I messed up with medications & drips, having a medication error. So now Im back on orientation and expected to know all the drips like the back of my hand within a few days. To make it worse, I signed a contract with the hospital to stay and work with them for 3yrs after my orientation, b/c of the wonderful program I was starting with them and the cost it would be for them to "train" me. So since the beginning I've just been feeling very unhappy with this whole situation, and now Im really considering leaving the hospital! I don't want to make any decisions while Im feeling like this, so my question is: have any of you out there, as a new grad to the ICU, really HATED where you worked and wanted to leave within the first year? What should I do? This whole situation is making me question my decision to coming in to ICU as a new grad, esp to a hospital not giving it to me right, and Im considering going to pediatrics like I wanted to do at first. But I don't know if this will look bad to other employers, breaking a contract and all? plus I really dont have the experience so it would be like starting all over again. My husband keeps telling me to "bit the bullet" and ride it out with them these next 3 years and then go, but I just don't know if I can! HELP! :(

I had a somewhat similar experience....as a new grad I worked at a hospital that the nurses took pride in "eating the young". I received little or no instruction and was sent to "critical care classes" which consisted of sitting in a room, reading a computor screen and testing at the end. I felt ill-prepared for my job, and almost quit. Thankfully, when I went to night shift, one of the experienced nurses took me under her wing and gave me a new appreciation - or maybe I should say, reminded me of why I went into critical care in the first place. Since then, I have worked in a hospital that gave me better training, better classes and more one on one preceptorship and I feel much better about my ability to care for the critically ill patient. Hang in there, but always keep lookng for a better job that will give you what you need. Always do your research on the hospital's training program for the critical care nurses. They always make it sound so good in the interview, but what the staff nurses have to say about their orientation speaks more that what the manager tells you.

By the way, I would like to take offense on your behalf on what Seasoned Nurse class of 1977 said (because it came off sounding a bit harsh), but I have to agree with all that she said. Listen to the wisdom of a very experienced RN, and take heart, we have all been there, we have all felt the way you do now at some time in our careers.....I am betting Seasoned Nurse was speaking with not only first-hand experience, but also having watched many new grads go through the same thing. Hang in there.

Specializes in CCU.

Don't really have advice but feel that I'm in a similar situation. I am also a new grad about 7 months into my first RN job in the ICU. Its a mix of medical and surgical ICU. I only got 3 months of a sketchy orientation and wasn't taken seriously when I asked for more time, they were more concerned about filling staffing holes than whether I was ready. At least 4 months would've been more adequate for a new grad. And I also signed a 2 yr contract and revoked it because I don't want to stay longer than 1 year. Life is too short for that. It's really not that bad for those new grads that really want the ICU, I mean want it bad. But for me...I didnt, I just accepted the first job offer I got which was a big mistake. I should've went on more interviews. For me personally ICU is not a good fit. But many other new grads are thriving and progressing quickly.

Love the "total dumbass" comment....def gonna use that one!! LOL

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