New grad in SICU... advice please!

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Hi everyone! I have accepted a position in a SICU within a big hospital system. I will be starting orientation in about a month, and I want to get started studying ahead of time in order to prepare myself. I have ICU FAQs printed and have started looking at this material.

Anyone have any good resources that they would recommend (other than icufaqs)?

Any key Dx and situations that I need to look up and familiarize myself with?

Any advice at all for a new grad starting in the SICU? This is definitely what I want to do, but I am starting to lose confidence :sorry: Any words of wisdom?

Thanks!

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Emergency & Critical Care Pocket Guide: Informed, Paula Derr, Jon Tardiff, Mike McEvoy: 9781284023701: Amazon.com: Books

I was recommended to buy this by a neuro ICU RN. I looked through hers. I used the equivalent of paramedic one a lot back in medic school and when I worked the squads so I trust the brand. I don't like the pocket app version of the medic one, but the medic one was wonderful. I bought the critical care one and I should be getting it in a few days because I am precepting in the ICU this semester.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I started as a new grad in MSICU (Med-Surg ICU).

Best advice I can offer is ask lots of questions, listen and learn from the experienced nurses, and have confidence in yourself.

You're starting in a SICU so I would familiarize yourself first with basic post-op care and complications, and then research the types of post-op patients you will be getting. For example my ICU received complicated abdominal surgeries, whipples, vascular such as; AAA repairs, aorto-bifem bypasses, thoracic such as; thoracotomies, lung resections, pneumonectomy, etc., esophagectomies, and a variety of other "lower risk" surgeries but paired with the patient's history and comorbidities was put with us for observation. I'm just getting off nightshift so I'm trying to remember a fair amount of examples of surgeries. Anyway the more you know about the surgeries, the more you know what to look for for in terms of post-op complications, and can then start to put together your patient's history, the surgery they underwent, assessments and labs/testing they have had in order to get a good picture of your patient, and what to be on the alert for, what's to expect, abnormalities, etc.

Good luck :) It was one of the best learning experiences I've had. I've since moved on to Emerge but I will never regret my time in MSICU.

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Specializes in ER trauma, ICU - trauma, neuro surgical.

There is a website that is great. icufaq.org. It's got tons of info and all sorts of links. I think it's an awesome website.

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I love Fast Facts by Kathy White

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Thanks guys! I will definitely check out Fast Facts :up: Now I just need to learn how to shake my nerves... I start August 20th (orientation) and now I can't help feeling like, "what the heck did I get myself into!" I am excited but at the same time nervous!

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