New grad starting in CVICU soon! Any pointers?

thenightnurse456 · Jun 20, 2014

Congrats!

Be a sponge! Especially in your orientation period. Ask as many questions as possible. If you don't understand something- ask!

Find out the type of patients your facility caters for and the types of surgeries/procedures you will be looking after. Research these so that you have a basic understanding of what's going on before you start work!

Revise cardiac meds, emergency meds, sedation meds.

ACLS and ECG class = essential. Study ECGs and rhythm strips in your free time.

Revise the anatomy and pathophysiology of the heart.

Develop your own brain sheet (esme12 posts them on here all the time). Organisation is critical.

Lastly remember to breath! Your going to be working in an INTENSE area but you will do fine and your going to learn and see so much!

All the best!

amiodarone3 · Jun 20, 2014

It is an intellectually and emotionally difficult unit. You will soon discover!

As for "what to do" that will come with time but in essence. Be a sponge.

Things to learn would be: drips (about 15 main ones-receptors they effect, dosage, what effect the drug has on the patient etc), vent settings (3 main ones), chest tubes (differences between pleural and mediastinal), all of your hemodynamic parameters/values and later down the road ecmo and vads.

That is a short and sweet answer but there are a lot of good resources out there!

clarkheart · Jun 24, 2014

Always have a notebook or paper available to write down notes or thoughts when they come to you. Then review them later and expand on them if you can. I ended up creating my own notebook that I still keep at my workstation and I will add to it even today after 13 years in CVICU. Open yourself up to the opportunity to literally learn something new every day. If you do that, trust me, you will learn something every day! CVICU is a great place to work but is very challenging academically and physically but I've never regretted my choice all those years ago to enter CV.

Biffbradford · Jun 24, 2014

Congratulations. Agree with all of the above. In addition, give yourself 15 minutes a day to wind down after work. Clear your head and relax. CVICU can chew your up and spit you out in a heart beat if you can't decompress after seeing the stuff you will see. So, take care of yourself too. :up:

JessRNBSN · Jun 27, 2014

Wow thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement!! I will keep it all in mind as I start my journey!! You mentioned resources to use, what specific ones as far as websites or books would you recommend? I'd like to get some books to start reading up on stuff. Thanks so much everyone! :)

hopebewild · Jul 6, 2014

I started as a new grad 3.5 years ago in a cardiac icu and I am still there! other people gave great advice so I am just going to say that there will be plenty of times when you think "what the #@$%% am i doing here?!!!" You have to stick it out for one year POST orientation to really decided if it is the floor for you because that first year learning curve is unbelievably stressful. Good luck!

Wana_Mama · Jul 7, 2014

I don't have any advice to add because I am in the same boat. I just wanted to say congratulations. What state are you in?

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jul 8, 2014

Plan to study at home -- you're not going to be able to learn everything you need to know while you're rushed off your feet at work.

The notebook idea is great. Ask lots of questions if you need to, but pay attention and write down the answers. No preceptor likes to be asked the phone number for the blood bank more than a couple of times in a shift!

When asking questions, make it clear that you've done some thinking first. "How do I put in a Foley?" is a lot different question than "I've looked at the procedure and gathered all the supplies listed. I've never put in a Foley before, so could we go over the procedure together before I go into the patient's room?".

Check out the thread on how to be a great ICU colleague:

https://allnurses.com/critical-care-nursing/how-great-icu-920933.html

JessRNBSN · Jul 9, 2014

I don't have any advice to add because I am in the same boat. I just wanted to say congratulations. What state are you in?

I'm in Illinois! How about you?

-AO- · Jul 9, 2014

I just started in a nearly identical situation almost a year ago.

First, congrats! Be confident, knowing they chose you because they believe you are capable to succeed there (they wouldn't have chosen you otherwise). You have the advantage of being a new grad ... they know your knowledge/skills bank is practically empty.

Second, don't hesitate to ask any questions. There are no dumb questions and it's always better to ask than to guess. This will increase your confidence so that the next time you see it, you'll know the answer/what to do (besides, it's the best way to cover your own rear)

Good luck. It will be stressful at times, but you will get there.

JessRNBSN · Jul 9, 2014

Thanks so much everyone for your input! I truly appreciate it! Next question is, what particular stethoscope do you recommend I get for this unit? I have the littman classic II that was given to me in nursing school but I'm wanting to get a new one because I want a pretty colored one! I was thinking the littman classic III, but didn't know if there was another particular one I should get for cardiology? (I.e. Littman master cardiology)?