New nurse in the CVICU at a level 1 trauma center

Bluebolt · Jan 30, 2016

If you can make it work, go for it.

Although, I will admit that I started off as a new grad in the ICU and was required to do at least 3 months on night shift to get my very basic ICU skills down before going to day shift. Day shift is much busier and requires a lot more rapid action especially in CVICU. You'll be receiving all the fresh hearts during day shift and coordinating with the CVOR and all the MD's, NP's, families, management, physical therapy, lab, Respiratory Therapists, Case Management, Dietician, feeding trays, transferring patients to step down units, implementing new orders, going to CT scans, the list goes on and on. When you work night shift you deal with maybe 10% of all those things combined and you have much more time to work at your own pace and not deal with tons of distractions.

Distractions and other nurses/staff rushing you makes it very difficult to get your bearings and learn your fundamental ICU skills, not to mention CVICU specific skills. You might talk to the manager about doing 3 to 6 months on night shift then transitioning to day shift.

Good luck to you, I'm sure you'll do great if you have tough skin and are determined to learn. I'm going on 4 years now at 6 different ICU's in 4 different states, got my CCRN and I still learn every day.

smithRN16 · Jan 30, 2016

Thank you for your reply. It is alot to consider and I may wind up requesting nights at first. I think you have to be an rn in the cvicu for 1 year before you are even considered to take a fresh heart there. And I appreciate the confidence. I will test for my ccrn after 2 years that is if she hires me for this position. But if not then after I get hired bexause this is where I am goung to work I dont care how long it takes. Sid you take alot of crap as a new grad woeking in a specialty unit

Bluebolt · Jan 30, 2016

Thank you for your reply. It is alot to consider and I may wind up requesting nights at first. I think you have to be an rn in the cvicu for 1 year before you are even considered to take a fresh heart there. And I appreciate the confidence. I will test for my ccrn after 2 years that is if she hires me for this position. But if not then after I get hired bexause this is where I am goung to work I dont care how long it takes. Sid you take alot of crap as a new grad woeking in a specialty unit

Yes, you will take a lot of crap being a new grad in the ICU. Anyone new to the ICU will take a lot of crap and backhanded comments no matter what their background or non-ICU experience. It's a little like fraternity hazing, depending on the nurse it could be lighthearted or mean spirited. You'll see what I mean soon enough. Just put on your layer of tough skin, don't be a know-it-all but also don't come off as unintelligent or slow on the uptake. Offer to be a help to the nurses, be polite and helpful, stay humble and they'll teach you how to be an ICU nurse with as few of the scars as possible. Bringing donuts, cupcakes, candy etc never hurts!

smithRN16 · Jan 31, 2016

Haha amen to that and I am glad you could tell me this before I go and make an ass of myself and know that the people I "know" now may not be exactly who I meet coming on their shift. I understand it though because I've been on the other dide of it with rooks coming on the truck. Man Im excited as hell though I dont care how mean they are! And donuts yes, donuts!

VANurse2010 · Jan 31, 2016

Yes, you will take a lot of crap being a new grad in the ICU. Anyone new to the ICU will take a lot of crap and backhanded comments no matter what their background or non-ICU experience. It's a little like fraternity hazing, depending on the nurse it could be lighthearted or mean spirited. You'll see what I mean soon enough. Just put on your layer of tough skin, don't be a know-it-all but also don't come off as unintelligent or slow on the uptake. Offer to be a help to the nurses, be polite and helpful, stay humble and they'll teach you how to be an ICU nurse with as few of the scars as possible. Bringing donuts, cupcakes, candy etc never hurts!

Not all ICUs are inappropriate and immature like this. Seems to be more common behavior in SICU and CVICUs

Dacatster, ADN · Jan 31, 2016

Seriously, you do get hazing in all areas of nursing. If ICU is what you want to do, do it. Not everyone must do medsurg first.

RNdynamic · Jan 31, 2016

Why have we resigned ourselves to expecting hazing as some kind of professional norm? It isn't, and it shouldn't be. I've experienced a sort of light hazing myself in a couple units -- why do we sit back and take this? Why do you think it's okay?

Bluebolt · Feb 1, 2016

Why have we resigned ourselves to expecting hazing as some kind of professional norm? It isn't, and it shouldn't be. I've experienced a sort of light hazing myself in a couple units -- why do we sit back and take this? Why do you think it's okay?

I don't enjoy it and don't take part in it myself. I believe many people could theorize why in nursing especially specialized "elitist" areas of nursing you experience hazing. The more highly specialized and challenging the more knowledge and responsibility required, the more knowledge and responsibility breeds power, power breeds arrogance and arrogance loves to be flaunted upon those without said knowledge and power. That's probably the most basic way I could describe what I've observed over the years.

It's no different than remarking that your basic hospitalist doctor or NP is totally cool and down to Earth, talks to you nicely and helps write orders for you that you need but the neurosurgeon and cardio-thoracic surgeons tend to be controlling dictators who flaunt their power often.

Before anyone interjects that they've met a very polite and nice neuro surgeon and know some mean hospitalists I'm of course not saying that it's a guaranteed rule, just a common observation.