new nurse graduate for PICU

[deepurple]

Hello to all PICU nurses...

I am new nurse graduate who will be working in PICU. For me, paediatric is very new for me b/c during my posting as a student nurse, i don't have so much experience in paediatric ward. I'd only gained my experience in paediatric ward only for a week. Can you imagine that, it was not enough for me. But thank god i still got a clear picture about how the paediatric ward situation was even though it was a short period. And now i had just been deployed to PICU and it was giving me a big surprise and i felt scared and nervous too. This PICU unit is specialize in cardiac b/c my hospital is cardiac specialist. what i really want to know is for being a new staff for PICU.. what are the preparation that i need to prepare before i enter the PICU besides learning the congenital heart diseases. The most worries thing that came up in my mind is how am i going to communicate with parent that will asking me about their child condition in PICU during my care. How to explain or what kind of explanation that suitable for me as staff nurse to tell to parent about their child condition. I know that doctor's explanations are better to allay their anxiety about their child. But as staff nurse, what are the things that can be explain and the things that cannot be mention to the parent to avoid misinformation and miss communication. Compared to experienced staff nurse, they must knowledgeable because of their plenty of experiences in PICU, therefore they are no worries to tell to parent about their child condition. For me as new staff nurse, i still have time to learn and seek for information, article and read the experience story from staff nurse PICU in this forum in order to be prepare physically and mentally before entering PICU and start working as PICU nurse later because i will work in paediatric ward first due to expansion of PICU unit is still pending on equipment and not complete yet. I think about one month while waiting the new PICU to be open, i can be more prepared before the time has come. I wish and hoping that PICU nurses in this forum willing to share with me about PICU and about the beginning to become PICU nurse. Of course, i will be tagging with mentor nurse or senior staff nurse later, but what i'm asking for is for me to be prepare and it is beneficial for me if i make a preparation earlier. I'm glad that i will become a PICU nurse. So, that's all for now. Thank you.:)