New PICU nurse

mags-rn · Jan 5, 2004

Congrats to you! I am a former Paediatric Nurse - hospital ward. I do ICU primarily adults nowadays. The one thing I can honestly tell you is to always, always take care of YOU...burn out comes to fast in those places. But it is also very rewarding most of the time. I would also say that your going to deal with loads of very stressed parents. Stressed parents are scared and mean. Always remember to put yourself in their place and remember that could be YOUR child laying there. If you remember that with passion and respect it, you will do fine. Good luck in your career, it is very rewarding!

LtSusiePoz · Jan 5, 2004

Thanks for the advice. Fortunately, I have plenty of experience with stressed parents! I use to work on an child/adolescent psychiatric ward for 4 years, so I know all about stressed parents! Thanks again!!:)

mags-rn · Jan 7, 2004

Ah, you have dealt with stressed parents. But ICU is a different kind of stress. Its one stress to see your child acting out , its a whole other stress to see your child hooked up to machines and drips that are keeping them alive. Parents are stressed about that fact along with being very intimidated by all the thing hooked to their child, it is really a life or death situation that makes parents very very scared and withdrawn. They usually are very timid at first and then they reach a boiling point. Its good that you have the background you do.

PICUKID · Mar 14, 2004

I am not a PICU nurse but a 17 year old who has grown up in and out of the PICU and my best advice is to understand. For new comers it can be terrifying and for those like me who know the ropes sometimes we'll want to fight you because we know the limits and generally know what's going on. Just, no matter how tired you get try to understand where your patients are coming from and work with them. As I have not even introduced myself yet I hope you don't feel that I am intruding, I just thought this would be advise coming from another direction.

suzanne4, RN · Mar 14, 2004

Simple little things like explaining the basics of the EKG monitor helps quite a bit. We all know that a change in psoition or movement can change the monitor, but many parents do not. Even the basics about the vent if the child is on one. Besides helping alleviate their fears, though not all, it also shows them that they can trust you for caring for their loved one as you know your "stuff." This works well in PICU, NICU, as well as all adult ICUs.

Good luck to you. :balloons: