thehyruler

Hello, I am a third semester nursing student in an ADN program. I am currently a nurse extern at a hospital where I am almost guaranteed a position in the ICU. The ICU at this hospital is a catch-all unit; it isn't separated into SICU/MICU. It is a level II trauma hospital if that makes any difference. Once I complete my RN-BSN bridge, I am planning to go on to graduate school so I want to get the best experience during my time in the ICU as possible. I want to learn how to confidently care for any patient that is thrown at me. I know this will come with time but I am wondering if you all have tips for how to expose myself to a variety of patients and how to learn as much as possible. Thank you!

Everybody has their own way of learning. Because my instructor this semester tests heavily off of her lectures, I haven't bothered reading before class because I could be learning information that isn't on the test. I still practice my NCLEX content and questions on other platforms but for class, I listen to the lectures first and foremost. After class, I go through and organize my notes. Then I go through again and add relevant information from the textbook. Then I go through them again and color-code the different sections. Since this can be monotonous, I watch videos of the content as "breaks" from my notes. I use Khan Academy and NRSNG. Getting a visual in addition to the written explanation in the textbook gives me a rounded view on the topics.

It sounds like you're already doing a lot to prepare. When you get close to graduating, most nursing programs help you with your resumé and applications. AACN is a great resource and even if you don't go into critical care, there are great articles and resources you can learn from. If anything, telling interviewers that you have already started looking into getting your CCRN shows initiative and a willingness to learn. All of those certifications (ACLS/PALS/CCRN) come after you get your license. For now, you can just study and make sure you pass the NCLEX.

Working as a tech/CNA/extern can be helpful if you have time. Shifts double as extra clinical days because they give you a great opportunity for exposure and teaching on the floor. Nurses are typically more than happy to give you advice or provide teaching opportunities when they find out you're in nursing school.

Good luck! It's definitely better to figure this out early rather than later. It takes a lot of introspection to and emotional intelligence to figure something like this out. I hope you enjoy the IT field! Maybe you'll end up working IT in a hospital!

Like everybody else has said, I would turn it in more than one way. Certified mail to HR as well as an email to HR and your supervisor should suffice.

Glad you found it! I've learned to pat down my pockets before leaving so I can shred any papers and maybe throw away those 8 candy wrappers before I leave...

I'm a huge fan of Khan Academy because they have videos of pathophysiology and disease processes as well as practice questions for both.

These are all great resources. In addition there is Vocabulary.com and a weekly challenge by Merriam-Webster

Depending on what state you live in, you can work in the capacity of a CNA after your first semester (once you complete one semester of clinicals and fundamentals). This applies in Texas but I am not sure about other states. Also look out for externships which are CNA positions where you can typically perform at the capacity of a CNA while also being able to perform skills once you check off with Education. The externship I work in is basically a long interview and my boss is amazing enough to try to get me into the ICU to tech more so I build report. As for juggling school and work, it's difficult. Usually you'll be working 12 hour shifts so those are whole days you're blocking out of your schedule. PRN is great if you can swing it financially. Otherwise just make sure if you take a PT or FT position that they can be flexible with scheduling since nursing school changes a lot.

I agree with everybody who is emphasizing ABCs. However, I have come across a few similar questions where the answer was not airway because the airway was not compromised. In the case of your test question, we would have to read it but the answer could be to look for the source of bleeding because there is nothing in the question that indicates the airway is compromised.

I'm not a fan of RegisteredNurseRN but I know a lot of people do like her videos. Khan Academy has a huge online database for the NCLEX-RN that has videos, articles, and practice questions for anybody who wants an alternative.