ChadlyRN

If the patient is going to the floor our transporter (non-clinical) takes them. If they're going to the floor with a drip like cardizem the nurse must transport. Also, if the patient has to go to a critical care bed the nurse transports with a portable monitor.

I'm in the same boat. I'm transferring from a Med/Surg ICU to the ED. I'd love to see some tips :-) Be the type of nurse you want to work with.

I've never heard of giving oral Ativan. That wasn't good judgement. Unfortunately, when you're orienting your preceptor may not be the best fit. Find a RN you want to mirror your style after.

I'm a night ICU nurse. I used to hate 3 in a row but recently switched my schedule around so most of my schedule is in a row. When you work nights I think having a few shifts in a row better. That first night is always the most difficult. I try to stay awake as late as I can the night before.

Congrats on your new job! I too was a new grad RN straight to an MSICU. The first year you are going to be stressed. But be a sponge. Ask lots of questions. If you don't know what something is, ask. It's ok not to know. Enjoy this time.

Sometimes you have to get very creative in the ICU. Always verify what is compatible. Bicarb is always tricky. I think precedex is compatible. Our facility uses that a lot for sedation.

i've been in the icu for just over a year now. i have my aacn "essentials of critical care nursing" book next to me as we speak. sometimes i bring it to work. a lot of the times i will read through it when i get home to review something a patient of mine may have had that day. thanks to bittybritty for the podcast idea.

I had a nursing instructor that told us, " a little stress an anxiety are good for you." It really is, it will keep you on your toes and make you double check everything until you are 100% sure of your actions. Congrats on getting into the nursing program. It's going to be tough but the rewards are worth it. Enjoy nursing school, find a good group of classmates to study with. These are bonds you will have for life.

buy a stack of index cards. or check out flashcardexchange.com and search for already made cards. you can study them online. very helpful. also, i used to make copies of diagrams in my books, white out the answers, then make several "blank" copies and fill them in until I remembered everything. Good luck! A&P can be difficult, but it's information you'll always use in the rest of your nursing career. It's the base and will never change.

When I was in school I applied to an ADN program. While I was waiting I continued taking courses though the college that would transfer later on when i wanted to to an RN to BSN program. That way you're just that much further ahead. Good luck to you! The day I received my acceptance letter to nursing school was the best day of my life. I graduated almost a year ago and love every day I work. :-)

At my hospital our visitation hours for the ICU are 0830-1830 and then 2030-2230. This allows us time to give shift report and not be interupted by family members asking questions. I do however with we were more strict when visitors are there. Several of my co-worker allow family members to spend the night. I personally don't think it's helpful. They arent' sleeping because they're staring at the monitor and running to me when a number changes. I have started educating the family on the monitors and what the different numbers mean and that it's my job to interpret them. It they're going to visit, then visit. The only time I like family at the bedside around the clock is if I have an AMS patient and the family member keeps them calm.

I am a new nurse, Good luck to you.

When i was in nursing school I always read the entire chapter. However, I wish I had just been a skimmer, or better yet, read more effectively. When learning about specific disease processes I'd suggest only reading the patho, nursing interventions, etc. I kept all of my nursing books and refer to them often as a practicing nurse.

I know this post is old, but I'm taking my first ACLS on Wednesday/Thursday of this week. I'm a new grad nurse and slightly freaking out. I've got my book, the disk, and ready to roll :-)

I'm a new graduate nurse working in an ICU where I used to work as a PCT. We NEVER were allowed to draw any blood from an a-line. The only blood samples we took were by a lancet for an accu check for a blood sugar. I don't doubt a tech could handle drawing from a line, but it worries me something could go wrong. :mnnnrsngrk: