tigerRN2013

I work at a 32 bed SICU. There is a charge and float nurse who go around and help people prn on all the different hallways (6 hallways). Each nurse has their own little station with a computer/desk/ and windows to look into their rooms between their 2 assigned rooms.

I'm so sorry that happened. You were right to be honest though. Dishonesty will always come back to haunt you.

It depends on your institutions- some hospitals will automatically assign just one nurse to a high acuity patient who has lots of equipment to manage....other hospitals (like where I work) will pair most patients even if it is 2 patients who have cvvh going, ect.

Louisiana hires new grads into ICUs

Depends on the new grad- you can't really generalize all of them into being "beginner experts". I know I was scared to death as a new grad when I started working; another new grad who started 6 months later was cautioned by her preceptor for being a know-it-all

There's a big need for ICU nurses in New Orleans; try there and you'll probably be a shoe in

I find some family members to be wonderful people and am sorry to see them leave at the end of visiting hours, but the reason the nurses are against it is because while some family members are wonderful, we have others who are constantly stimulating the patients making it hard for them to get any rest or other family members who are down right aggressive with the staff (invading the staff's personal space, constantly coming out of the room and requesting medications that are contraindicated for the pt, walking into other patient's rooms to get the nurses attention) and some who basically refuse to leave when asked to step out the room so that a patient's sheets can be changed, ec....

Due to the Joint Commission's new recommendations, my unit manager wants to open visitation hours 24 hours a day, and it's going to happen despite the entire nursing staff being against the idea. What works on your unit to make open visitation a good thing instead of a burden?

I started in the ICU a little over 4 months ago. The good preceptors know that new grads know little to nothing and just look for people who are eager to learn and proactive to be safe by looking up unfarmiliar meds/disease processes/ect (even on your own time). Pt safety is the priority even if it means sacrificing some down time at home to get to a place where you have enough basic knowledge on things to be safe.

Do you feel like you could have passed the test with just a year of nursing experience? Were there a lot of SATA questions?

I just wanted to thank all the nurses who put forth a lot of effort and time to help the new and clueless nurses like myself get to a place of being able to provide competent nursing care. I graduated this past May and began working in July with an excellent nurse who was very reluctant to precept me....she didn't like "bossing people around", but I desperately needed and was glad for all the direction she gave me. I was excited to have been hired into a busy ICU until day 1 when I found out just how much responsibility I had and how just little I knew (I could barely figure out how to cycle a blood pressure on this hospital's equipment), but thankfully my preceptor was patient every day that we worked together for 2 months despite the many times we had to stay late for me to finish charting, despite the fact that I'm a slow learner and needed things explained many times, and despite the fact that I had 2-3 dozen questions I would ask throughout the day. I was well aware of the fact that we were typically taking care of relatively "easy" patients and my preceptor could have done everything in half the time it took me to do it and left on time. I also knew that it killed her a little on the inside everytime I would make a mistake on something she had already shown me how to do (that knowledge would make me die a little on the inside, too). I knew that I was an obviously bumbling and nervous new grad, but she stuck with me, patiently fielded questions, never yelled at me or indicated that she thought I was stupid (although there was plenty evidence to have supported that I was), and took lots of time to teach me until I got to the place where I was adequately prepared to be on my own. I still have lots to learn and go to my old preceptor and a few of the other great and supportive nurses on the unit whom I am also grateful to for making the huge transition from student to nurse so much smoother. I've seen so many posts about the "preceptor from hell", but I wanted to make sure that the amazing preceptors get their credit as well.

"You're killing me......I'm going to shoot you"

You are not alone! I spent my whole orientation making mistake after mistake, but I learned lots and don't make those mistakes anymore. Be patient with yourself; it gets better.

I got hired into an ICU 3 months ago and tons. A few key advice points I wish I had known: Always know your pt's code status Always know which doctor/team of doctors is the primary doctor/team for your patient so you know who to call if something starts to go wrong Pay really close attention to your patient's labs Don't just chart anything abnormal, ask yourself why it is abnormal and what you are going to do about it. Check your alarms first thing in the morning. Study a lot in your free time so you can begin to get a better grasp on everything you are dealing with at work Never be afraid to ask questions Think critically: ask yourself 'why is the patient in the hospital today?', what is the best possible outcome for this patient?, what can I do to work towards that?, What is the worst possible outcome for this patient?, What can I do to prevent that? It takes time to feel comfortable (at least I hope it gets better with time), so be patient with yourself. I leave work almost everyday feeling stupid and useless and like a very needy coworker. My patients really like me though and I know I'm learning a lot and getting better, so I keep going back. 90% of success is just showing up (no matter how nauseated with nervousness you may be).

If you are still in school, your preceptor still has responsibility for those patients and should be sticking pretty close to you. If she is not, I would try to express your concerns to her and discuss how the two of you could work together more effectively