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I will tell family members if my patient is having a hard time due to being confused. I keep my families and patients as informed as possible as often as possible. I feel that veiling the truth of a patient being combative and uncooperative can lead to a family not trusting you when they find out about their family member's current condition. I wouldn't say the patient was being "nasty" though, I would probably say something like, "Well, Mr. Smith has been combative trying to hit staff, he's seemed to taken an unfavorable liking to us. Is there any way you can think of to help us help him?"

I work CVICU. I had a brain dead young woman on the ventilator that we terminally extubated and the family (without my knowledge) had taken selfies with her corpse. I had no idea what they were doing because I was giving them time to grieve! Well, they posted it allllll over Facebook, another nurse is friends with a friend of the patient, and there were these selfies with her dead body... Why? I have no idea, but I think if you enter the ICU, leave the phone off or at the door.

I would have called if the patient was symptomatic, OR if this was new for the patient. At least to get labs drawn. If it was something the patient had been having, they were there for a GI bleed and had a run, I would have called in a heartbeat! I will always call if I question something rather than not call. I will ALWAYS be my patient's advocated and notifying a physician of a change in condition like that is part of that advocacy. If the patient had been having any sort of VT prior to this 8 VT, I wouldn't have called an 8 VT with that order.

I work a CVICU that ranges from ODs, CRRT, post-codes to sheath pulls on AMIs or just your general post-cath patient. Patients may or may not be sedated on the ventilator. It depends on each specific patient case. It is still EBP to perform sedation vacations and to have interactions and assess the neurological status of your patient. The only time that this doesn't happen on my unit is if the patient is on hypothermic protocol (they weren't waking up after coding, so we cool them) or it is ordered by a physician for a very specific out of the ordinary need. I still have to deal with all of their family. ICU nurses still deal with being pulled in so many directions, by family, by different physicians for your two patients, by different physicians for just one of your patients, charge nurses, managers, rounding, etc. Any sort of nursing requires you to juggle a lot. It gets easier with more experience. I never thought I could handle being an ICU nurse when I started nursing school. I started as an ICU nurse - it was my calling when I was doing clinicals. Keep your eyes open to what brings YOU joy, not what seems more manageable. If you keep your eyes open for something you are good at and that you enjoy, it will come to you :)

This is SO my favorite! It is SO my unit, 24/7!

Hey all! My name is Kim, I'm a cardiac ICU RN originally from Southern California. 6 years ago I moved to Southern Indiana and in May '14 I obtained my BSN. I've been a cardiac ICU RN for approaching two years now. I work on a unit that takes AMIs, post-codes (hypothermic or not), septic patient, vent management with goals of weaning or moving pts to LTACs, and CRRT. I've been trying to garner information regarding hospitals in the Reno, NV area. Reno is about 8 hours from my hometown where the majority of my family is and it is a short flight to Southern CA. I am very interested in moving there and I am interested in the critical care units in that area. I noticed they are all Any information on hospitals and critical care RN jobs in the area would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

I am a patient advocate first and foremost. If my patient wants to be a full code, we are coding you. Someone has explained to them that they won't live forever, that it would be a painful and long recovery - if that's their desire, who am I to deny that? I never have and never will participate in a slow code because I will just feel dirty.

If the patient is a FULL CODE, you do everything. It's not up to you. That was what the patient wanted done. It doesn't matter how old they are or how hopeless it seems, if that is my patient's wish, you bet your butt I'm going to be starting compressions and calling a code. It is so VITAL to know your patient's code status. If they would or wouldn't want to be intubated, if they want compressions and meds, but no intubation. If you are the patient's nurse in that situation, you stay at the bedside and try and figure out why the person coded and help give information - did they become hypoxic? Are there electrolytes out of whack? How was their BP before this? Your ACLS H's&T's. Whenever you find someone without a pulse that is a full code, you immediately call the code to get help and then start compressions and BLS if you don't have ACLS. Time off of the chest is detrimental to any sort of meaningful recovery for a patient whose heart isn't beating on its own. Your hands are pumping blood until their heart can do it again. Floor codes are generally sort of a mess, the more familiar you are with BLS and ACLS, the more you will feel more comfortable with a code situation. I'm sure there is a ton you learned from this experience that you will be able to implement next time.

I've seen only bad things come of this. I have nursing friends who have allowed patient family members to add them on social media. I truly believe that is too much of a mixture of my personal and professional life. I am personal and individualized with each patient, but having them able to see my life outside of the hospital when they weren't my friends before is a step too far for me.

I plan on going back in spring (2 years of ICU experience). I plan on getting either my FNP or ACNP. I would like to work cardiology. I now that with the program I will start, the first two years are the same curriculum, so I guess I'll go for one and if I changed my mind - so be it:)

I bypassed the "doing your time" on med/surg. I went straight to the CVICU. I would say to follow your heart on both options. If you can manage your personal schedule with kiddos and working nights - do it! If not, then consider the other position. I know many people who work nights and have kiddos. It just depends on you :)

I started on a CVICU as a new grad and had 12 weeks of orientation. For experienced nurses we usually have 6-8 weeks orientation. Things that require extra training - CRRT, open hearts, etc. Are not given to newer ICU nurses in general. Usually after 1-2 years experience as an ICU nurse, we are then trained those skills.