Question for ICU nurses

[richwv]

What type of personality does it take to be successful in the ICU environment? I know some nurses love it and others hate it so it's obviously personality traits that make it appealing. Just curious as to why you enjoy the ICU or chose the ICU over other areas of practice. Thanks for your input.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

I love the huge amount of technology we use every day, the complex diagnoses, the high level of autonomy, low n/p ratios.......

[NurseguyFL]

You have to love technology and you have to love paying attention to details. There are days when I love it and days when I hate it. Sometimes its stressful and there's a lot going on, and sometimes I spend the entire shift not doing much more than titrating drips, watching the monitor, and charting. I like it because most of the time I have only two patients so I have time to really focus on each patient--- the way I never could with all that running up and down that I used to do on the floors. I also like that we have certain protocols that we can implement in certain circumstances without having to call the doc for every single little thing. I find that the intensivists are also easier to work with than the docs on the floors where I work. They actually ask for and listen to our opinions and recommendations.

As for personality, that's definitely important because you have to work together as a team. But then, that's important in every nursing unit.

[PICUmaleNurse]

You do indeed have to love technology. Also, your interactions with your patients can be very limited based on the fact that many ICU patients are intubated and sedated. I work in a PICU and I find that most of my therapeutic communication goes to the family. Which is nice because it sometimes feels like I am working in an adult ICU as well.

[pawashrn]

Anal retentiveness. A good ICU Nurse is well organized/attentive/educated and does not underestimate the responsibility they have. Technology is fun, but if don't understand what you are doing with that technology. Then you might as well have a stick and stone. I love a challenge. Working in an ICU gives me that challenge to learn and build upon my experiences daily. Don't misunderstand. Iam not all Nursing. It is just when you are working take your job serious and let the doctors know that we are a strong force and are a key part of the puzzle. Nurses take the backseat to administration and to physicians too often.