Starting in ICU next week with no critical care experience!!

[homieggg]

Hi everyone,

I'm not sure what to really post, but I just felt a need to post something on this forum where there are fellow nurses present! (And I know everyone here will have some idea of my current feelings!)

Im starting in adult ICU next week, and I come from a med/surgical and some brief neonatal background and I'm hella nervous to start in ICU with no real critical care experience.

It is a transition program so I do get training and supernumerary time before I'm on my own.

Im ready to accept the challenges and I am more than ready to study and research and do everything I can to understand my patients and to understand why and how care is given. But I'm just really nervous .. it's been my dream to go into ICU, and now that I've been successful in getting the job.. im just anxious that I might not be good enough.

Any tips for a newbie ICU nurse?

All opinions welcome!!!

thanks!!!

[smf0903]

You will feel almost like a brand new nurse and I think that's pretty normal :) I moved to ICU last year and that was exactly how I felt. It's like moving to any other new area, there's going to be a learning curve.

My suggestions: ask for the sickest/ most complex patients while orienting. It's scary to do but during orientation you have built-in back-up. Those are the patients you learn the most from. And you don't want "easy" patients on orientation and then the sickest of the sick once you're on your own.

Stock. When you have a chance, stock rooms, stocks carts, look through supplies in the stock rooms. It may sound dumb but when someone's saying "go get xyz!" during a code or some situation, you want to know where stuff's at!

Keep a little spot to make notes for yourself. You may not have a chance in the moment to go in depth on a question you have, or maybe you think of something later that you want to talk over with your preceptor, or maybe just jot something down you want to research a bit when you get home...have it written down somewhere so you won't forget to address it.

Always remember to breathe! Any time a situation makes you freak out on the inside, take a second to take a deep breath and calm yourself. Literally. You can't think clearly if you're spazzed LOL.

I hope you enjoy it!! I loved med surg but I super love ICU :) It's always interesting and challenging. Good luck to you! :)

[homieggg]

Thank you so much for your tips and advice smf0903! I'm low key panicking as I lay in bed and I still have a week left to start!

I fear I will spaz internally way too often!!

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Good luck. You can do it.