Techs in the ICU

If we get one, great, but probably have the week we don't even get one for midnights and we're helping each other out giving baths and doing our own sugars, temps, stocking supplies, etc.

You can forget about it. We're told we're in ICU and that we should be able to do our own orders and help each other turn. A snowball has a better chance in hell.

In the hospital I work in now, we do have one tech for 20 pts. Believe me, it IS a luxury. Rarely is an ICU staffed with techs. Usually you are lucky to even have a unit clerk at night, let alone a tech.

I even have transport people to push the beds for road trips. I have to go along, but I am in charge of monitoring the pt - not pushing beds. That is also a luxury.

We have no techs in our ICU and no unit secretaries on the night shift. We are expected to do everything ourselves for patients that are mostly total care. I didn't know that techs were even an option. I'm not sure I would want them taking care of my patients because I catch a lot of things when I am giving baths etc... that I otherwise might have missed.

We have monitor techs until December. Occasionaly we have techs. I am used to doing everything by myself in the ICU.

sounds like these techs have a wide range of things they do... where I used to work, we had one person doing stocking on day shift mon-fri, and wasn't replaced if they werent there, and also helps with transports, no more. We also have Nursing Aides, scheduled 3 per 30 patients, and often only 2 as also not replaced often, and each one had a section. we have to do all care for the patient, including assist with wash. Like someone else mentioned, you miss things when you aren't included in the wash. I like knowing each aspect of my patient-- if not, I wouldn't be in the ICU!!! Its nice to have help, if its consistent and actually helpful. I haven't had a lot of help, so maybe I'm naive!! :)

I'm a tech in a 10-bed MICU (about to enter the last semester of my BSN program!). There's usually one tech on the unit from 7A-3P or 7A-7P each day, but sometimes a shift may not be covered. I stock the rooms w/linens & supplies and keep the central line cart & precautions carts stocked. I do QC on the glucometers, finger sticks, respond to call lights (infrequent--most pts aren't able), replace leads/O2 sat monitors that have fallen off. I grab things from clean supply for the RNs that they may need, help transport pts when traveling or moving off the unit to the floor (or the morgue). I don't do baths by myself, but assist--I use the time to pick the RNs brains about the pt (what's the dx, what procedures will happen today, what concerns they have, etc.) and the RNs have been great about sharing their knowledge. I am learning SO much just by being there--love my job!!

That's awesome... and here during school I was doing homecare pulling up stockings and doing blood sugars for the forgetful :)

We have 2 techs at night for 20 beds. We soon will be receiving a third tech at night. I consider ourselves lucky after reading some of your post. :)

It seems as though techs have a stressful job. I plan on being a tech this Jan, but now I am scaried.

Most of our tech's are nursing students, and we're lucky to get them at night. We do have one that prefers to work the night shift, but that's only 3 days a week, luckily she's usually there the days I regularly work :) We do have a few, though, that work until midnight, which is a great help - I utilize them to their full potential and on nights they're there, my patients are bathed by 10pm. Although there are many nights there are no techs, things still get done, but it is a world of difference when you have an extra person to help!