Tips?

Snowbird17 · Jan 18, 2012

First, Neuro and psych are two totally different areas. Psych experience is not going to be that useful in a Neuro Unit with the possible exception of TBI patients.

So, do you want to work with Dementia, Alzheimer, PTSD, Schizophrenic, depression and suicidal patients once you graduate? Or CVA’s, ICH, and head trauma? Clarify this and I think the answers you receive will be more helpful!

If you want the Neuro aspect, then you will provide medical care to patients who had neuro insults like a big stroke, head trauma resulting in swelling, bleeding, and/or brain displacement, surgery for placement of shunts or malformation, and some spinal stuff as well. They typical day looks like that of any other ICU nurse, but with a higher chance of road trips.

Every hospital has conflicts between units and difficult people.

Learn everything can you can in school.

kht124 · Jan 23, 2012

Hi, I'm only a first semester nursing student (about to be next week); however, I would like to learn tips on how to get a job in neuro icu. I am fascinated with the cns and am also a psych major. I would love to work in a neuro icu.Questionswhat should I do to get in the door?I currently work as a med aide in an alzheimers/dementia unit as well as assisted living. I want to work as...pretty much anything medically related in a neuro icu (cna...). I don't care about wage either since I just want experience. What should I do to get in?typical work day for neuro icu nurse?what would a bad day look like?What should I focus on most during clinicals as well as my classes?Are horizontal conflicts in the icu as bad as other units? How catty are the people there?anything else I should know about?

I want to deal with pathologies of the cns...whether psychological or physiological. I would love to learn about patient with cardiovascular diseases as well. However, I am considering neuro (over psych and cardio) since I want to get a grip of the pathophys. Aspects of the cns. My main focus is the central nervous sys and anything that can go wrong. I'll probably do research in neuro-psych one day but want to learn about neuro first. also want to know what I need to do when someone recently comes out of surgery for ex: tumor in the brain or clot in a cerebral artery. Just need to know if I can learn lots..regarding how to maintain a critical-patient.