Transition to Specialty Care: New Graduate Nurses in Specialty Care

[Hoss43]

I have just finished 108 hours of precepting and will graduate the second week of May. I have applied for a transition program to work in the ICU. I want to get some feedback about a new nurse being in the ICU. Thank you.

[LovingLife123]

I've only ever worked in an ICU. It's not for every nurse. I just really like being in the icu setting and getting complex cases. Not all icu patients are complex and I have days where I like the more stable patients. But I'll be honest, most days I like getting a good complex patient I have to closely monitor and titrate drips with.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

I think it depends on the orientation offered to the new grad. My healthcare system gives new grads 6+ months and it seems to work well; however, sometimes the ICU is not for all of them and it can actually be way harder to go from ICU to floor or elsewhere. That's just in my experience.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I voted yes ... but with a few caveats, both of which were mentioned in the posts above.

1. It's not for the average new grad. I think it is only for new grads who are really ready for it. They are a minority group, but members of that group should be allowed to work in the ICU as new grads.

2. The particular ICU in questions needs to have not only an appropriate orientation program, but also reasonable expectations and offer continued support for the new grad after orientation. Some units do that: others do not.

I started in NICU as a new grad many years ago and did just fine. I also coordinated NICU orientation programs for several years and have seen many other new grads do just fine -- but the new grads must be chosen with care and given appropriate support.

[Guest343211]

I voted yes ... but with a few caveats, both of which were mentioned in the posts above.

1. It's not for the average new grad. I think it is only for new grads who are really ready for it. They are a minority group, but members of that group should be allowed to work in the ICU as new grads.

2. The particular ICU in questions needs to have not only an appropriate orientation program, but also reasonable expectations and offer continued support for the new grad after orientation. Some units do that: others do not.

I started in NICU as a new grad many years ago and did just fine.

Unless we are talking about a small community ICU, I have to agree with the above comments.

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

I've never worked anything other than critical care/ICU, since being a new grad