Use it or lose it

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 15, 2012

We just moved to a new city, and I am now working in a lower acuity MICU. I am afraid I am going to lose my knowledge because I won't be using some of my more critical thinking skills. Any words of wisdom for me?

If you've moved to a less acute MICU, you're probably the only MICU in the hospital and so you'll be getting a wider variety of patients. You might be getting patients who would have gone to the CCU or Neuro ICU in the big hospital. So you'll be exposed to more disease processes, more drugs, more treatments, more tests, more lab values. Lots more to learn about a wider variety of cases than you're probably used to. So look at the whole change as a way to gain a breadth of knowledge as opposed to the depth you probably had in your previous job. You'll be focusing more on the skin care than Code care, and there's an awful lot to learn there. Maybe you'll find that you love it there. If not, when you go back to the big city hospital with the multiple ICUs, you'll be able to bring a breadth of knowledge with you that will make you a good resource for your new colleagues. And you might even discover that you really, really like the neuro patients you've encountered so you want to work in a Neuro ICU. The skills you're afraid your losing -- they will get rusty. But they'll come back quickly when you need them again.

8jimi8ICURN · Aug 16, 2012

lmao.... you'll like the neuro patients! hahaahahha

who likes doing q1 hour neuro checks. NOT ME!

Better start studying. There was a period of time when i worked on a mixed icu/imc and i found that if i spent too long in imc, i was forgetting numbers that, when working in icu i would know instantly.

Beware.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Aug 16, 2012

I have found through the many year of critical care/emergency nursing that although certain nuances to specialized areas.....it's all the same.

V.Tach is V.tach. V. Fib is V.fib Blue is Blue. No B/P is no B/P. A code is a code.

When you leave this ICU toa "more acute one" again....It's is like riding a bike You might be shakey at first but it will all come back pretty quick

The ICU may be small and low acuity.....but you will soee some hair raising stuff and it wiilbe on your shoulders alone to get the patient through to the next shift or unitl they can be transfered. There will be no residents or fellows......and maybe no hospitalist. Anythingtha twill gowrong...will come to you as the critical beds in the house.

Don't discount those little places.....thay can see somehair raising stuff.

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 16, 2012

It has been said by a wise person "It's like riding a bike..it comes back to you" like everything in life you'll be able to retrieve the necessary information when it's needed and apply it...wishing you always the best in all of your future endeavors...Aloha~

kkirby00 · Aug 17, 2012

Thanks, for the encouragement guys! I really appreciate it!