What do you like/not like about ICU nursing?

[Pattyo]

Hello everyone.

I am considering ICU nursing and have read many posts here asking related questions, but none that ask what do you like and not like about ICU nursing?

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Endorn2012]

likes

autonomy

challenge

great learning environment

patient advocacy

dislikes

emotional impact

difficult family

not seeing as many success as i would like

[deeDawntee, RN]

The hardest part for me is when a patient is being kept alive when there is no hope for recovery. These patients are usually on a vent, have been trached a few weeks ago because they could not be extubated, are being fed through a peg tube which was placed when the trach was placed. I look at these corpses and know the hundreds of thousands of dollars that are being spent and can't help but think about how well that money could be used for children raised in poverty etc. I don't remember the statistics (maybe someone can help me out here) but the percent of Medicare dollars that are spent on the last 30 days of people's lives in unbelievably high. Obviously, this is a primary ethical issue, but I don't know why this culture thinks that keeping a person alive for as long as possible with any means possible is a meaningful and worthwhile endeavor. I think it is mean and torture. I know many nurses who leave ICU nursing for this reason more than any other.

I like ICU nursing for many reason as well. It is really cool to see someone reach the brink of death and bring them back. There is no doubt in mind that nursing care in that setting makes a profound difference. We are the ones keeping these people alive!!

Learning ICU nursing is when being a nurse really came together for me. That is when I really understood how the human body worked. It is invaluable training.

[RNFELICITY]

Learning ICU nursing is when being a nurse really came together for me. That is when I really understood how the human body worked. It is invaluable training.

This is sooooo true at least in my case.

I have worked on many floors in my years and never really HAD to learn the intricasies of the human body and the significance of lab values beyond the norm. But when you go to the ICU, little tiny changes can be the start of an avalanche and you have to really be on your toes.