What are your thoughts on new grad RN ICU job

[heaverboo]

what are your throughts on a new grad rn going into an icu or a step-down unit? i just graduated rn school a few weeks ago and awaiting to take boards. i've been an lpn for a year and a half and been working on orthopedics and dealing with post-op and pre-op patients as well. icu scares me as a new grad rn but sure that know one will just throw me out there to do my care. i'm also sure that i'd get a throrough orientation to the unit being that they'll be hooked up to monitors, dealing with ventilators and all those scary machines!

the rumor is the job that i'm currently at doesn't pay what i'm expecting and what my other friends are getting paid. it's not all about the money but when you bust your butt at work and see your paycheck money does somewhat count.

what are your thoughts/comments/past experiences on this???

[talaxandra]

My concern with inexperienced staff starting out in ICU (or ED) is two-fold: first that it's harder to develop time management skills when you've got one or two patients to care for, and that can be difficult to pick up later. Friends who've moved to ICU after a couple of years on the floor have told me they're concerned about picking the skill back up, so I'd think it's be even harder if you never had the opportunity to develop it in the first place.

Second, it's harder to learn the signs of a stable patient deteriorating when the patients you're interacting with are predominantly seriously ill to start with. That's not to say it's impossible, just that it's harder.