Who went straight to ICU after getting your BSN

UpwardMobility · Jul 13, 2004

Hey guys, thanks for all the input and advice. It really helped my solidify my decision to go straight into the ICU after I graduate.

dynamiteRN · Jul 14, 2004

I believe that having med surg experience (not necessarily 2 years) will be a better advantage to a nurse before proceeding for the ICU. My experience as a long term care nurse, wound nurse, and medical-surgical nurse has helped me become a well rounded nurse in the ICU setting. I have become a significant resource for my colleague in ICU because of my experiences and my abilities that were gained only from working in a medical surgical floor. I am able to make quick , safe ,accurate and appropriate decisions even if the data at hand is extremely ambiguous, especially with the critically ill Pt. Most importantly, I have gained great confidence in my nursing skills, enabling me to be a very effective part of the health care team. These are only possible if you have dealt with Pts at their sickest condition without having to rely to a monitor or other technical equipment in ICU setting to be able to tell that your Pt is in trouble.

But again, each person is different. It is only you who can tell whether you need the MS experience prior to going to ICU.

NeuroICURN · Jul 15, 2004

But again, each person is different. It is only you who can tell whether you need the MS experience prior to going to ICU.

Well said.

traumasrna · Jul 15, 2004

Hi, I'm currently in a BSN program, and I am aspiring to be a CRNA. I'm just wondering who in this forum went straight to the ICU after graduating, because a lot of nurses I'm working with are telling me to work med-surg first before going to the ICU. I really want to tackle ICU, but is it possible couple of years in med-surg all that necessary?
Thanx!

Go straight into the ICU if you want to go into a CRNA program. I went into a 33 bed Medical Surgical Trauma ICU(Stanford) and it was the best decision I ever made. Worked there for four years and I am now starting a CRNA program in Oakland, CA. I knew nothing about nursing but with a lot of hard work, I've learned a great deal.