Why do you like working in the CCU?

spaniel · Feb 9, 2006

I worked in the CCU for ten years. I'm 53 now and work in a counseling capacity, but I must say the CCU was probably the best job I'd ever had. Here's why:

1. You REALLY REALLY needed to know what you were doing. With that said,I felt a strong sense of accomplishment.

2.Training and inservice (and orientation) were superb. No smart nursing or medical director should bypass a good orientation no matter where the person said they worked.

3.There was a certain camaraderie among the nurses. Little backbiting.

4. The CCU provides for adrenalin spurts,that's for sure. But the work was not backbreaking as in med/surg.

5. As the nurse has a major major role in patient survival, we got little"guff" from the docs!!

6. Advanced degrees were paid for-no questions asked.

7. There was little tendency to float a nurse elsewhere. We were the priority in the hospital-oh-perhaps next to peds ICU.

JustMe · Feb 9, 2006

Working in the CICU for 20 years has been wonderful! I like teaching my MI pts and they even talk back! Once you prove you are capable, the cardiologists trust your judgment and usually let you do what you want to do. Our pts can be pretty sick with vents, IABPs, drips, etc. But overall we tend to be less labor-intensive than an ICU with nothing but vents. I also like cardiology intervention, like picking up on an impending atrial fib or extension of an MI. Those things can happen suddenly or very quietly--you have to be vigilant. Overall, I like the ICU atmosphere that also lets me talk to my pts.:wink2:

Nemhain · Feb 9, 2006

I know the CCU is quite intense and you need to be on your toes and REALY know what you're doing. That dept. has always fascinated me, but I find it rather intimidating. The more I review my cardiac material the more confused I get! The autonomy of nurses in the CCU is what makes the unit so attractive to me. I've heard many times before that the CCU is one of the only areas where the docs pretty much never give any nurse who knows what s/he is doing, a hard time (I know there are exceptions...) and actually have quite a bit of respect for them.

Thank you for your responses! You both must be brilliant!!!

JustMe · Feb 10, 2006

Thanks, but no brilliance here, Nemhain. Just hard work. Electrophysiology isn't hard, just learn it step by step. Are there "p" waves? Is the rhythm regular or irregular, is it too fast or too slow? Is there one "p" for every QRS? There are lots of good books out there from which to learn this stuff--it isn't rocket science :chuckle . Find a place to work that likes to teach and you'll know it in no time! Good Luck!

SarasotaRN2b · Feb 10, 2006

Do you recommend getting a couple of years in telemetry first?

Kris

JustMe · Feb 10, 2006

Working on a tele unit couldn't hurt but I'd also recommend classes/books because when working you tend to get caught up in the day-to-day. Unstable rhythms are most often seen in ICU and ER. Unless there is someone working on the tele floor with you who can interpret rhythms accurately when they occur, the classes will help you learn the rhythms step-by-step and then what to do about them. After all, isn't that the purpose of learning the rhythms? When teaching, I always ask that question: What does the patient look like and what are you going to do about it? ACLS is another way to go but you need some background knowledge before attempting it. Go for it!:yelclap:

CardioTrans, BSN, RN · Feb 11, 2006

I love working in CCU. I told my husband just the other night, that this is the first job that I have had in years that I absolutely love.

My unit is actually a split unit CCU/MICU, which is great. You see anything and everything. The patients are usually VERY sick, have vents, drips that have to be monitored closely, things can happen within a matter of seconds, the residents are for the most part great to work with. You have to be able to pick up on the slightest change in the patient, know your lab values, know your protocols, know what to do before calling the MD, know when to ask for help.

The nurses I work with are some of the best and will help in a second if you need it. I never feel silly asking a question to another nurse, pharmacy or MD. Even the nurses with 20+ yrs of critical care exp ask questions.

I have found my "resting place".

Nemhain · Feb 11, 2006

I love working in CCU. I told my husband just the other night, that this is the first job that I have had in years that I absolutely love.
My unit is actually a split unit CCU/MICU, which is great. You see anything and everything. The patients are usually VERY sick, have vents, drips that have to be monitored closely, things can happen within a matter of seconds, the residents are for the most part great to work with. You have to be able to pick up on the slightest change in the patient, know your lab values, know your protocols, know what to do before calling the MD, know when to ask for help.
The nurses I work with are some of the best and will help in a second if you need it. I never feel silly asking a question to another nurse, pharmacy or MD. Even the nurses with 20+ yrs of critical care exp ask questions.
I have found my "resting place".

Oooh! Good to hear another success story!! I love reading posts about nurses who love their jobs. It sometimes takes being in a few different areas to really find out what you love. Again, I hardly ever hear of a nurse who hates his/her CCU/CICU job. I can imagine, however, that if someone hated working in the CCU/CICU s/he wouldn't last long. It's seems to be a really interesting and intense department, but at the same time it appears to be a little intimidating.

Dinith88 · Feb 13, 2006

I think the reason i like working intensive care so much is because "The Buck Stops Here..."

Unlike any other unit/department, the patients in ICU either get better...or die.

Back when i worked step-down, i think the most discouraging aspect was that when a patient began to deteriorate/crash, he/she was moved to icu...and out of my hands.

The same is true with ER. When a critically sick patient comes through, the patient is stabilized to the best of their ability then sent to icu, or cath-lab (then icu), or surgery (then icu), etc.

Though it's sometimes difficult to work with the sickest of the sick, it only makes it that much more rewarding to see them do well.

I suppose ICU's like any other area...in that you either love it or hate it. I happen to belong to the group of nurses that love it.