How do you feel about ICU vs Stepdown? Currently on Stepdown and ready for change d/t multiple reasons.

ONLY MEDICAL SUGERY OR REHABIT UNIT. THANKS

Went from a PCU to ICU and I could never go back. I care for my 2 patients with complete ownership. It satisfies my need for acute critical thinking and I’m always busy. I know j near everything about my patients.. not JUST enough of 4+ patients to answer questions if asked. Recommend!

Hi! Congrats for wanting to grow! That kind of mind will do great in ICU! If you’ve done step down and you’ve seen patients tanking, hung multiple drips, dealt with central lines, and are good with IVs you’re going to do great! Some new grads come straight into ICU like me.. not for everyone but it can be done.. Have you floated to ICU? Know others in ICU? Depends really on your reasons on wanting to change. It’s a very exciting and sometimes very emotionally difficult environment dealing with much more death than a step down most days.. but it’s worth it! You’ll hone your skills, work closer with the intensivists, and be treated with way more respect from those guys once they know your skill level! That part is amazing.. being treated as a colleague instead of a ‘nurse’. Most ICUs are filled with those with dreams to go further like CRNA or NP, so the level of professionalism is different. Also, you’ll feel like a rockstar some days and like you just can’t do enough others. You also have to be able to take care of yourself as far as your mental well being. Burnout and emotional trauma and PTSD are epidemic in hospitals now, especially those with critical staffing. If everyone’s taking 3 ICUs including your charge, you’re not going to learn much except how to crush and pass meds quickly and lots of unit education on all the pressure ulcers from patients not being turned because you just don’t have time. Just stay with a positive attitude, make the jump, and learn all you can! It’s fascinating and hey, you can always go back to step-down if you don’t love it.. Bottom line… GO FOR IT!

ICU is a much broader frontier than Stepdown. It needs accuracy and exact timing of implementation of solution to a certain case.

I made the switch to ICU from step down almost three years ago and I never looked back. There’s so much to learn in ICU, and, at least at the hospital I work for, the ICU docs give us a lot of autonomy once they know that they can trust our judgement to properly care for the patient.

Critical care unit, obviously has more critically ill patients. I have worked in the ICU years ago and did not really see much difference except for the patient to nurse ratio. ICU was 1:1 whereas the step down unit was 2:1. But still has similar patient care. Slightly less critical I’m the step down unit.

Explore the opportunity! Take the initiative to grow professionally!

I think ICU might be less work. But not sure.