Interesting answers. I have my BSN and went directly into a Critical Care Internship for almost 48 months post-graduation. I spent many, many years working hgh level ICU's/ Trauma Units/ ER's before deciding I'd "take it easy" and take a part-time med-surg job. That "easy" job knocked me on my backside. Yes, I could titrate drips, suction vent patients...do all that ICU stuff. I became CCRN, PALS, ACLS certified. I learned things on those med-surg floors I had never even thought of.
But could I handle 6-8 patients on a shift? AM preps for radiology or other departments, FSBS before meals and administering insulin, answering questions from many family members, discharge teaching, rounding with different doctors. And good grief! Just giving the routine meds for all those patients. Most ICU patients are on IV meds. Try giving 10-15 meds to the 80 yo who insist on taking them one at a time while you are thinking, "I've got meds for 5-6 other people, and insulin to give, and"...and fill in the blank. And in the middle of giving meds, "Honey, I've got to go to the bathroom. Can you help me"? And that ends up taking 10-15 minutes.
Bottom line...different type of nursing, different skill set. Sadly, those med-surg nurses don't get the respect I think they deserve. My opinion.
Absolutely. My transition to ICU from ward nursing was easy as the flexibility I learned as a ward nurse was a plus. You may not believe it but ward nursing teaches us a lot.
To show you truly want this change:
1. Join your local AACN.
2. Take ACLS the next time your facility offers it.
3. Start taking Critical Care CEUs to learn where you need to bone up.
4. Ask the ICU NM about shadowing...you will probably have to do it on your own time and without pay.
Every single aspect of nursing requires regular CEUs. Never forget that. I worked closely with orthopedic nurses when we had a patient in traction. I worked closely with the Heme/Onc nurses when we had chemo, etc. We are all experts in our areas.
Good luck.
Absolutely, the level of care is different in ICU. One must be competent in various critical care skills, such as titrating essential drips, understanding hemodynamics, setting up and maintaining arterial lines, EVDS, lumbar drains, monitoring CVP, ICP and CPP. Drawing your own labs and ABG’s, and being able to interpret them. Understanding ventilators and different settings. Starting IVs on very sick patients, administering sedation and rapid sequence intubation medications, assisting in bedside procedures such as bronchs and G/J tube placement, etc. Critical care is a different world than a med-surg or step down (PCU/IMU) nurse. It’s requires constant critics thinking and being on your toes. Lots of labs and diagnostics, dealing with stressed out family members, lots of death and upper management pressure. Not for the faint at heart.
To be a critical care nurse there is no further college education required. However, a nurse who wants to be competent and able to handle anything that comes through the door should pursue becoming board certified in critical care. Once that is accomplished, the nurse can feel confident her skills measure up to the challenge critical patients present. Mary Wontor, RN, MSN, CCRN retired
Of course...thats why it is called a specialty
If you are asking if they need more education, ie, some sort of specific degree or advanced certification then the answer is generally no. There does, however, exist a different skillset just like in most specialties. The skills, however, are usually learned on the job. Special training or certifications are often offered at the hospital (ie, conscious sedation, CRRT, ECMO, etc). Orienting to an ICU is often between 3-6 mos -- depending on prior experience -- because of all the additional skills needed. The only thing that might not be offered at the hospital is ACLS certification, which is needed to work in an ICU.
yes icu nurses have training in life saving medications that require special parameters for administration and titration according to the pharmacokinetics of the medication and pathophysiology of the patient.
If you are asking if they need more education, ie, some sort of specific degree or advanced certification then the answer is generally no. Iam 4 years generic bsn nurse.
The hospital in CO that I work for has a nurse residency program that you can apply for departments like the ICU, Women’s Care, OR, Medical Surgical, Oncology, and ED. HCA, Centura, UCHealth all have there programs to get experienced and new grad nurses into areas that they want to be in.
I am sorry to answer this way, but, this should not even be a question. The name says it itself Intensive Care Unit. One needs to be well trained and knowledgeable to work in ICU otherwise ONE WILL KILL SOMEONE.
I have always thought that getting some experience with both med surgical on a busy ward and ICU was important for new nurses. I came to that realization by personal experience. I was a diploma grad and worked open heart ICU as a new grad for about 2 years before joining the military. I started out on a busy surgical ward for 18 months before transfer to Neonatal ICU. You don't need additional formal education but would certainly have specific classes and on the job training/and a period of time with a preceptor when hired in the ICU. In each area I learned so much. The work flow and priorities are so different in each type of unit. While in the military, I worked on several types of units, each with unique learning opportunities... Interestingly I ran across occasional ICU nurses throughout my long career who looked down their noses at med surg. I always took the opportunity to set them straight! My opinion was completely the opposite. The workload was just as heavy, sometimes more, and if there was an emergency in the icu, you were never alone, often able to anticipate the oncoming event. This was often not the case on med surg because the nurses attention was divided on many tasks and various patients. I think ICU nursing teaches lots of tasks skills, various equipment and troubleshooting skills etc but mainly critical thinking skills while floor nursing is helpful in honing organizational skills... both require good team work and communication. If I had to offer advice, I'd encourage a variety of situations early in your career before settling on a long term career choice. Often in a teaching hospital there are opportunities to move around and keep your seniority. Best of luck!
A solid ICU unit has an intake test to identify weaknesses. Those areas should be remediated so strong EBC is achieved. For new grads a year long residency with strong resource nurses should be in place. The ICU can turn on a dime it’s no place to “fake it till you make it”. A good ICU nurse can catch an issue before it happens once trained appropriately.
ICU Nurses go through lots of additional training on specific pieces of equipment like ventilators, ECMO, Etc. They also go through extensive pharmacology training.
In my experience the biggest difference between medical surgical nurse versus a critical care nurse understanding of human physiology. I'm speaking strictly for me in this case but unless few years that I've been closely involved in critical care I have not learned any new facts however I did understand these facts I have a different understanding of what they actually mean.
Simple idea what is a stroke volume, I've studied this took test on it and knew the answer etc etc but I really am not understand what strip law you missed until short time ago. It's these little things that I feel what makes a critical care nurse different from medsurge. So all of my friends who are on medsurge, my phone was recommend to study and take Critical Care review courses. It's a different way of looking at a patient with not just what is but how and why.
Yes they're more technical aspects of different lines and trains etc etc but none of it means anything if you do not understand what these things mean and how these changes and variations with influence the patient.
TF kind of question is that? YES, we do. CRRT, Impellas, IABP, ECMO, VAD, invasive monitoring (Swan-Ganz), A lines, sheaths, ventilators…the list goes on.
Tons. Just for starters, ACLS (and sometimes PALS), NIHSS, very in-depth knowledge about managing ventilated patients, hemodynamics, titrating vasoactive medications, art lines, central lines, sedation....and that's just some of the basics. The specialty training increases when you specialize (i/e VADS, balloon pump, ventriculostomy drains, BIS monintoring, etc.).
As far as RN associates, RN BSN, or taking
State boards no. To go to specialities yes ACLS, ect. But if your question is meaning just being a nurse the answer is no. You will be/get trained when accepted for that position
Yes .I think so
Most defiantly. ICU is a specialty and in my personal option it was much harder to go straight into ICU from nursing school. But 5 years later it’s all I have ever done.
