Maaaaaaan Im a new nurse in a Trauma level 1 icu,2 months in and you're right.....totally different than schl,you feel dumb when u think you were so smart, its insane but I'm determined to get a hold of it. Good luck to everyone else
@@sebrin2221 absolutely! It puts you into the position to be helping the nurse in a 1:1 learning environment. While helping bathing or transporting that's the time to say hey what are those meds hanging mean. Just watch and ask alot of questions constantly. If you are a hard working CNA and going to nursing school and want to learn trust me nurses will teach you !
Just started my third week as a new grad ICU nurse. I feel like I’ve been struggling, but I’ve been giving it my all. My preceptor is great at teaching but she doesn’t communicate with me very well about how I’m doing/what she expects from me. It was helpful to see this video and the comments from people who have started their ICU jobs already and also feel like they are having a tough time. I now feel like I’m not alone and this is normal!
6 months in as a new grad ICU nurse. This video hits the nail on the head in school I thought wow I got this and boy did I get a reality check. This is the dumbest I’ve felt and I constantly am reevaluating what could/should I do. ICU is a beast though that I’m determined keep doing my absolute best at. Thank you for making this video and letting me know feeling scared and defeated is normal.
ive wanted to be an icu nurse since i was an emt and an icu nurse asked if i wanted to watch a pt i brought in with a cva have the pressure released, which was basically a hand cranked drill straight into the skull. the blood shot up through a tube towards the ceiling and i was hooked. unfortunately, it was not a win for that team either. this video is the truth. thanks man.
This video is so accurate and related to my current situation. I can’t wait to have enough experience and feel more confident. New grad neuro ICU nurse here 👍🏻☮️
So I have been a nurse for about a year and a half, I started on a tele floor and in December transitioned into icu. I will say this video is so real! Especially the end of the video; I have never felt so defeated in my life! The amount of death and negative outcomes were way more than what I had expected. I know I have a lot to learn and I am scared everyday, but this definitely let me know that my defeated feelings were normal! Thanks.
new grad, just passed NCLEXRN on tuesday. been an LPN for years but never really had a critical care job before. I got hired for the cardiac ICU at an amazing hospital here. I'm a 35 year old guy and I feel super lucky to be able to go into cardiac ICU. THANK YOU for this video man! I've been thinking of documenting my thoughts and struggles and learning curve moments as I grow into the position to show what it's like. Once again, thank you for your honesty in this video!
I wish I had saw this video many years ago when I started in ICU. All you said is very true! Even on a night 12 hr shift there was never a time for a nap. It is the most demanding but also most interesting from the nursing fields.
Hey man awesome video. As someone whose going into nursing i think it would be cool if you made more videos dealing with your day to day life in the icu.
Hey man I am just watching this video and I needed to see it. I am starting my second year in a BSN program and I hope to get a job in the ICU as a new grad. My goal is to eventually apply to CRNA schools as well. It sounds like you learned a lot of the stuff you know once you got a job which is nice to hear because sometimes I question whether I know enough in clinicals to be competent on my own. Thanks for posting, I always enjoy your videos
I feel you, thank you for sharing your experience, you inspired me, coming from neonatal icu in my country then going to adult icu in a different country is really arduous for me
Damn...this video really hit me where I live. Hopefully I'll get the job (interviewing) but having this advice in my head will help me cope with the loss of a pt, a concept that I've always had a hard time with in nursing school but you really helped me. You're right, if you give 110% of your effort, and they still die, then it was just their time. Sad but true. Thank you for making this video.
So I’m a nurse with a year of experience on a step-down/coronary care unit and I just started on a CVICU with LVAD and ECMO. I don’t think I could have started on ICU right away. There’s so many small things that you have to learn before you can pick up on the big things. I think a med-surg ICU would be easier, but CVICU adds on so many extra equipment and machines that makes things so complex. I have the same amount of orientation as all the new grads, but I feel like I have more skill to advance quicker and I’m able to have more floor time vs spending my hours in new grad classes.
Youre very courageous for going into the ICU straight out of school. I personally would not, hell no. I am terrified! I want to know what the hell im doing before being responsible for patients with a high acuity. Props to you for not letting fear get in your way.
I'm a new grad wanting to work icu or er. This is the realist ish I've seen. I've been lacksidackle with my studies for the nclex. When I should be thinking my studying is more about prep for not killing someone.
exactly. been there. I was from long term area in my past hospital so basically most of them are stable. I applied to a new hospital, due to lack of staff in ICU, they had placed me in ICU and that's how I feel.
Loved your video :) I started in a Chf telemetry floors that accepted all drips (amio , cardizem, dobutamine, lasix etc) and even stable vents, I stayed for about a year, got my experience - learnt the cardiac meds and tele strips, got into a ICU floor that also doubles as a open heart surgery. - I was especially excited when I received my first balloon patient, overwhelmed but super excited. I always try to work, and work my hardest for my patient. I always come home and think could I have done more? Did I miss something - it’s such a humbling experience, and I’ve never felt this inspired to keep studying about icu diseases/procedures so I can perform better. I know exactly how you feel, thank you for the video
I was a nurse technician on a Neuro ICU at a level 1 trauma hospital for about a year and they hired me on as a RN. I passed the NCLEX and now I start in less than 2 weeks. I’m extremely nervous but I know that’s normal. I wake up in the middle of the night thinking of how rough I’ll be with basic skills and knowledge but I know skills come with time. I love my unit. I am just so afraid. But! Thankfully, I built great rapport with my preceptors already. (I already know who they are). So that gives me a good head start! Thanks for this video. I’ll come back to this one day to reflect.
You giving me a courage. Ive worked as LPN for 5 years and breached to RN Program this year which I will be graduating in May of 2018 and planning to start in ICU.
I've been working as an LVN for 6 years. Currently working on my RN/BSN and like you, all I want to do is ICU. I won't do anything else. I've been working in skilled nursing and rehab, which is basically like a regular medsurg floor and I know where I want to be is ICU once I'm done with my degree. I know its a whole new animal, but I'm hoping that having experience, at least the LVN skilled experience, will help me out.
Josiah, Thanks for the video! Makes me feel a little better because I'm a new grad and just got offered a position in a CVICU and needless to say, I'm nervous as hell! Just out of curiosity, did you have prior hospital experience?
ICU is tough, as a patient I seen firsthand what the nurses go through, truly to say it's just stressful would be an understatement. God bless America.😄😄
Love the video ❤️ I wanted to ask your opinion on my situation. I'm married to a soldier so we move around a lot; generally every two-three years. My end goal is CRNA and I want to jump right into ICU after graduation; however, I wouldn't mind some time in medsurg. We have GS jobs (Jobs at federal level) built mainly for military families all over the world, but they generally don't hire ppl a year out from their leave date (pcs). I don't want to waste anyone's time (including my own) jumping from unit to unit within a few months or staying in medsurg for two-three years. Basically I'm wondering if it would be beneficial for me to go right into ICU instead of medsurg considering our constant moving schedule. Let me know what you think 😊
So I'm into my 3rd week as a newly qualified nurse in ICU in England and I can agree with you that the fear is real! So real! I feel lucky that I had two placements (rotations) in my ICU at a student nurse, because it helped me get to grips with the little things. It's such a crazy place to work but it's one of the best decisions I ever made. 😆 I have now subscribed to your channel and look forward to hearing more about your journey. Plus what life is like in American ICU's.
Hi i am a rn in uk. Qulaified since march last year. My first job was on gynae surgical and now i am working in acute medical unit. But i am interested about ICU but i want to know what its like. Whats the nurse patient ratio and also do you get good support when u first start?
new grads struggle on every unit med surg is just as stressful as the icu especially depending on which step down unit it is im on transplant tele unit and its extremely hard having 6 patients that are post op or boarder line dying
I graduated a while ago and I have been thinking about different areas I have been exposed during nursing school. I had chance to be in an ICU unit for one day. I have thought a lot about it and my anxiety is preventing me from making a sound decision. What I should do? I really appreciate this vide...english is my second language.
He’s right, the “mean” RN typically knows their shit, but don’t take abuse. If they’re irritable with you because you don’t know something, suck it up and learn it, but if they’re trashing you all day, talking shit to the other nurses, and not teaching you, find a new preceptor that day. Remember your success is the job of you AND your preceptor, but they know it ultimately falls on you (and you’d better know that too).
For the most part, we just prolong the inevitable. It's a hard pill to swallow, but that's how it is. If the one or two success stories are enough for you, then I guess it's all worth it. I question it all the time myself.
I am a 2 year ER nurse transferring to ICU in a few weeks. I’ve been in ER since a new grad but I want to challenge myself and be a much better critical care nurse. I’d still per diem to ER but I want to have both experiences under my belt to open a lot of opportunities in the future: CCT, Flight, PACU, etc. I’ve liked both units since school. I think ER has prepared me well enough to transition.
I was a MedSurg nurse for almost 2 years in a JCI hospital back then... then a Gastroenterology Nurse in an NHS hospital in the UK for over a year when An opening in our hospital’s ICU came... It has always been a desire for me since I was in nursing school to be a critical care nurse and finally it’s going to happen now... I’m so scared nervous but excited at the same time.. it’ll be a major transition for me... i love learninggggggggg.... i know it’ll be really really challenging.... I’ll be starting in January 2021 since I have to render in my current GI ward for 8 weeks.... thanks for sharing this video...
Hope all is well in MICU. I went through an ICU internship for my hospital and matched with MICU. I was curious about ICU as my school didn’t have an ICU rotation. Needless to say, I’ve been in MICU for 4 months and enjoy the constant challenge and learning opportunities. Just about every shift my anxiety level is sky high and I second guess myself on making this decision. I take it one day at a time and pray I can successfully make it through my shift without having some sort of breakdown. Stay positive and know your team is there to help you all the time. If you’re into studying look at AACN’s Essentials of Critical Care Nursing or the ICU Book as good resources. I try to read a chapter everyday. Also for some hope to get through tough times read Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Nurses 😁
Hi, does it mean you didnt have ICU experience before hand or nursing aide experience before going to your ICU grad job? Just wondering if that affects it too
Hey Alexander I think working as an aide gives people a HUGE advantage when they start nursing school, but usually the advantage levels out around semester two or three. It definitely helps though being an aide in ICU because you often go through those high stress situations and you become familiar with the environment, however what is lacking is the true theory behind our actions. We constantly have silent thoughts and stressors that only become your burden when you're the ICU nurse. That being said we've had several new grads get hired that worked in the ICU as aides up to graduation. They struggled the same as everyone else does, went through the same painful process but ultimately became great ICU nurses.
I'm currently a medical assistant and I want to become a nurse....What kind of nursing schools you recommend and how long does it takes to be a nurse and does it gets hard to become one
Alberto Solano there's many routes to becoming an RN. You should try to get an ADN first from a community college first and then you can be get your BSN later to work in a hospital.
I just wanted to first say- the start up of this video was literally AMAZING. Second- I'm just going to be straight up honest and real bc I appreciate you even tho I don't know you and if this vibes with you cool, if not, still cool lol. I was talking to God yesterday and he literally said- your going to be an ICU nurse as a new grad ( I've always thought about doing it but everyone says you have to do med surge first and I just didn't feel that was my calling but ICU is... weird? possibly) .. and I'm like pfff but I 'll be new and how will I know my skills? and he said, wrong, you definitely do and I'm here to teach you. So I came across your video because he literally said go on youtube and type in New ICU nurses and watch this video ( yours) and everything in your video is exactly what I've been thinking and what he's told me. So thank you for being awesome and sharing this video and encouraging me in the most random way haha and I'm sorry this post is so long but I hope you read it haha.
+ Maria Molinari...Go for it! You cannot go wrong when you follow divine guidance. I am not a particularly religious person, but understand where you're coming from. Godspeed and don't look back!
I just accepted a position as an ICU nurse. I had one year Telemetry step down experience. I am very excited but nervous. I’m going to buy some books on vents, and ICU.
… they did. This is becoming really weird John John. I believe I know who you are but it’s honestly down to two people. One would make sense, the other would make me so sad if it were him commenting because I really highly respect him. So are you afraid to say who you are? That’s weird. Couldn’t imagine that.
Wait you were smart in college and you felt not smart in ICU?? Wow I think I'll die... I felt I was very dumb and dull throughout med school. Strangely, I passed well, but every time I passed anything I was sincerely SHOOK (it was anxiety from day one till I graduated in June) I will definitely look like a complete idiot when I start to practice in a few months 😩😩😩😩
I'm honestly scared and anxious rn. I'm in my senior year, last semester and am not the worst student, but I'm also not the best. Sometimes when I'm in my rotations, I feel dumb although I power through and ask questions when I don't know something. I know that I wanna be in the ICU, but oh gawd it's so competitive to get in. 😭
Asking questions if you don't know is important in any job; it's how you learn. In a previous job a coworker asked me if they could help me with a project. Instructions were very basic. I told her to ask questions if she was unsure. She didn't ask any. Later that day, I discovered she had not done things correctly. It took me many, many hours to correct what she messed up.
so, i work in telemetry as a monitor tech, and we watch ICU patients. i am currently in my final year as a nursing student. and I just cannot fathom why, ICU nurses are so rude to monitor techs. Ive been berated, yelled at, humiliated as a monitor tech. I HATE critical care nurses period but as a new grad, i am thinking of going straight into ICU. is it my hospital's culture to be mean at techs over the phone or is this expecting in every ICU/critical care nurse? i have vowed to stand up to any disrespect when i am a nurse. i will not tolerate my co workers being rude to any tech on my watch. that is a main reason why i decided to become a nurse, I want to change the " god mentality" some nurses have and call them out on it. Am i wrong? has anyone else seen this?
There's a stereotype of ICU rns being up their ass (namely CVICU where I am as a tech). So its probably not just your hospital. I see you made this comment a year ago: where are you now and how are you doing?
perfect is impossible if you drive yourself to that you will always disappoint yourself and that's not healthy ...being a nurse is not perfect its ethical and moral
Josiah, you are so hot. That steering wheel needs a deep cleaning! New grad nursing needs to be addressed across the board and the same practice & standards should be adopted by all hospitals across the board. One thing that I would advocate for is as part of a critical care pathway is to start at a tele unit where it gives you the opportunity to gain that knowledge that is vital in icu. Throwing a new grad in icu fresh out of nursing school makes no sense and I know you will probably disagree since you have 'survived' it. The margin for error on any unit are razor thin, in icu there is no room for error!
Xaldin fash, hahaaha this guy, you obviously have insecurity issues. he never said anything about being cool or anything, yet that's what you took from this video? obvious;y you do think he is cool, and you envy him.
Xaldin fash lol his content is great but tbh who wears a stethoscope while driving? 1st year med students and well... this guy 😂 we get it youre a nurse.
