New ICU Nurses: Tips From a Seasoned Nurse 

32 years in ICU you I'm impressed you're the young nurses we need to move forward thank you

I am a newly licensed RN and I got a job in the ICU right out of school. My first day was yesterday and I had my very first code blue! You are right, it is definitely a very direct and fast-paced environment but I love that. I haven't met anyone that I don't like (yet) but there are certainly nurses/providers who are very stern and by the book. I don't feel this is a bad thing though because the ICU is a serious environment and there is no room for nonsense.

I’m a CNA that just transitioned from a nursing home and rehab to critical care. Thank you so much for explaining the ICU environment as I’ve felt intimidated by many nurses. One thing i struggle with is that I need help turning patients and feel like the nurses are Just to busy to help me

These tips were SUPERB!!! It might sound general and vague to people not in healthcare already, but from one nurse to another , you just gave damn near survival guide to make their lives sooooo much smoother 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

You are amazing and your videos are so helpful! I start an externship in Neuro ICU in 2 weeks! Super nervous, but so ready to get in there and learn and take care of those patients 🙏🏼

Thank you very much, seriously. This is so helpful. I just started in my ICU as an RN transitioning from a tech and it's been challenging to say the least. I so appreciate this.

I love your directness in this video! Every new nurse or preceptee needs to learn these rules! ICU is a whole different animal compared to being on the floor. You truly can’t take things personally in the heat of things. Every day is a learning experience in critical care.. in a good way! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

Thank you so much for this video! I am starting in the ICU as a nurse apprentice and all these tips were super helpful!

I'm an experienced Med/Surg nurse transferring to ICU. I found this very helpful. Thank you!

As a new grad starting in a medical ICU it was super helpful!

Love how direct you are!

I wish I could like this a million times. This applies for step down or intense med-surg floors as well!!

I’m a 16 year veteran LPN with my last 6 years with patients on ventilators at home. I’m in school for my RN, with about a year till I have my license. I’m going directly toward critical care here in Brooklyn NY. I am studying daily and prepping to hopefully get into a fellowship or preceptor program. This is great advice. Thx

Got my attention from your first point. Your tips answered a lot of questions that I didn't thought I needed to ask. Your words encouraged me to continue in the ICU environment (which is new territory to me.) And I'm speaking as a cathlab nurse with more than a decade of experience. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart! Keep up the good work! May the Lord bless you and your career. Looking forward to more of your videos and updates!

This video is very informative, thank you.

I am a new ICU/CCU nurse and it is frightening. Ive never thought of myself as not being confident but it seems to be surfacing. Thanks for you video. I would like information about your course.

Love this!!! New ICU grad & definitely new subscriber😁💛

As an operating room nurse, I interact with ICU nurses quite frequently when handing off critical patients...I’ve dealt with some very demeaning ICU nurses and some truly amazing ones, it takes a lot to not take it personally. I know that in the moment we’re all trying to facilitate the best care we can even if their temperament comes of in a negative manner. I hate not fully understanding their atmosphere so I’m thinking of making the switch to up there to learn and grasp that intensive environment a little better. Ty for this video!!!

Great sermon🙌👏👏👏Best tips for me (as a Rn for > 11 years now transitioning to ICU) that I appreciate from a critical care point of view fro. this lovely video were; 1). Don't be making no chit-chat while pulling meds. Errors happen here especially when working super quickly during a rapid turn. 2). Read the room before you interact/react. Great point about waiting to question your preceptor when they are super busy working things out on patient's or with family in room and preceptor ain't got no time for that!.. Sounds like common sense, huh 🤐🤐but it is all too easy to become intrigued and ask things or speak before thinking🙊 Learned this one the hard way and actually you can start to frustrate your preceptor unintentionally...Thanks for these fab tips of nursing wisdom from your own experience!! This has helped me and I will be sharing and looking forward to more videos😍

Thank you for all you do I was in icu 4 weeks ago I'm home now doing a lot better

Woooow. I love your advice on "reading the room." I am a CNA with a BA in Psychology. I plan to attend an accelerated BSN program in the immediate future. While working as a CNA, I have learned how to "read the room" really well. Patients/Residents have on and off days. No matter how I feel, I have to adjust my mood according to the mood of each and every patient, family member, and Supervisor. I am so ready to become an RN.

This was so helpful thank you!!!

I'm an LPN that has transitioned into RN ICU residency. I prefer and appreciate being direct assertive. Im looking forward to it. Im nervous but ready learn as much as i can. I've waited 10 years for this. Hopefully I'm more of a help to my preceptor than burdensome.

I graduate next month with an ICU position as soon as I pass the NCLEX. I am most scared of not knowing so many things but also don’t want to mess up! New grads aren’t taken easy in clinical anymore and I’m so worried of being that “new grad”

Great video , really helpful 👍

Great information! I'm getting ready to take the RN Nclex Test in couple weeks. I'm having some concern with the critical care questions on the review. What suggestions you had regarding what are the basis I need to know in critical care? Thank you in advance.

Thank you 🙏🏽

I'm an experienced nurse and find that majority of nurses simply dont want to train their nurses. they explain as little as they can and then watch you suffer through errors that couldve been prevented by a simple explanation of what's going on and how to intervene.

i was assigned to a respi ward with icu nurses assigned there too, and i wasn't prepared to the way they demanded on me on what to do to our patient. it was so hectic

I’ll be having an interview next week and I’m so scared and really excited at the same time.... I’ve always wanted to work in the ICU... i was an MS nurse for almost 2 years then a Gastro Nurse for a year and now an opporunity opened in the IcU in my current hospital and i just thought why not... thank you for this video.. I’m scared on what’s going to happen but fingers crossed everything will be alright...

thanks

Great video

Good tips. I’ve been an LVN for over 20 years in multiple areas. I’m about to enter an RN program through the medical center I work for. I’m interested in my ICU rotation because I think I have the personality for it. 😊

Excellent!

Can you do videos explaining labs and what they mean? Like not the values but like why we are wanting this or that lab for a patient? Trying to be better with my labs. New to ICU would love to learn more

Thank you for this, I love an incredible challenge and I have a little over a year left in my BSN program. I want to venture into the ICU setting, specifically cardiac. These were definitely informative tips and will use these as I approach closer to landing that job! Any advice to prepare myself before graduation?

Great video. Currently in block 3 of nursing school, trying to figure out what specialty I’d enjoy. Stuck between ER AND ICU

Im a nurse in the Netherlands and i a nurse want to join the ICU you have to a 1.5 year trainingship. Is that the same in the US?

Thank you for this! I will be transferring to ICU from a medsurg/tele floor after two years in just a couple weeks. I am looking forward to and can't wait to learn so much. I know I will be entering new territory. Any recomendations?

I know you mentioned to not take things personally especially when there’s something critical going on but say if that’s going on all the time and you’re supposed to be learning and you don’t feel like you are or are just told to say do/get something without any background or any idea of what to do, how do you address that? I think sometimes it’s like the shift starts and I don’t get much time to go over what I’m not getting or what I’d like to work on. Any advice would be appreciated

thank you for this video!!! i wanted to ask you a question. during nursing school i was really scared to do things and had very low self confidence. I’m applying to an ICU position. this is way out of my comfort zone BUT i feel like I can do it. I've grown since then. Have you ever had a new graduate in the ICU that was scared to do things and or showed low self confidence?

Thank you for this awesome info! I’m currently finishing up my 3rd semester of nursing school and I know I wanna go into ICU. Do you recommend going straight into ICU or get experience in ER or med surg first? Again thank you😊

I just want to say, thank you for uploading this video. I also really enjoyed your personality and how you come across as approachable. Im currently a nurse on a pcu floor, fairly newish, been off of orientation 6.5 months and was told about a position in the ICU by a friend who is encouraging my to apply. Is it normal to feel intimidated/not smart enough for the ICU? Or am I just overthinking the ICU?

i really liked when you encouraged nurses to NOT talk during the med room experience :)

It is probably similar to the military....you're buddy buddy...until shit hits the fan, then it's "Get the fuck over here now!"...it's not personal. It's about the mission or in this case the patient. Don't take it personally.

Yyyyyeeeeesssssss Don't be messing with my pumps please

On a code is fine.. yell and get the point across.. but when someone is rude during shift change report is definitely terrible

this is info i could have gotten from google

There are a lot of rude people in healthcare.

lol