New ICU Nurses: Tips From a Seasoned Nurse

[@happynurse8706]

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

[@TheArmedNurse]

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.

[@freshrn]

I agree. I went into it w/ the same thought: that some would be pretty direct but its not personal. you will do will do well there!

[@cv2733]

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 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@freshrn]

I'm so glad!

[@jessicasorkin7035]

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

[@jessicasorkin7035]

@@marissam390 I do not think I did anything specific to "get in". The hospital I am at said they would take new grads and I applied online and interviewed like everyone else. I'm sorry if that's not helpful!

[@jmccoy290]

I start this fall in MICU as a new grad. How’s it going?

[@marissam390]

Thanks for the reply! I guess I am just a bit nervous because some people make it seem pretty impossible to get certain jobs as a new grad. Knowing this is very encouraging! Thanks.

[@demi-marie]

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

[@karenp5186]

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!

[@freshrn]

I totally agree! Appreciate your kind words :-)

[@jeffreyo8496]

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

[@freshrn]

So glad it's been helpful!

[@TikboyTM]

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!

[@freshrn]

I am so so glad it was helpful!

[@heatherakers5453]

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

[@jessicaletuli8452]

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 🙏🏼

[@baylovesyou1974]

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.

[@rags2richesstevens694]

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

[@jessilawrence3486]

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!!!

[@freshrn]

My pleasure! Glad it resonated!

[@iluvlaxx3]

I feel the same! I also want to get into ICU to better understand and gain a wealth of knowledge. Any tips for experienced OR RNs considering ICU?

[@Ruffles729]

How do you like the operating room? I’m interested in becoming an OR nurse.

[@Dailyshart]

@@Ruffles729 not a good idea unless you’re trying to retire.

[@veelynn1200]

@Jafar Why do you say that? I'm a student but I'm torn between ICU and OR upon graduation.

[@thepinknurse_]

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

[@glendabolden8569]

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.

[@lindadaws3117]

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.

[@freshrn]

You've got this! Having that emotional intelligence will go so far!

[@Dailyshart]

Common sense to most

[@natashavalentine5900]

Love how direct you are!

[@scubatravel7846]

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

[@mo-whack6790]

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.

[@sarahnofollow7547]

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😍

[@freshrn]

Well said, it is incredibly easy for intrigue to override reading a situation - and it's so common in ICU where really cool things happen on the regular! I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@oceanasheppard8378]

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”

[@jenniferjackson2509]

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

[@freshrn]

I will add that to my list of videos! Wonderful suggestion.

[@haydendouglas7596]

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

[@freshrn]

I actually wrote a blog post about this because many people also aren't sure which would be best for them, but know they want to land in one or the other. Link: www.freshrn.com/icu-vs-er-ed-nurse-whats-the-difference/

[@1Andrea]

ICU if your going crna

[@FOODREVOLUTION360]

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. 😊

[@shelamaesantos8294]

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...

[@freshrn]

Yes, excited and scared are both totally normal feelings going into ICU! You've got a phenomenal background to go into ICU! You'll do so great!

[@janelizdiaz5096]

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?

[@freshrn]

I think being aware that this will be a major transition is a great place to start. So many start in ICU thinking they just need to be shown around and they'll just innately know what to do. It's kind of like learning a brand new sport; there's a large learning curve even if you already have experience in another area. I have a lot of blog posts on critical care nursing, podcast episodes, and even have a full-length course that walks you through your orientation process. I had 2 years of cardiac med-surg experience before starting in critical care, and felt like a new grad all over again! So I made those resources to help ease that learning curve to hopefully make it so others have a smoother transition.

[@noorr2573]

How do you find it now? :)

[@mbalimamba5729]

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

[@robertdepesci3418]

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.

[@freshrn]

Agree. It's a form of hazing essentially. And I'm guessing they had that experience as a new nurse and want to make others suffer too since it makes their painful experience make sense ... like it's a twisted rite of passage or something.

[@neptune_wolf-1514]

This video is very informative, thank you.

[@mariahrappazzo5477]

This was so helpful thank you!!!

[@janvanlandeghem9749]

Stumbled upon this video.... Point on ! Good topics, they're sometimes overshadowed by all the more technical information they must learn . Every newbee schoud watch this. . ICU nurse for almost 20y here.

[@LaToya-Danielle]

Thank you 🙏🏽

[@kemleypedroza7239]

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.

[@shegotit143]

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

[@shegotit143]

Update: *one year later* As I watched this video one year later and saw my own comment, I wanted to respond back to my old self. 1) It’s okay to not know something and ask questions. Asking questions doesn’t make you a bad person 2) If you feel like your preceptors are blowing you off, or still feel uncomfortable about a concept, vocalize that and ask for clarification or a different preceptor 3) Bullying is never okay. You deserve better than that. 4) The nurse you become is not directly correlated to how things went during orientation. Growing is linear. 5) It’s okay to say hey I want to watch this code or hey can I try that? Doing that shows you like to interact and that that’s how you learn. 6) Work to understand and learn on your own if need be. You’ll impress yourself 7) Chin up. You can only do your best and nothing more

[@tonishgrant7410]

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?

[@freshrn]

Of course! I have quite a few resources to prepare people for that role. My podcast dives into more ICU tips and we have an episode on cardiac as well. I've also got some online courses that are much more in depth, specifically the Cardiac Nurse Crash Course, which dives into cardiac ICU content! FreshRN.com/courses

[@loring4015]

Excellent!

[@Kbenhamu]

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?

[@freshrn]

I feel like the majority of nurses (new grad or not) starting in ICU tend to be very nervous and are not confident in themselves. It is a very intimidating environment and people just want to do the right thing, and it's a really tough place to get acclimated to. It's so common that in my course for new ICU nurses, Breakthrough ICU, that I have quite a few modules on confidence building. And the entire first section of my new graduate nurse residency program (7 modules) is on confidence building. In short, you're not alone and that's totally normal - and doesn't mean you won't be awesome.

[@Kbenhamu]

@@freshrn Thank you for replying. it means a lot to me. I'm going to watch the modules! Stay safe and thank you again.

[@Astronomical1]

thanks

[@marj88]

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

[@nessthomson3944]

Great video , really helpful 👍

[@DylanMorehouse]

Great video

[@hehehehfun4938]

There are a lot of rude people in healthcare.

[@jbb729]

It sounds like you have had poor experiences with people in healthcare. Let's talk about that. Can you tell me more about why you think some healthcare workers have appeared rude?

[@hehehehfun4938]

@@jbb729 I am a nurse. There are plenty of rude healthcare workers. This stems from the doctors all the way to CNAs. They are rude to patients and they are especially rude to each other. This is not a single experience but rather multiple experiences throughout the many clinics and hospitals that I worked at.

[@jbb729]

I want you to politely tell the next healthcare worker that is rude to you how they are making you feel and what they are doing to perpetuate said feelings. If nothing else you done a wonderful job at making them stop and see how they're making someone else feel. 💜❤️💜

[@hehehehfun4938]

@@jbb729 i have done that in the past but they were defensive and somehow always turned it in to its my problem. Im at the point in my career where I just accept that some ppl are rude and thats just how it is. it doesnt get to me as much anymore.

[@Chloeynacole16]

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😊

[@freshrn]

Depends on each individual. You can def do ICU right out of school, but it's VERY hard. I personally did 2 years of med-surg first and don't think I would have been successful if I had done ICU right away. I needed to learn on stable patients first before being responsible for unstable patients while learning how to be a nurse. Definitely seen nurses start ICU and ER right away, but those who have the med-surg foundation have a much deeper knowledge base.

[@Chloeynacole16]

Kati Kleber thanks so much for your insight! I really appreciate it. I was offered a position on a med surg floor that I currently work on as an extern and I can’t decide if I want to take it or not.

[@danielz6436]

in my last year, gonna start working in the ICU in 2 days. night shift. wish me luck lol.

[@NurseTahirih]

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

[@freshrn]

So many mistakes can happen then! A tiny thing that can make such a big difference.

[@TheHeyDood]

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.

[@freshrn]

This is a really great comparison

[@gillianjack921]

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?

[@TheDonSticky]

this is info i could have gotten from google

[@eebsrises2G1]

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?

[@freshrn]

Definitely totally normal to feel that. It is a very intimidating environment and a lot of incredibly capable people have those feelings of self-doubt before beginning that challenging journey. But that doesn't mean they won't be awesome ICU nurses!

[@keilasie8874]

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

[@ericamiller3585]

Yyyyyeeeeesssssss Don't be messing with my pumps please

[@Czech801]

lol