Have you ever wondered what going straight into a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit nursing role means post-graduation? What the hardest parts might be? Or what a typical day in the life of a new grad PICU Nurse would look like? Make sure you’re all caught up with Specialty Nursing: What Makes a Good PICU Nurse? And now let’s dive in to an interview with Nahla, a new grad PICU nurse!
Name and Education
Hi, my name is Nahla and I graduated from UCLA Nursing School with a Masters in Public Health (MPH) and a Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN). I am a Registered Nurse (RN), a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL), and a Public Health Nurse (PHN).
What Unit do You Work on and How Long Have You Worked There?
I work on the Pediatric ICU and I have worked here for about 4 months.
What Made You Want to be a PICU Nurse?
During nursing school I knew from the beginning that I wanted to work either in critical care or the emergency department. The pediatric world had not even crossed my mind. However, when I did my rotation in PICU I felt an inclination to help those within this population. Seeing the severity of the patients in this unit, from trauma to chronic illness and the fact alone that they were kids and teens made me want to be their voice and advocate. By luck I was placed in this unit again during my immersion in nursing school and by then I just knew it was fate.
What is the Hardest Part About Being a New Grad Nurse in the PICU?
Being a new grad nurse in the PICU is probably one of the hardest things I have ever done. The stressors come from a variety of factors such as the patient population, being new and feeling inadequate, not knowing any of the staff and constantly being critiqued, and of course overall imposter syndrome. Unfortunately, nursing school does not do well in preparing students for this and the reality is a huge adjustment. That being said, my biggest advice to new graduates is to be okay with being uncomfortable. Do not take anything personally nor be discouraged! You are exactly where you need to be and being new is only a transitional period that everyone goes through. I take pride in showing up each day because at the end of the day I am showing up for those patients and day by day I am learning and growing.
What is the Best Part About Being a New Grad Nurse in the PICU?
The best part about being a new grad in the PICU is the privilege given in taking care of patients in their most sensitive states. The confidence that comes with the development of your nursing care and practice is something I consider a token of my experience. With time and experience comes knowledge and intuition and in turn this will develop you into a better nurse.
In the PICU you see the worst of the worst and are always trouble shooting. From the tangle of IV lines to the rapidly dropping sats, working in PICU means you must be quick to react. But with that responsibility comes the development of your critical thinking, knowledge, and the ability to have lifesaving skills. In tandem, you are helping those in their most vulnerable states, and that alone is rewarding. You show up each day to take care of not only the patients but their families as well. As a new grad you are learning and are in a state of exploration and advocacy. Albeit being a new grad nurse, you are still the patient’s best advocate and an integral part of their healthcare team.
What Does a Typical Day as a PICU New Grad Nurse Look Like?
A typical day as a new grad PICU nurse consists of; going in early to look up your assignment and have time to review their notes, worklist, and orders. Then you attend huddle and go get report from the off going nurse. After report is received, you go into the room and perform your safety checks and introduce yourself to the patient and/or family. Once this is done you perform a head-to-toe assessment then go to the pyxis to start getting your medications ready. The rest of the shift you are following your worklist. Calculating and hanging meds, checking compatibility, performing lab draws, communicating with the team, all the while constantly doing assessments on your patient. The goal is to provide the best care and try to identify early signs of deterioration in order to intervene early on to promote best outcomes.
What Should Students Looking to go Straight into the PICU Know, Would You Recommend This?
I would recommend brushing up on your critical care signs and interventions. Even reviewing the basics such as vitals is helpful because it changes from infant to toddler to teenagers and knowing those off the bat is helpful. I would also recommend going in with templates to stay organized. Part of my website, yournursekit.com, is to provide tools such as templates to make your day easier and more efficient. Make sure to check it out!
What are Your Career Goals?
My career goals are to continue education and taking on leadership roles within the hospital. My lifelong goal is to one day open some sort of practice or clinic of my own in other parts of the world.
You Have a Social Media Platform, What are Your Goals Behind This?
My Instagram, @YourNurseKit, was thoughtfully created to help nursing students and those in the profession stay organized, relaxed, and efficient. My purpose was to pay it forward and help those in the field. Having gone through nursing school and being a new grad myself, I know how difficult and stressful it is. I gathered all obstacles and created tool kits out of them in the forms of; blogs of advice, templates for your shift and clinicals, calendars and planners, wellness bundles, consults, excel class and financial organizers, and even cute notebooks and supplies to take with you. All at an affordable price! My goal was to make this field easy and enjoyable.
Anything Else You Wish to Share?
Thank you for the interview and good luck to all nursing students and new graduate nurses!
Thank you Nahla for your passion to treat critically ill kiddos so early on in your career!
Be sure to check out the entire Specialty Nursing Series, and follow along with this new Specialty Nurse Interview Series!
- Meet Allie, a School Nurse!
- Meet Amber Leigh, a Maternity Service Nurse!
- Meet Jimmy, an ED Nurse!
- Meet Hannah, a PICU/Peds Nurse!
- Meet Briana, a Med Surg Nurse!
- Meet Nicole, an ICU Nurse!
- Meet Theresa, a Maternal Child Nurse!
- Meet Nicole, a Peds Nurse!
- Meet Jordan, an ED Nurse!
- From Nursing School Straight to the ICU: Meet Rylee, a New Grad Nurse!
- Meet Allison, an Oncology Nurse!
- Meet Sara, a Mental Health Nurse!