Have you ever wondered what going straight into an 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 ICU Nurse would look like? Make sure you’re all caught up with Specialty Nursing: What Makes a Good ICU Nurse? And now let’s dive in to an interview with Rylee, a new grad ICU nurse!
Name and Education
Hi, my name is Rylee and I graduated from Emporia State University (in Emporia, Kansas) with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
What Unit do You Work on and How Long Have You Worked There?
I work in the Surgical ICU (aka Intensive Care Unit) and I have worked here for about 6 months. Passed my NCLEX-RN and started working 2 weeks later!
What Made You Want to be an ICU Nurse?
Honestly, I wanted to work in an emergency department with hopes to be a responding trauma nurse. I was a patient care tech in an ED (Emergency Department) and I applied for a RN position and interviewed. I didn’t get the job and I was devastated. During that time, so many people (coworkers, mentors, classmates) told me that they saw me as an ICU nurse. I ended up looking more into the job and what role the nurse plays in the (specifically surgical) ICU and fell in love. There’s such a vast amount of information to learn about, while simultaneously dealing with complex, critical cases. From open heart surgeries to traumas to brain bleeds and everything in between. I was so excited to continue learning and improve my critical thinking.
What is the Hardest Part About Being a New Grad Nurse in the ICU?
The ICU is an intense area, and many senior nurses believe that they should “eat their young.” I see many senior nurses look down on new grads who don’t start on Med Surg unit and instead begin in a specialty and I’m not sure why.
It’s difficult being a new grad nurse on its own. Throw in working in an intense environment with impressive senior nurses and amazing doctors/surgeons who are all working together to care for some incredibly sick patients—it’s incredibly intimidating.
What is the Best Part About Being a New Grad Nurse in the ICU?
The best part of working in a SICU (Surgical ICU) to me is the variety of patient population and learning to be proficient in a plethora of specialties. This makes you a well-rounded nurse who is able to think critically beyond one specialty. For example a neuro ICU nurse doesn’t always think the same as a CVICU (Cardiovascular ICU) nurse. And a SICU (Surgical ICU) nurse adapts their thinking for each patient. I love that I can have a post-op CABG patient and an intracranial hemorrhage patient at the same time in my unit!
What Does a Typical Day as an ICU New Grad Nurse Look Like?
I work night shift, so I wake up around 1730 (5:30 pm), get ready for work, and make sure my animals are fed before I leave my house to make it to report by 1845 (6:45 pm). In report, we get a small gist of the patient population in the unit and brief but important updates from the previous shift. We often get to pick our 2 patients for the day so it’s important to listen up and snag ‘em first!
After getting our assignments we get our actual patient report and then start our day. I usually start by familiarizing myself with my patients and head into the room for assessments/med pass/etc. at 2000 (8 pm) unless I’m called in earlier. Every case is different, and we are expected to be in an ICU patient’s room every hour for outputs. I can promise you this, in an ICU you will chart and chart A LOT!! The night consists of med passes when due (or when a continuous fluid is about to be dry); assessing the patient every 4 hours (or more frequently if ordered); assessing any PIV/VasCath/CVC/swan ganz sites every 2 hours; doing personal cares for them; and I’m sure so much more I’m leaving out.
My favorite thing is being able to talk things through with my charge nurse and coworkers! They are so knowledgeable and are the BEST resource.
What Should Students Looking to go Straight into the ICU Know, Would You Recommend This?
ABSOLUTELY YES!
Know that it’ll be a lot of learning. I feel like nothing I learned in nursing school has really benefited my career in the ICU. Ask EVERY question you have! No matter how dumb, any nurse will say something along the lines of: “there are no dumb questions, only dumb nurses who don’t ask questions”.
In the beginning of orientation, I made lists of what I needed to accomplish until I got the hang of it. It will feel like a lot, but you will get the hang of it and find your groove!
The ICU is filled with very, very smart and knowledgeable individuals who are GOAL driven!! Many want to go into further education or certifications. This can be daunting but also, like I said earlier, be an amazing resource for you. Not only in the unit, but your future and life.
I really understand the difficulty of the transition from nursing school to being a nurse and specifically, an ICU nurse. This is why I made an Instagram account that is geared towards helping ease this transition for my peers!
Also, be confident! You’re not going to know everything, but you’re allowed to be confident in the things you do know.
What are Your Career Goals?
I want to become CCRN Certified (Critical Care Registered Nurse Certified)once I’ve been there for about 2 years (in June of 2024) and become a rapid response nurse at my hospital to help with in-hospital emergencies.
Further down the line I plan on becoming a flight nurse and getting certified as a CFRN (Certified Flight Registered Nurse)! This is what I am most excited for, and I believe the SICU is an amazing place to get a great foundation for flight nursing.
I assume once I’m a “grown-up” I may go back to school and become an APRN (Advance Practice Registered Nurse), but I don’t know what specialty I want to pursue yet.
How do You Think the Pandemic Affected Your Practice Since You Started in the Middle of it?
I actually started nursing school in Fall of 2019, so it was before the pandemic started. My nursing school was three years long so I only got about a semester and a half of “normal” nursing education.
I think it was difficult learning to schedule myself during the pandemic—as I spent a lot of time in the nursing building and the library to study—because I was home alone. I really didn’t know how to do that.
Fall of 2020 was kind of “back to normal” but I fell a bit behind when I contracted COVID that semester. Fortunately, most of my professors were willing to work with me for the two weeks I was out, and I was able to get myself caught up!
The pandemic cut a lot of clinical opportunities out for me, for all of us, but I was thankful I got a job as a tech during this time to be able to work and get my toes wet with what nursing is all about!
You Have a Social Media Platform, What are Your Goals Behind This?
My Instagram is @nurse.rylee and it’s grown so quickly, I’m ecstatic!
My goals are to help educate my peers and help myself learn as I go! There’s a lot that nursing school doesn’t teach you, so I want to help share some tips that can be beneficial to a nurse’s work while growing a fun and safe community to be able to grow in practice and in friendship.
Anything Else You Wish to Share?
Keep at it!! No matter how many times you feel like you fail, get up and try again. I’ll always be behind you and there’s a whole community ready to support you as well!
Thank you Rylee for your passion to treat critical patients 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 PICU: Meet Nahla, a New Grad Nurse!
- Meet Allison, an Oncology Nurse!
- Meet Sara, a Mental Health Nurse!