Have you ever wondered what being an Intensive Care Unit Nurse means? What skills you would need? Or what a typical day in the life 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 Nicole, a real life ICU nurse!
Name and Education
Hi, my name is Nicole and I graduated from California State University, Bakersfield with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
Where Do You Work?
I am a critical care nurse who is cross trained in med/surg and neuro/trauma in an Intensive Care Unit, aka the ICU.
How Long Have You Worked This Position?
I have been working in the ICU for the last 2 years. I worked on a med/surg unit for a year before moving to the ICU.
What Made You Want to be an Intensive Care Unit Nurse?
I wanted to have sick patients consistently to challenge myself and to learn as much as I could to become a stronger nurse before going back to school to get my masters. I also liked the 1:2 patient ratio allowing me to spend more of my time with my patients and their family.
What are the Most Common Skills Needed to be an ICU Nurse?
Attention to Detail, Critical Thinking, Time Management, Collaboration, Communication, and Teaching.
Caring for patients who are unable to speak for themselves can be challenging, requiring more attention to detail. Patients can go downhill fast and anticipating the next step is critical in preventing a code/keeping someone alive. Time management and prioritization are important all the time in every unit. Having strong communication skills to collaborate with physicians and other disciplines is vital in caring for the ICU patient population. Delegating is important, some things you just can’t do quickly alone. Teaching is another valuable skill. Some patient’s conditions are so complex requiring explanation to families that have no education in medicine. Being able to explain what is happening in a way they understand is truly a gift that all ICU nurses need.
What Personal Qualities does an Intensive Care Unit Nurse Need to Have?
I would say most critical care nurses are organized, a little controlling (for all the right reasons), very particular and confident. To advocate for a patient who can’t speak for themselves requires a nurse who has great attention to detail, strong communication skills and has the confidence to speak up if they see something change. Another quality I find in good critical care nurses is integrity. The doctors put a lot of trust in the critical care nurses, and we are given a lot of autonomy. Doing timely assessments, noticing the smallest changes and simply being honest in your own practice is so important.
What Does a Typical Day as an ICU Nurse Look Like?
Charting galore, drips on drips on drips, tubes in every single hole… but is any day really typical in the ICU? Every day is different with some days harder than others. With an assignment, my day will always start with report, checking your drips and verifying them, looking over your orders, completing a quick assessment, then planning what you hope your day will be like. If your patients are stable, you go in for your first assessment and morning med pass that will likely be interrupted by doctors, phone calls or care briefings. Many bedside procedures happen in the ICU: bronchoscopy, tracheostomy, external ventricular drain placement, intubation, central and arterial line insertion and chest tube insertions are what I see most often. All your basic nursing skills are used daily in this unit: NG/OG tube, IV and foley insertion, blood draws using arterial lines, etc..
What is Your Most Favorite Part About Being a Critical Care Nurse?
I love my job, the lives I get to help save, the ones I help to let go. I love my team I get to do this job with. Every day is different, every person is different, and that’s the beauty of it. No day is the same, tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone, the ICU is humbling and it’s not a job for everyone but if it’s for you, you’ll know.
What Should Students Looking to go into Intensive Care Know about the Field?
There is so much to learn. Always ask questions when you’re unsure about something, as a student and as a nurse.
Anything Else You Wish to Share?
Last but not least, I believe that having a healthy work/life balance is important for a critical care nurse. We see more people die in this unit than any other and that can cause you to burnout quickly. This unit is a high stress environment that is both physically and mentally challenging. You can’t take care of your patients unless you take care of yourself.
Thank you Nicole for your critical care to your patients!
Are you interested in going straight into critical care? If so, visit From Nursing School Straight to the ICU: Meet Rylee, a New Grad Nurse!
And 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 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!