Are you considering becoming an ICU Nurse but unsure exactly what it entails? Let’s dive in to figure out if ICU nursing is right for you!
What is ICU Nursing?
ICU stands for Intensive Care Unit Nursing. These nurses work on the Intensive Care Unit in a hospital that cares for patients who are very sick, often on life support. For example, if there’s a terrible car accident and an adult patient (meaning 18 years or older) is in critical condition, they are going to be admitted into the ICU. If the patient is younger, meaning 0 to 18 years old, then they will be admitted to the Pediatric ICU. In the ICU they can care for a variety of needs with more one-on-one care until they are able to be downgraded to a med surg unit or even home with special care.
Patient Load
As an ICU nurse, you will be caring for very sick patients who are going to require a lot more one-on-one care. Because of this, in the state of California, the ICU patient ratio is 1 to 2 or even 1 to 1. Meaning one nurse to either one or two patients per shift. Most patients in the ICU are not going to be ambulatory (able to walk), they are going to be bed bound and often sedated or unconscious. There likely won’t be patients who are alert, oriented, and ambulatory like you may see on other floors. For ICU nurses, their patients are going to be 18 or older. If a patient is younger than 18 but still meats the ICU criteria, they will be admitted to the Pediatric ICU, aka the PICU. If the patient is a newborn and meats the ICU criteria, they will be admitted to the Neonatal ICU, aka the NICU.
ICU Nurse Job Description
For each of your ICU patients, you are going to be responsible for performing a detailed head-to-toe assessment and constantly monitoring vital signs. You will be performing skills similar to med surg nursing, however you will also be titrating drugs and closely monitoring your patient for adverse effects. Any adverse reactions need to be reported to the doctor immediately. Patients who are bed bound are additionally going to need to be turned frequently to prevent pressure ulcers.
ICU Nurse Skills
In addition to the skills that med surg nurses must possess, ICU nurses additionally need to know how to perform neurological assessments and intracranial pressure monitoring (aka ICP monitoring). They are going to care for patients pre and post-operatively who need more critical care, such as various heart surgeries. ICU nurses are able to give more titratable medications, such as a heparin drip.
ICU Nurse Salary
Intensive Care Unit Nurses pay varies by state, location, and hospital. According to ZipRecruiter, ICU Nurses in California on average make about $51.64 per hour, equating to $107,402 per year. Nationally, ICU nurses make about $121,830 per year.
So, What Makes a Good Intensive Care Unit Nurse?
A good ICU nurse is someone who likes treating only a couple of really sick patients at once. They don’t mind spending more one-on-one time treating patients and educating their worried family, who are often at bedside. ICU nurses are smart, they are able to titrate and give more medications than almost any other floor. They not only run their own codes, but they also respond to codes on other floors as needed. An ICU nurse is someone who is very meticulous in their care. They are intuitive and can often predict patient outcomes.
Want to Know More…?
Are you interested in learning more about ICU Nursing? Head on over to the Specialty Nurse Interview Series to Meet Nicole, an ICU Nurse and check out From Nursing School Straight to the ICU: Meet Rylee, a New Grad Nurse!
Do you want to be an Intensive Care Unit Nurse? Comment below!
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