Are you considering becoming a PICU Nurse but unsure exactly what is entails? Let’s dive in to figure out if PICU nursing is right for you!
What is PICU Nursing?
PICU stands for Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, aka Pediatric ICU Nursing. These nurses work inpatient, meaning on the floor in a hospital. Patients age ranges from infant to 18 years old. However, if a neonate (a baby directly after birth) needs ICU level care, they will go straight to the NICU, aka the Neonatal ICU. Pediatric ICU nurses will see patients who are more acutely sick than patients in the pediatric unit. The peds unit is equivalent to a med surg unit in adult land, whereas the PICU is equivalent to the ICU in adult land.
Patient Load
As a Pediatric ICU nurse in California, you will be caring for up to 2 patients at once. A nurse patient ratio of 1 to 2. Patients in the PICU are going to be more acutely sick or injured than those in the pediatric unit hence the lesser patient ratio. If a patient is very sick, the ratio may be brought down to one-to-one care, meaning one nurse for one patient. It just depends on how sick the patient is and what type of care they require. Often, being a PICU nurse means caring for the patient, but also for the parents since they are likely going to be at the bedside as close to 24/7 as possible.
PICU Nurse Job Description
For each of your PICU patients, you are going to be responsible for performing a head-to-toe assessment. Your assessment might look slightly different for each of your patients depending on their developmental level, age, and reason they are there, but an assessment still needs to be done on each patient once a shift. In addition, you will be administering medications that are both scheduled and as needed, aka PRN medications. Since patients in the Pediatric ICU are going to be very sick and often unconscious, the education is going to be more geared toward the patients’ parents and loved ones. Even if you have unconscious patients, it is still important to remember that hearing is one of the last functions your patient may still have, so remember to talk to, comfort, and tell your patients what’s going on as well.
PICU Nurse Skills
Pediatric ICU nurse skills are very much in line with ICU nurse skills except their patients are going to be younger and smaller in height and weight. Which means that PICU nurses need to be very precise in their med math to make sure they are giving even the smallest of patients the proper sized doses. PICU nurses are expected to continuously monitor vital signs and interpret heart rate and rhythm. In addition to the head-to-toe assessment, Pediatric ICU nurses must also be able to perform neurological assessments and monitor things like intracranial pressure (aka ICP monitoring). PICU nurses must have a good bedside manner with both the patient and the patients’ family, as parents are likely going to be at the bedside as often as they possibly can and therefore very involved in the patients’ care.
PICU Nurse Salary
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Nurses pay varies by state, location, and hospital. According to ZipRecruiter, PICU Nurses in California on average make about $61.61 per hour, equating to $128,152 per year. Nationally, PICU nurses make about $142,355 per year.
So, What Makes a Good Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Nurse?
A good PICU nurse is someone who has a gentle and empathetic approach with their patients and their families to help create a calmer environment in even the most stressful of rooms. PICU nurses don’t mind spending more one-on-one time treating patients and educating their concerned family, who are often at bedside. These nurses are smart, quick, and precise with their med math, because they know how important the right dose is. They are able to predict patient decline and treat accordingly. PICU nurses know how to run their own codes and titrate their own medications. A Pediatric ICU nurse is someone who is very detail oriented and focused on providing only the best care to their patients.
Want to Know More…?
Are you interested in learning more about ED Nursing? Head on over to the Specialty Nurse Interview Series to Meet Hannah, a PICU/Peds Nurse! and to Meet Nahla, a New Grad PICU Nurse!
Do you want to be a Pediatric ICU Nurse? Comment below!
Trying to get a job? Visit the Landing Your Dream Job Series!
Looking into other nursing specialties? Follow along with the Specialty Nursing Series and the Specialty Nurse Interview Series!
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