kurkel's place

Let me guess you are the charge nurse? Wow here I thought it bad with 33 students in class.

As far as the new nurse everyone has to start somewhere. Do you have to have special certification/education/experience to be an ICU Nurse? I just hope they are paired with a master nurse instead of just being assigned patients.

Is the reason for fewer nurses in ICU because the patients are on machines where the machines are doing most of the work and the nurses are monitoring the machines? You know do more with less syndrome.

I worked at a hospital in Il. years ago.There were 2 nurse and one an LPN.Taking care on 10 paitent's in ICU.This was on day shift.I felt my son was in good hand's when he had to be put in Icu,Very dedicated over worked nurse's. Well I was visiting a good friend of our's at this hospital few year's back who was in Icu.No hope for her.Anyway the same two nurse's were there.The LPN had went to RN in them year's.Plus they has a hole cut in the way from ICU to the medical unit nurse's station cover's both area's now. With 3 nurse's and a unit secretary.Now that is why to much responsibility to me.But they love their job and are good at it.

sorry....I could go on and on...about critical thinking and how new nurses dont have that yet. THey dont even know enough to BE afraid or nervous for the most part....lol

Kurkel don't know what a step down Icu is.Thank god and hope I never have to find out. But they would have on average 3 on ventilator's. Of course if it was a serious accident they were transferred to St.Louis. But the ICU nurse's didn't go on all the code's either.Just the one's in their unit.The charge nurse or Head nurse on each unit tended to their own unit.Now when I was there a few year's ago there were only 3 patient's in ICU but I still didn't like the idea of the nurse's doing a medical unit and ICU even with 3 patient's.One has to be in the Icu unit all the time of course.But year's ago we did have the unit full.Then it held 10 not sure how many now.Been there once in 25 year's alot of changes.I don't want to be in any hospital but I don't think I would want to go there anymore either.Of course the hospital in Il. is not near the size of the hospital you work in.

and too...the acuity of OUR ICU patients are less then the acuity of the ICU patients at SLU or ST Johns too...

The only time I had to deal with any ICU is when my son was born premature.. He was sent over the NICU at Children's. I know it is 1 nurse to 2 babies.. But any of the nurses that were in the room knew exactly what was going on with your child! I would never think a new nurse should be in the ICU..

Kelly, great blog. It's a real eye opener. I would of assumed that the nurses in ICU had experience and I would have nothing to worry about except for my loved one and them getting better.

Talking about having to be aware... I had a mastectomy/reconstruction in '97. Good thing I read that mastectomy patients weren't supposed to have sticks or pressure taken in the affected arm. I woke up in the wee hours the night of surgery to a nurse starting to take my pressure in the affected arm. I was groggy and asked.. what are you doing? She said.. taking your bp. I said.. not in that arm you aren't. I asked her kindly to put a sign above my bed stating this. The next day was Saturday (note to patients.. don't have Friday surgeries) Anyway, I was awake and alert the next day when new nurse came in and cuffed.. once again, the affected arm. I asked if she would mind reading the sign behind my head.

I felt as the patient, I shouldn't have to be so alert. I have more experiences but thnx for letting me vent.. I feel better.

If I remember back a few years I thought that the ratio was supposed to be 2:1 in ICU - that is 1 nurse for every 2 patients. This was in the mid '70s and I don't think that patients are any less sick in ICU today. If anything they are probably in worse shape.

Then again, I've often refered to some hospitals as "Dens of Malpractice" and one in particular as "The Stairway to Heaven"

Kurkel-Thanks so much for the blog. It definately is an eye opener. I have been thinking about going back to college for nursing. If I do go back and get my LPN or RN I would not want to be in the ICU as a new nurse. I would want to have experience first before going to the ICU. ICU would be a HUGE responsiblity and as a nurse starting out that really isn't a the best place to start. My grandpa passed away Feb 19 and he was in ICU the last 6 hours before he died. I know that the hospital staff did everything they could to help him but it is a little unnerving now thinking that there could have been a nurse that wasn't really as experienced as others like you. I really commend you for being an ICU nurse. Thank you!