We already know working as a nurse in a medical facility is not so easy and so do the job in the ICU. The situation and the atmosphere in there are always intense and stressful. As a result, new nurses who just started working in ICU would find it difficult to handle and feel nervous while carrying out their duties. Thus, here are some tips we are sharing for nurses to survive and cope up while working in the ICU department –
- If you are a new nurse, go for working in night shift, as it is less chaotic and other senior nurses are around to support. Moreover, it is a better shift to learn, prepare and plan.
- Set a routine that will make you comfortable in performing your duties. At the same time, it will also make you feel in control of what responsibilities you have to perform.
- You should be aware of alarms and being able to differentiate your patient’s alarm. Since, you are going to help in the treatment, so know how your patient looks like and what they say about their feeling.
- When you shift starts, ensure that the IVF are flowing at the same rate as the previous nurse informed you. Make sure to check when they are needed to be replaced.
- It’s important to remain polite and positive while working in ICU. As a new nurse on the floor, you will have to earn the respect of your coworkers by doing your job well with honesty.
- Since you are a new and an inexperienced nurse, it is wise to seek help to know about anything that you need to do. There is no harm is requesting help from others.
- If you are able to have a best friend on floor, it will make you feel secure and relax, knowing that there’s a certain someone who can back you up in panicky situations.
- You are the new nurse on floor; however, you can take the initiative to do certain tasks that you can. You need to show the courage to take the first step.
- While working in ICU, how you report the patient’s particulars will be assessed by other nurses as your overall skill. Thus, be concise, organized and calm. Never miss to include any important things you have noticed.
Having tactics in place to handle the crushing stress in the ICU will help a nurse from breaking under pressure. If you are a nurse and want to specialize in your choice of field, have a look at the specialized nursing programs offered by INSCOL and let the transformation to a Global Nurse begin!
