OR Nursing to ICU Nursing
I’m making a pretty big change in my career next month and it’s both exciting and terrifying at the same time. After spending nearly a decade in the operating room, I’ve decided to transfer to ICU. This is something that I’ve contemplated frequently over the years, but I’ve finally decided to make the jump. I won’t lie, it makes me sick to my stomach when I think of transitioning from OR nursing to ICU nursing. Nervous, intimated, scared, you name it. I know it will be good to develop nursing skills that I do not currently have as working in the OR is very different. You develop skills, but they aren’t the typical nursing skills you are taught in nursing school and typically go on to develop when you become an RN. The ultimate goal (down the road) is to get into a CRNA program, which requires a minimum of 1-year critical care experience. I’ve worked beside many amazing CRNAs who have taught me so much, including how to be a better nurse. Many of them have become role models. About 2 months ago I attended a debrief for a pediatric trauma case where the CRNA involved spoke about her role and experience and at that point I thought “that’s what I want to do”. So, here’s step one.
OR Nursing to ICU Nursing | Accepting The Position
I accepted an ICU position in the hospital I currently work at and will start in mid-April. I will remain PRN in the OR, but I don’t plan on picking up any shifts or call until I get a handle on the ICU world. I know that I will miss the OR so much, so I wanted to remain PRN until I hopefully return for clinical rotations as a SRNA. Not only that, but what if I just hate ICU? What if I can’t handle it? It’s also kind of a safety net. I’m not the type of person to quit when something is challenging, but it does make me feel better knowing I have a back-up plan. I don’t believe I’ll hate it, but I do think it will take me a while to enjoy it. Especially because I am the type of person who likes to be good at what I do. I am prepared to be mentally exhausted while I’m on orientation and likely for a while longer.
OR Nursing to ICU Nursing | Shift Differences
Transitioning from OR nursing to ICU nursing is going to be hard for a few different reasons, but some of them don’t actually have to do with the actual job. I will be going from 8-hour days to 12-hour days. I will also be going to night shift. I’ve NEVER had a night shift job and feel like this will be a tough transition for me. However, nights was the only thing open and my husband and I believe that nights is the only way this job would work for our family, four kids makes everything a little more difficult! (They’re worth it!)
The change from 8-hour days to 12-hour days won’t be as tough because most 8-hour days when you’re on call turn into 12-hour days anyways. After a 12-hour shift in the ICU at least I’ll be able to go home and go to bed knowing there isn’t a risk of me getting called back in!
OR Nursing to ICU Nursing | Learning Curve
I know that I will be learning literally every minute of my time on the unit. As I’ve mentioned before, OR nursing skills are… not the skills a nurse working in ICU needs. I’m sure some of the skills that I have will come in handy, but for the most part I’m starting from scratch. Kind of like I’m fresh out of nursing school. I remember learning all about pharmacology and working with a ton of different medications in nursing school, but there’s only a handful of medications used in the OR. I know re-learning a lot of meds will be challenging, but it is something I think will come a little easier now that I’ve been a nurse.
I plan to ‘document’ my experience as I transition from an OR nurse to an ICU nurse to help others who might be following the same path. I know this won’t be easy, but I know it will be worth it.
