Rn-Icu

Job Description:

ICU Unit Details:

• Beds: 6
• Ratios: 1:3 (depending on acuity)
• Required Certifications: ACLS, BLS
• Common Diagnoses/Types of Patients:
• Sepsis
• Elderly patients
• COPD
• Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
• Suicide attempts
• Drug overdoses
• Atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response (a fib RVR)

Experience Requirements:

• Minimum of 1 year of experience in an ICU setting or relevant specialty.

Floating Requirements:

• Possible float to Acute Care unit (12-bed unit) with full assignment of 5-6 patients on night shift.
• Possible float to ER for tasking and may be assigned 1:1 care.

Monitoring and Responsibilities:

• RNs are required to monitor, read, and interpret their own telemetry strips while in the ICU and when floated to the Acute Care Unit.
• Monitors used: GE & Phillips.
• Titration Duties: RNs must titrate drips as necessary.
• Common Titratable & Set Rate Drips Include:
• Sedation (e.g., Propofol)
• Pressors (Levo, Norepinephrine, Dopamine)
• Insulin
• Cardizem
• Paralytics (rare)

Support Staff:

• Charge Nurse/House Supervisor:
• A charge nurse oversees both acute care and ICU and is free of patient assignments.
• Charge nurse is not an ICU nurse but is ACLS certified.
• Nurse Aides:
• Shared between acute care and ICU; 2-3 aides per shift depending on census.
• Hospitalist or Intensivist In-House:
• Tele-nocturnist and tele-intensivist available.
• Respiratory Therapists (RT):
• Available in-house 24/7, shared hospital-wide.
• RT Equipment Available:
• Heated high flow, CPAP, BiPAP, Drager ventilators.