Few people want to imagine being in an intensive care unit. Patients in an ICU are acutely unwell and require critical medical care, much of which is administered by talented medical professionals known as ICU nurses.
Few people want to imagine being in an intensive care unit. Patients in an ICU are acutely unwell and require critical medical care, much of which is administered by talented medical professionals known as ICU nurses.
Nursing is a challenging and rewarding profession that features people performing a range of services. Anyone who has been in an ICU or visited a loved one in an ICU may understand the stress that nurses working in such wards are under, and recognition of the work they do can be a great way to show these invaluable professionals how much their contributions are valued and appreciated.
--- What is an ICU nurse?
The online nursing resource Nurse.org notes that ICU nurses are highly trained registered nurses (RNs) who work with patients confronting life-threatening illnesses or conditions. Care provided by ICU is often life-saving, as patients within these wards are often intubated, ventilated and taking various medications with a goal of saving their lives.
--- What tasks do ICU nurses perform?
Nurse.org notes that the responsibilities of an ICU nurse vary depending on the system within which a nurse works. So responsibilities can vary from hospital to hospital. However, Nurses.org indicates that ICU nurses generally are tasked with the following responsibilities.
• Collaborate with health care professions to provide holistic care to patients.
• Educate patients and their families on diagnosis, medications, and other information
• Clean and bandage patient wounds
• Monitor life support equipment
• Immediately respond to changes in the patient’s condition
• Evaluate vital signs
• Administer medications • Advocate for patients
• Provide comfort and prevent suffering
• Infuse blood products and monitor patient reactions • Care for the patient’s body immediately after death
• Identify patients’ needs according to their age and level of consciousness and subse- quently create a care plan to meet those needs
• Complete paperwork prior to transferring or discharging a patient
• Respond to medical emergencies on the unit
• Support a compassionate and therapeutic environment for critically ill patients --- What is the ICU-nurse-to-patient ratio?
Various sources indicate that, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ideal ICU-nurse-to-patient ratio was 1:1. However, the sharp uptick in ICU patients during the pandemic forced many systems to shift their approach, and ICU nurses routinely were asked to treat multiple patients. That reality underscores just how heroic the efforts of ICU nurses during the pandemic were, but many within the industry fear that the ideal ratio of 1:1 could be left behind now that COVID-19 hospitalizations are generally down. Experienced ICU nurses urge a return to the 1:1 ratio, noting that abandoning it could ultimately lead to a shortage in the field as nurses suffer from exhaustion and the trauma of juggling so many critical patients at once. Individuals who want to express their appreciation for ICU nurses can support efforts to ensure the pre-pandemic ratio of 1:1 is reestablished at their local health care facilities.
ICU nurses are highly trained and talented individuals. Though being an ICU nurse is challenging, it’s an option anyone thinking of becoming a nurse should consider.