First, congratulations on deciding to enter the wonderful world of Critical Care. I am sure you are feeling a mix of emotions as you take this…
Methylene Blue in the ICU: What You Need to Know at the Bedside
Let’s chat about this cool drug that will stain your skin and make your patient’s urine the shade of a Baja Blast. There is only one…
Cultivating Confidence as a New ICU Nurse
I remember starting in the ICU and questioning my decision. I wondered if I would ever “get it.” I’d compare myself to more experienced nurses and…
Vasospasm management in subarachnoid hemorrhage
This explores a common complication that occurs with non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhages, and one method to manage it. Ready to master ICU Nursing? Learn with me in…
Right & Left Heart Differences
As Critical Care Nurses, we must understand those differences to see the big picture of what is happening with our patients and certain pathophysiology. The heart…
Learning to “Trust Your Gut” as an ICU Nurse
Within 20 minutes of meeting this patient, I knew something wasn’t right. I just didn’t know what. Luckily, the team had just arrived to start morning…
CRRT Terminology for ICU Nurses
Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) remains one of my favorite devices to manage in the ICU, and it was the first device I learned as a…
The Three P’s of Proning for ICU Nurses
Flipping a patient onto their belly while attached to various life-saving things can seem incredibly overwhelming. Proper preparation is the biggest way to ensure the safety…
Managing Pre-Shift Anxiety as a New Critical Care Nurse
Can I be honest? The traditional advice given to nurses about pre-shift anxiety is laughable. A quick Google search will show things like taking a deep…