CCU Nurse

Experience - 5 years

ICU nurse are specialized, trained nurse professionals working with patients who have life threatening situations that required an extended hospital stay in an intensive care or critical care unit of the hospital. The ICU nurse must be skilled to make complex assessments, give the patient intense therapy and provide intervention care. The nurse may also perform ongoing duties for a patient in ICU unit during his stay.

- Individualized assessment is made by the ICU nurse to determine the immediate needs of the critical care patient.

- Ongoing assessment is then established to keep tabs on the patient's condition and make any changes in treatment based on hospital policy, procedure and protocol.

- Assessment helps the nurse and other hospital staff determine what plan of action to take in care of the patient.

- Assessment also allowsthe ICU nurse to educate the patient and her family on what to expect in the days, weeks and months following ICU treatment.

- Following doctors or head nurse instructions, the ICU nurse performs treatments and therapies for the patient.

- She gives the patient all necessary medication. If the patient lapses into cardiac arrest or another condition that requires resuscitation, the nurse follow hospital protocols and administers life saving techniques.

- When a patient's condition changes rapidly, the nurse makes quick decisions to treat the patient effectively.

- As shift changes occur, it is the nurse's duty to inform the relief nurse of all patient care information.

- If the patient requires special procedures, the ICU nurse acts as an assistant to the doctor or head nurse.

- Documentation of assessment and drug therapy is recorded by the ICU nurse.

- She also makes documentation of physical therapy and other treatments given.

- The nurse must also keep all patient clinical records with doctor orders confidentlly secure.

- The ICU nurse must be no discriminative and nonjudgmental when dealing with patients.

- In some cases, the ICU nurse is the team leader on the nursing staff and reports directly to the head or change nurse.

- In this position, she has the duty of directing and developing the skills and abilities of the staff under her.

- She is also resonsible for giving the team assignment as directed by the head nurse.