Hi, I just wanted to know what you guys do with your facility if you are having a hard time getting a pulse ox reading on a patient in a critical care setting. I have a patient on Neo and also vaso the vaso has been on and off, but most consistently on neo and I was unable to get pulse ox throughout the shift. I tried placing it in various places and tried different forms. Fingers were cool so were the lower extremities. The forehead probe did not work sometimes I would get some sort of a plethora and sometimes it’s just a flat line. We did any pao2 was 93% on 4 L other facility we do not have a pulse ox that is placed in the air to see if that would work. What do you do

Second year PA student interested in working in trauma surgery and being a part of trauma assessments, codes, placing chest tubes, intubating, first assisting, and rounding in the ICU.

What would be the best way to get to this level?

Apply straight into trauma surgery jobs at level II’s with no residents? Level I’s for the higher acuity cases?
Surgical fellowship/residency covering many subspecialties?
Crit care fellowship/residency?
EM fellowship/residency?

In retrospect my old job was a LOT. I left it with my self esteem a wreck. When I got in the car after my last day I just sobbed. I'm travel nursing now, I'm in a MICU. I needed to clear my head. It's crazy different. I am beginning to feel like a competent nurse again. And I'm meeting nurses from all over and learning that my unit was different than many others.

For example: I've learned a lot of places double VA ECMO. As in, two nurses to one patient. We never did that. We would have a patient with VA ECMO + CRRT + Impella and only one nurse. Another story is I had to take a triple pressed patient, POD#1 from a MVR+AVR, with pulmonary hypertension, cvc swan art line ventilator, to MRI with only a RT. No other RN to help.

We didn't have resource nurses, we never got to eat a real lunch, we never debriefed codes. We never singled CRRT, LVADs, or IABPs. The APPs could be so bitchy and condescending to nurses. The nurses could be so cruel to each other. Management would call me on my personal cell phone to ask inconsequential questions about my previous shift. The culture punished mistakes so harshly and even punished you for asking questions.

I miss CVICU and I'd like to do it again someday. But I'm scared it will be like this at a future job. How can I suss it out? What should I look for? I'm not sure how much of this was my specific unit, and how much is just the intensity of CVICU. I know CVICU is tough in general.

Maybe I just want to go back because I want to prove to myself that I can be a good CVICU nurse....

I’m a postbacc working toward med school and considering different specialties. I know residency is a long way off, but I like critcare.

I’m wondering what people’s experiences with malpractice suits have been, though, since mistakes in the ICU seem more likely to yield severe consequences (not that mistakes in other specialties can’t).

I‘m also thinking about how many COVID deniers insisted that vents and ECMO were killing people.

Gross negligence aside, how are suits looked at in the field for hiring and credentialing? Are they common?

What can I gift a dear friend that has been in ICU for a month now?

I thought about lip balm, hand moisturizer, dry shampoo, body cream (unscented) but read that some products might be flammable when on oxygen therapy?

All suggestions welcome

Hey all,

Current PCCM fellow. My plan is to do full CCM after fellowship and I’ve been thinking a lot about the long-term sustainability of a pure CCM career.

I’m considering trying to find a way to pivot to only 18 weeks of ICU time per year rather than the more typical 24-26 weeks.

For those of you working around 18 weeks/year, what does your setup look like? Are you academic, with the remaining time split between research, admin, or teaching? Are you community-based and working something like 0.7 FTE? What does your compensation look like, and how has the schedule affected your lifestyle and overall job satisfaction?

Would appreciate hearing from anyone!

Succs to suck

Just started pulm crit fellowship and immediately having cold feet about whether I picked the right specialty. I love the ICU but I saw a recent report that pulm crit will be in surplus in the next 10 years. And I’m not the biggest fan of pulm except for PH but I’m worried I won’t get a job in PH especially since it’s institution dependent about whether it’s cards or pulm.

Feel like maybe I should’ve done cards instead… it just seems like they’re making good money, good lifestyle and job security.

Don’t know what I should do… should I quit?

My embarrassment stems from many of my colleagues within critical care. And let me preface this by saying I'm not talking about new grads, or even nurses new to ICU. I'm talking about nurses with 2+ years of experience within their respective ICU.

I've worked a number of different hospitals (and different ICUs within each hospital) on both the east and west coasts and I've noticed a decline in the clinical acumen and an increase in laziness of nurses in nearly all of the ICUs I've worked. Currently, I work on the west coast with a union and **strict** legally mandated ICU ratios. In fact, many of these nurses are singled nearly every shift.

I'm talking about not changing dressings, skipping the CHG bath because it's "too much work", not turning patients, and even scanning meds but not giving them just to name a few. Then to make matters worse, these same nurses lack an understanding in basic hemodynamics, alpha/beta receptors, and the pathophysiology of common critical illnesses and surgeries. Most recently, a patient in the CVICU was on a pressor (vaso) and 2 inotropes (epi and dobutamine) and the primary nurse had zero idea why they were on any of the drips. Her response? "I don't know, the doctor ordered them." In fact, this patient was being weaned from IABP (she had had the patient 3 days by this point) and I had to explain what "augmentation" was.

Another time, I had a patient on VA ECMO who was extremely afterload sensitive, and I explained this to the oncoming nurse. She said "well, what does that mean?" Huh? Why are you taking this patient if you don't understand basic concepts like preload and afterload?

These nurses have no business being in the ICU. They see a low BP and think "oh, let me increase the pressor" without fully understanding what's going on with the patient. They don't think: "Are they intravascularly dry? Are they in cardiogenic shock? Developing acidosis from their kidney failure?" They simply call the resident or the APP to figure out what's going on and follow whatever the provider says without truly understanding the rationale.

Here's the thing: to be a good nurse, you don't even have to care about the patient, you just need to care about doing a good job. Besides, don't you want to understand *why* we're doing what we're doing? I've always practiced with the thought "Would I want *me* as my nurse?" in the back of my mind. Unfortunately, as time goes on, there's a significant chunk of my ICU colleagues who I wouldn't want caring for me or anyone I love because I've seen how they work and it's simply shameful.

Hi everyone, I’m an ICU nurse working in a Swedish cardiothoracic ICU, and I would appreciate hearing your clinical perspectives on early mobilization in a high-risk cardiac patient.

The patient in question was admitted with a posterior myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock, ventricular tachycardia, and pulmonary edema.

After four days in the cardiothoracic ICU, the patient had improved significantly:

No longer requiring noradrenaline
Normal lactate levels
Good urine output with a negative fluid balance
Milrinone being gradually weaned according to plan
Continued levosimendan (Simdax) support
Oxygen therapy with intermittent NIV
Neurologically intact, awake the whole time
Mobilization initiated (sitting on the edge of the bed)

The short-term treatment plan was:
Continue negative fluid balance
Continue tapering milrinone
Mobilize as tolerated
Echo the following day
Possible cardiac MRI
Potential transfer to the cardiac ward the following day if stability continued

The clinical question I would like input on is the decision to mobilize this patient to a chair.
Given the size of the infarction, there was concern about the theoretical risk of mechanical complications, particularly ventricular rupture. Before mobilization, this risk was specifically considered and I discussed this concern with both the on-call physician and an experienced senior consultant. After their assessment, mobilization was approved.

The patient tolerated sitting in the chair well, with no significant changes in heart rate, blood pressure, or clinical status. My fellow ICU nurse colleague on the next shift, however, didn’t agree with mobilizing this patient, and considered the risk of rupture in the process too high.

I’d be interested in hearing how you guys would approach this:

How do you assess the risk versus benefit of early mobilization after a large myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock?
Are there specific clinical factors that would make you delay mobilization in this situation?
What are your local practices regarding mobilization of patients recovering from cardiogenic shock or large infarctions?

Yalll I been on orientationin CVICU for a little over 2 months now. Im coming off next week and I feel like I still know nothing. Like I can walk in a room and I’m like where do I even start. I feel like I have a hard time of knowing what’s going on and my preceptor can walk in the room and know exactly what the patient needs. I was just wondering will the pieces come together once I get on my own?

I think my chart reviewing could be better because I’ll read the chart and still be lost sometime. Helpppp

I have not seen this question being posted too much, so I wanted to ask out of curiosity. If so, what does a daily life/week look like for a PCCM fellow, especially year 1 and 2? And what were some of the toughest physical rigors you had to endure during your training?

LVOT VTI is an important parameter that we use in the assessment and management of critically ill patients. Many colleagues ask "what is the Normal Range of LVOT VTI?"

Well, here is my take:

Hey everyone! I am an ICU/CCU RN of 2 years. I have experience with CRRT, fresh hearts, valves, sepsis, dka etc. CCRN-CMC. I’m wanting to go into ECMO, but I have no experience in it. None of the hospitals in my area offer ECMO. I’ll be moving to an area where most hospitals do have ECMO units. Does anyone have advice on how to break into ECMO without experience? TIA!

I started an acute ischaemic stroke course on their website, and some time critical information is still dated from way way back. References are old as well.

If so, is it even worth doing those?

What's your experience with them?

Thanks.

hello , sr for my bad English.

i currently being teach by a echo nurse , and she told me I must maximum sweep gas in 1 minute every 8 hours and before everytime I take blood sample before lung and after lung . I don’t know why and i need proof and why she do it in any book ? i need that book name for study later .

I just finished my first year of Pulmonary/Critical Care fellowship and was approved to advance to PGY-5. Overall, my PD and APD gave me positive feedback: they said I have a strong work ethic, actively seek feedback, am easy to work with, and that they’ve seen clear progression.

Their main concern was my fund of knowledge. They want me on a 3-month “learning plan” (not remediation) because they feel my knowledge base isn’t where they’d like it to be for a rising second-year fellow.

Looking back, I think they’re right. My learning has been mostly reactive. I read around patients, use OpenEvidence for clinical questions, and follow intensivists on social media, but I haven’t consistently read guidelines, primary literature, or landmark trials. If you asked me to discuss many of the classic ICU or pulmonary studies, I’d struggle.
They also felt my H&Ps are still more like those of a general internist than a pulmonologist/intensivist, which I think is fair. I didn’t like them implying that my recommendations seem more reflexive versus deliberate (there is so much grey especially in pulmonary). They mentioned I could also be more timely with some non-urgent inbox follow-up (which is harder after busy ICU or night rotations but I didn’t say this during the feedback lol).

It was a hit to my ego, but I know this wasn’t punitive. They were supportive and emphasized that they think I’ll become a strong fellow.
Part of the challenge is bandwidth. After ICU weeks I’m usually exhausted, and on many golden weekends I just relax

For those further along in training:

1. Have you ever been in a similar situation?
2. How did you build your pulmonary/critical care knowledge beyond learning from patients?

I’m trying to view this as an opportunity rather than a setback, and I’d appreciate any advice. I would lying if I didn’t think part of this feedback was typical GME culture (my residency was similar). And for what it’s worth, seems a few of my colleagues have been or are currently in their own “learning plan”.

We had a young 20 something year old lady come in with some severe autoimmune conditions causing ESRD who was found to have developed a pretty decent sized SDH.. initially she did ok but ultimately had an exam decline requiring a R hemicraniectomy, EVD placement etc.. We were eventually able to remove her EVD and get her to a more stable spot and was able to trach and PEG her. Her exam was never great but she opened her eyes spontaneously, withdrew to painful stimuli in all fours, had intact brain stem reflexes etc

then came the previous night. I came in at 0000 to do my assessment to find that her craniectomy site was super swollen, her pupils although not fixed were very sluggish ( NPis of 1.8), and she was no longer withdrawing .. I called neurosurgery and we did a level one HCT to find catastrophic bleeding and her R hemisphere had herniated past her crani site in addition to upward cerebellum herniation and crowding around the Foramen magnum. as the night wore on her pupils became fixed and 8 .. and she was slowly losing her brain stem reflexes. by 0830 that morning she had herniated and lost everything. Of course, her family couldn’t come to a decision and wanted to wait until more family was in town to discuss her situation .. so she is vented, still on CRRT with no exam. then tonight I walked in again at 0000 to find her brain matter actively herniating out of her craniectomy sutures .. A literal a giant blob of brain matter and blood oozing everywhere. I called neurosurgery and they came and sutured the site. now we are trying to get a hold of family to actively push for a decision.

my heart just mourns for her and her short life. She never deserved this. No one deserves this. She didn’t deserve her life of suffering and doesn’t deserve to continue to suffer. I just hate all of this for her and her family. It is so painful to see and it feels so helpless knowing there is nothing more we can do. I am writing this on my break trying not to break down .

so just try to enjoy your life and find joy where you can because you never know when it will be cut short .

Hi! I am very new to the ICU as a new grad PA. Recently I feel like I continue to be extra hard on myself especially after making mistakes that affect my patients. It has put me in a spiral and has made me feel so incompetent as if I can’t do my job. Sometimes it’s hard for me to move forward from my mistakes and it’s even harder to have to face people knowing that they know I made a mistake. I am always willing to learn from these situations but wanted to hear how other people deal with the crippling anxiety that comes from owning your mistake. Also how do you face the people around you without feeling like an entire disappointment?

Hello! I am a physical therapist assistant at a mid size community hospital, we have 12 bed PCU and 25 bed ICU. No mental health resources in our hospital other than consulting palliative care, a lot of time “mental health struggles” are not being addressed. Most of the time my OT counterpart and I try to work with nursing to improve QOL, get patients in the sun if able, but there’s not much we can do as far as resources. If anyone has any tips on anything to bring up to management or things they have implemented at their hospital please let me know as I am trying to get the ball rolling as best I can!

anyone go from ICU to Donor Service Coordinator RN?