The Top 6 Things That ICU Nurses Need at Work
By Anita Wong, contributor
Nurses that work in an intensive care unit (ICU) provide compassionate, critical care to patients facing life-threatening conditions. Because ICU nurse jobs can be demanding, it's important that your employer has standards in place to create a healthy work environment. You also need to be particularly mindful of your own physical, emotional and mental health to ensure you can do your job to your fullest potential.
The role of an ICU nurse
ICU nurse jobs require you to work independently and with confidence. During each shift, you have to exercise quick thinking and good judgment, monitoring and assessing changes in patients and responding to emergency situations.
It's a critical, life-saving role, but the intensity and difficulty of the work, combined with the emotional burdens that ICU nurses take on, results in higher stress levels among staff of intensive care units as compared to general wards.
Burnout
A 2017 Kronos survey of registered nurses found that three out of five nurses have experienced job burnout, and an article in the journal Medicine observes that ICU workers are more prone to burnout than average healthcare workers.
Burnout results from chronic workplace stress and was recently recognized by the World Health Organization as an occupational phenomenon. You may be experiencing burnout if:
- You're physically exhausted.
- You feel mentally distant from your work or have negative feelings toward your job.
- You aren't as efficient or have reduced productivity.
Compassion fatigue
One type of burnout is known as compassion fatigue. It affects caregivers who are constantly faced with trauma and suffering without adequate time to recover emotionally.
Compassion fatigue can make you feel overwhelmed, powerless and physically and mentally exhausted. You may also have difficulty feeling empathy, which makes it hard to provide compassionate care.
Creating a healthy workplace
The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has long advocated healthy workplaces so ICU RNs can perform their jobs to the best of their abilities.
A healthy work environment has many benefits:
- Greater job satisfaction and psychological health
- Better relationships between colleagues and enhanced productivity
- Improved patient care
- Less workplace accidents
Six things an ICU nurse needs for a healthy work environment
The AACN created a list of six standards for healthy work environments. Its research shows that facilities that implement these standards consistently outperform others in categories such as job satisfaction, nurse retention and patient care quality.
1.Skilled communication: Nurses must be as proficient in communication skills as they are in clinical skills.
2.True collaboration: Nurses must be relentless in pursuing and fostering true collaboration.
3.Effective decision-making: Nurses must be valued and committed partners in making policy, directing and evaluating clinical care and leading organizational operations.
4.Appropriate staffing: Staffing must ensure the effective match between patient needs and nurse competencies.
5.Meaningful recognition: Nurses must be recognized and must recognize others for the value each brings to the work of the organization.
6.Authentic leadership: Nurse leaders must fully embrace the imperative of a healthy work environment, authentically live it and engage others in its achievement.
If you're curious how your work environment measures up to these standards, find a free assessment tool on the AACN website.
What to do if you're feeling stressed
As a nurse, you're concerned with the well-being of your patients, but you also need to care for yourself so that you can bring your best to your career. Nutrition, exercise and sleep play a huge role in giving you energy and focus, but it's essential to have time to recover from the pressures of the job. Make time for friends and family or keep a journal of your thoughts. Check out our other tips for combating burnout.
Travel ICU nurse jobs
Sometimes a change of scenery can refresh you. Consider working as a travel ICU nurse and choose from a variety of assignments across the country. These lucrative, high-paying positions offer incredible flexibility. You can choose where you work, but you can also choose when to work. Plan your travel assignments so you can take a break between jobs to recharge if you need it.
Find out more about becoming a travel nurse. If you're ready, you can browse available ICU nurse jobs to see where your skills are currently in demand.