Meet Katie, band 5 nurse, WXH
I am a band 5 staff nurse in ICU. I decided to move to ICU four months ago whilst I was working in a Covid-19 ward at another trust. During the first wave of Covid, I began looking after patients who were critically unwell, with a lot eventually needing to be treated in ICU.
This encouraged me to make the move to ICU as I wanted to gain the skills and knowledge to look after a patient in their most critical stages. I also made the decision to move to ICU as I liked the one nurse to one patient care, as I can focus my attention on closely monitoring one patient and finish my shift feeling that I have done the best I can to help their recovery.
Critical care nurses are some of the most knowledgeable nurses there are and having an ICU background creates more opportunities in terms of career progression.
My first few weeks in critical care were daunting, as all of the machines were completely new to me, and I realised I had a lot to learn. But with experience, and a supportive team you eventually become confident enough to work independently. In the first few weeks of starting, the practice development nurses provide you with support for anything you are unsure of, and give you feedback when needed. All the multidisciplinary team in ICU, from doctors to physios work as a team and are all focused on creating the best outcome for every patient.