Notes on ICU Nursing: FAQ Files from the MICU

Edited by Jayne Mulholland, RN, CEN, CCRN, this is a collection of Frequently Asked Questions articles, written for new ICU nurses: numbered questions, followed by our own answers, written by two seriously over-experienced bedside practitioners. This has been our labor of love for the past few years. Topic material comes almost entirely “from the shop floor”, reflecting what we actually do at work. Subjects we’ve covered include: “Starting Out in the ICU”, an arrhythmia review, vents and ABGs, balloon pumping, PA lines, arterial lines, central lines… 25 areas altogether, with a strong emphasis on humor. The response has been great! We hope you’ll find them useful.

These articles were written up by Mark, who tends to throw in everything he thinks of, and then edited for content by Jayne. Mark is a seriously burnt ICU night nurse at one of the big teaching hospitals in Boston, working in the ICUs since 1983. Jayne was a staff ICU/ER nurse up until a year or two ago, when she was hired (out of a staff position) to become the in-house ICU/CCU/ER nursing instructor at another hospital in the area. We are both diploma grads. Jayne is back in school, while Mark might go back someday. Ha!