ITU Nurse (Intensive Treatment or Therapy Unit) also known as ICU Nurse (Intensive Care Unit) or Critical Care Nurse (Critical Care Unit – CCU) work in a variety of different areas within a hospital environment including; medical intensive care units, surgical intensive care units and trauma intensive care units.
Within ITU, nurses are expected to care for and monitor the condition of critically ill patients. There will normally be 1 nurse for every 1 or 2 patients.
Patients in ITU will be looked after closely by a team of ITU Staff and will be connected to equipment by a number of tubes, wires, cables and medication to keep normal body functions going. This type of care cannot be provided on a typical ward as highly specialised devices are required along with the personnel who are trained to use it safely.
Being an ITU Nurse can be challenging. The job requires both emotional and physical stamina and the ability to juggle different variables as they relate to the condition of critically ill patients. ITU Nurses who are passionate about their speciality may find it easier to appreciate the good days and file away small rewards, such as improvement in a patient’s health or a kind word from a patient's ‘loved one, to draw from when anxiety and fatigue are at their highest.
The balance of emotional fortitude and empathy can be a hard skill to come by but the best ITU Nurses strive to find that kind of professional and personal harmony.
