FACES OF CRITICAL CARE
Rachel Longhurst
Clinical Nurse Educator
“Becoming a critical care nurse changes who you are.”
What do you enjoy most about supporting and educating nurses in ICU and CCU?
I love what I do and there are so many great things about being an educator, but perhaps the best thing is being able to see where a novice critical care staff member starts their journey and then seeing where they end up as they build proficiency and expertise.
What’s one thing you wish more nurses understood before stepping into critical care?
Just how challenging the journey can be – it’s always underestimated. The commitment is huge in terms of both the learning and emotional energy required. Becoming a critical care nurse changes who you are. Don’t come in half-hearted.
What helps nurses grow in confidence in high-pressure environments like ICU?
The answer to this one is simple. The provision of ongoing support on the floor. Knowing there is someone on shift you can trust to help you and who is invested in your success.
Can you share a moment in your ICU career that has stayed with you?
There are so many! But one of the key ones for me is a family who lost their son but set up an educational scholarship in the department in his honour. It has helped many of our staff obtain their post graduate qualifications in critical care. The generosity in their grief and love blows me away every year.
In three words, how would you describe critical care nursing?
Humbling. Hard work. And for the third word, I think I oscillate on a continuum between heartwarming and heartbreaking.
What makes a great ICU nurse beyond clinical skills?
I say this all the time, but the ability to think critically is the greatest skill a critical care nurse can have. The ability to look at a big picture, to ask why, to join the dots, to anticipate, predict and plan.