for nursing students

1. A day in the life of an ICU nurse

2. BY
Dharmesh Chaturvedi
M.Sc.Nursing
-:Nurses duty round the clock:-

3. 8AM to 2 PM ( Morning Shift)
• Enter in ICU before 10 minutes and check assignment
of both patient and ward inventory.
• Check inventory or ward assignment.
• Attend Briefing which is done by nurse preceptor and
head nurse about current issue or update .
• Check patient checklist at bed side of the patient.
• Handing over starts around 9 AM.
• Till 9.30 AM over is taken from night staff nurse.

4. Ward routine work
• Vitals and Hemodynamic
monitoring hourly
• ABG 4th Hourly
• RBS 2nd hourly
• Back care 2nd hourly
• ET suction 2nd hourly and SOS
• Foleys Catheter care 6 hourly
• Oral care 6 hourly
• ICD drain patency check hourly
• CVP dressing daily
• Eye care daily
• Eye moistening drops apply 4th hourly in unconscious
patient
• Nebulisation and spirometry 6 hourly.

5. Patient file work
• Ventilator data charting every hourly.
• To maintain and update more than 30 registers.
• To check and make entry in patient file about various
bundle like CLABSI, CAUTI, VAP,SSI
• Monitoring IV cannulation or CV line
• Pressure ulcer monitoring
• Fall risk assessment
• Entry in file about all routine care
• Nurses notes and nursing care plan
• Hourly Intake/output chart
• Special monitoring chart advised by consultant.

6. • 10 O’clock medication time.
• Routine care in between.
• Assist ward round, nursing rounds, consultant
(cardiologist and anaesthesiologist) round, infection
control round.
• Follow stat orders after rounds.
• Indenting medications.
• Assist and facilitate relatives visiting hours at 12.15
PM to 12.30 PM
• Lunch time for patient 1 Pm
• Routine care and patient file work
• 2 PM medications

7. Evening Shift (2 PM to 8 PM)
• Enter in ICU before 10 minutes and check her
assignment of both patient and ward inventory.
• Check inventory or ward assignment
• Attend Briefing which is done by nurse preceptor and
head nurse.
• Check patient checklist at bed side of patient
• Handing over start around 3 PM
• Till 3.30 PM over is taken from morning staff nurse

8. • Receives indented medicines and utilities for the
patient.
• Replace any medications if taken from ward stock.
• Shifting or receiving of patient from other ICUs or
OTs.
• Routine care and patient file work.
• Evening snacks for patient around 4 PM.
• Evening rounds of ICU doctors.
• Assist and facilitate relatives visiting hours at 6.15
PM to 6.30 PM.
• Assist procedure at bed side which are done in
evening hours.

9. Night shift (8 PM to 8 AM)
• Enter in ICU before 10 minutes and check her
assignment of both patient and ward inventory.
• Check inventory or ward assignment.
• Attend Briefing which is done by Team Leader and
Assistant head nurse.
• Check patient checklist at bed side of patient.
• Handing over start around 8.45 PM.
• 9 PM is dinner time for the patient.
• Till 9.15 PM over taken from evening staff nurse.

10. • 10 Pm medications time.
• Routine care and patient file work
• 12 AM to 1 AM sticker and labelling change of new
date, all lines e.g. IV line, tubing change
• File arrange as per guideline
• Locker Arrange
• Investigation report arrange
• 3 AM to 5 AM blood sampling, sponging started, ECG
done.
• 5 AM to 6 AM routine morning day care done, X-ray,
done if ordered, ABG is sent
• 6 AM to 7 AM Medications
• 7 Am to 8 AM written work or other pending work
and patient morning breakfast time also.