Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit (STICU): Career Overview
If you’re looking for a fast-paced environment where you’ll gain specialized critical care skills, working in the surgical-trauma intensive care unit (STICU) could be for you. Here, nursing and medical professionals care for patients with profound tissue injuries from surgeries and traumatic accidents. Think you have what it takes to work in the surgical trauma ICU? Here’s an overview of this clinical area and how to get started.
What Is a STICU?
STICUs are highly specialized critical care units where patients with life-threatening injuries receive care. Nurses in this acute care specialty monitor, treat, and support patients as they recover from a range of medical issues:
- Gunshot or stab wounds
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Blunt force trauma
- Severe burns
- Motor vehicle accident injuries
- Massive blood loss
- Post-operative complications from major surgery
- Crush injuries
- Infection or sepsis
- Internal organ damage
ICUs have interdisciplinary teams that work around the clock to manage care. This team includes:
- Trauma nurses
- Trauma surgeons
- Intensivists (physicians who specialize in critical care)
- Respiratory therapists
- Physical therapists
- Nursing assistants
Typically, only large medical institutions like level-I trauma centers have the resources to support a STICU. Meaning that, while nursing jobs can be found nearly anywhere in the nation, to work in this role you’ll generally need to live near a larger city. Some of the facilities that are likely to have STICUs include:
- Academic medical centers
- Large regional hospitals
- Military hospitals
- Children’s hospitals
What Is STICU Nursing Like?
The surgical trauma ICU is a high-pressure environment, and the nurses who work here have to be quick to respond if a patient’s status changes. They routinely use advanced equipment, including massive blood transfusion devices, central line monitors, chest tubes, and arterial lines. Working in this area requires specialty skills:
- Managing patients on ventilators
- Administering IV medications
- Wound care
- Hemodynamic monitoring
- Central line management
- Chest tube monitoring and management
- Blood product administration
- Suction and tracheostomy care
- Advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) protocols
Essential Traits of Surgical-Trauma ICU Nurses
Nursing skills can be learned, but what are the personality traits that could make someone a great surgical-trauma ICU nurse? Here are a few:
Thinking on Your Feet
What should you do if a patient suddenly loses a pulse due to a massive blood loss? Decisions like this happen quickly and constantly in this area, where patient conditions may change in seconds. If you’re someone who can think clearly and quickly when the pressure is on, this role might suit you well.
Emotional Resilience
Being a witness to patients after life-altering accidents and surgeries can be emotionally traumatic, and some research has shown that ICU nurses are at risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Working in a supportive unit can help, but you may also need to practice resiliency in emotionally charged situations.
Attention to Detail
ICU nurses must notice subtle changes in a patient’s condition, such as a slight variation in vital signs or lab values that could be an early sign of deterioration. Every action, from charting to administering medications, requires precision to ensure the best outcomes for patients.
Surgical Trauma ICU Nurse Salary
The average nurse working in intensive care makes about $86,000 per year. Your income in this role depends on years of experience, certifications, and where you live.
Location is perhaps the largest determining factor in what you make as a nurse. Here are some of the states with the highest income for nurses:
How to Become a Surgical-Trauma ICU Nurse: 4 Steps
Step 1: Earn a Nursing Degree
Any nursing specialty starts with earning either a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) or an associate degree in nursing (ADN). While an ADN will prepare you for entry-level practice, the BSN is sometimes preferred by unit managers and hiring staff because it covers professional topics like leadership and nursing theory. But whichever track you choose, you’ll take core nursing classes like pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, nursing fundamentals, and more.
Step 2: Pass the NCLEX-RN
After completing your nursing program, you must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) to become a licensed registered nurse (RN). This exam tests your knowledge of nursing practices, clinical judgment, and safety standards. It’s an adaptive exam, which means that depending on how you answer, you could have between 75 and 145 questions.
Step 3: Gain Experience
If you live near a major hospital, you may be able to find new grad residency roles in the intensive care setting. A residency program is designed to help you transition from school into professional practice by pairing you with preceptors, introducing you to new training, and enhancing your critical thinking skills.
On the other hand, not every facility offers residencies in the STICU. Hospital roles in another acute care area could help you gain essential skills in your first few years as a nurse. For example, working in med-surg, a general trauma unit, the emergency department, or another ICU can help you gain skills while you plan a move to the surgical trauma ICU.
Step 4: Transition into the Surgical-Trauma ICU
Once you’ve earned experience, it’s time to start applying to ICU nursing jobs. Learn more about honing your resume and nailing your interviews so you can land your dream nursing job.
Once you’ve gained experience in this area, you might want to advance your career by earning a certification in trauma nursing or critical care. Certification isn’t always necessary, but it can deepen your confidence and skills.
The leading certifications and training for critical care nurses include:
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS): Typically required within the first year of working in an ICU, this training helps you support patients in cardiovascular crisis.
- Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN): Offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), this certification validates your skill in caring for critically ill adults.
- Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN): Administered by the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing (BCEN), the TCRN focuses on trauma care, making it highly relevant for nurses in the surgical trauma ICU.
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