A nurse has been floated to the ICU from the step-down unit. Which client assignment would be best for this nurse?

  • a client awaiting a bed on the medical floor
  • a client receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT)
  • a client on an insulin drip with a large abdominal wound attached to a wound vacuum
  • a client who has just returned from surgery to replace pacemaker wires and is being externally paced
Number 1 is correct.
The client awaiting a bed on the medical floor is the most stable client for this nurse, who may not be familiar with the more complicated ICU clients. Clients receiving CRRT are usually a one-on-one assignment due to the extreme complexity of managing bedside dialysis. The client on the insulin drip may require titration, which the nurse may not be familiar with. A client who is being externally paced requires special training to care for the pacer wires, and it is likely that the floated nurse will not have the experience to care for this client.