Recently, the accomplishments of the 2005 Critical Care Training Program graduates from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center’s adult neurologic intensive care unit (NICU) were recognized at an off-site appreciation event. Nursing leaders from the medical center and the UCSF School of Nursing shared their career paths and their vision of the NICU, which the new graduates described as inspiring and illuminating. New graduates were given discussion questions, such as sharing a proud moment in the NICU, aspects of their past that helped them succeed as neuroscience nurses, or how being a nurse benefits their daily lives. This provided participants an opportunity to reflect on their experiences thus far in the NICU, share common experiences, and get to know one another better. Managers and educators were inspired by the new nurses’ responses.
The NICU at UCSF Medical Center is consistently ranked in the nation’s top 10 NICUs....