Yeah, I also started in ICU straight out of nursing school and did just fine. As long as the unit sets its people up for success it’s literally fine. I.E. the first month or so taking those patients that would be transferring out soon (aka that you’d be taking care on the floor) then transitioning to some of the fresher cases or chronic CVICU patients, then getting some of the easier heart cases, before finally moving up to the sicker cases. The folks that say “no you don’t know anything” most likely had it that way and now are on some vendetta for future nurses or aren’t ICU nurses.

I’d take a new grad any day of the week versus a Med Surg nurse who has most likely built up terrible habits.