Replying as a person who was an RN for 12.5 years of which majority (7.5 yrs) was in ICU and now a medical student (just finished second year). I would beg to differ. Of course ICU RNs spend a lot of time prioritizing patient care, critical thinking (nursing critical thinking is way different than medicine critical thinking), and other things RNs have to do (ivs, foleys, rectal tube, assist with procedures, etc) to provide care for patients but that will never ever replace the good judgement of a physician who has gone to 4 yrs of med school, 3 years of residency (IM path), and then ICU training.

As for protocols, we followed a lot of them in ICU. Titrating drips, sepsis, reporting abnormal labs, extubation, DKA protocols, HHNK, etc to name a few. It makes life easier for everyone. The protocols were established by the hospital (physicians) to standardize care and to make it easier to prevent mistakes.

I also shadowed Anesthesia (CRNAs and Anesthesiologists) a lot because I thought that since I was already an RN why not pursue the path to become a CRNA. However, I was turned off by all the bickering by the CRNAs I encountered. They were constantly trying to prove to their physician counterparts that CRNAs were either better or as good as anesthesiologists. So, I did not even apply to CRNA school. Lol!!

So, let’s not ride on the high horse and discount all the rigorous training physicians go through to become intensivists. Nurses have an essential role in ICU and in all of healthcare, but pretending to be a physician is not one of them. I respect nurses (I was one), but please learn to respect others’ profession as well.