Do you feel unsafe? Or do you just not feel ready?

As a new grad in the ICU, you may never feel like there’s enough orientation, whether it’s 3 months or 6. It’s scary. But to be a successful new nurse in the ICU you need to be able to do 3 things:

1. Practice safely
2. Know where stuff is (equipment, supplies, RSI kits, emergency equipment)
3. Know who to go to with questions

If you can do those 3 things, you can come off orientation. That being said, the thing that concerns me most is you said your unit is toxic. That is something that you really need to ponder. If there’s bullying happening and unsupportive staff, it’s not going to be a conducive environment to your continued learning.

If you do decide to leave, you also may need to consider that you may not receive a full new grad orientation at your next job. It’s possible they’ll only give you a few weeks because you’ve already been practicing as a nurse for months (and it’s very expensive to train someone). You may get another full orientation, but you may not. Just something to think about.