Just a couple thoughts on ICU vs. "floor" nursing.

1. Thoroughness with the pt. in caring, charting, reporting, and all around knowledge of the pt and their condition
2. More monitors and frequent monitoring. Different equipment and set up. All equipment is readily available in the room.
3. Interdisciplinary teams at your disposal.
4. Medical ICU takes overflow of CICU, SICU, CVICU. Train wrecks include bed 1 with COPD exacerbation and DKA and bed 2 with gunshot wounds with every hocus-pocus med drip available to keep him alive. And oh yeah, there is someone outside the hospital to visit him and finish him off.
5. ICU RN to leave the unit to attend to a code on the medical-surgical floors; but usually for no more than 30 minutes
6. Nursing diagnosis are actually used