The Second Shift: Supporting Career Transitions for Experienced Nurses

Mixed-acuity units are increasingly replacing individualized intermediate and intensive care environments. Although this shift offers benefits, it poses unique challenges for experienced intermediate care nurses (RNs) transitioning to intensive care unit (ICU)-level responsibilities. To support this transition, nursing professional development practitioners at an academic medical center designed and implemented ICU Bootcamp. Using a theory-based approach, this educational intervention aimed to mitigate transition shock and close knowledge and skills gaps among intermediate RNs moving into mixed-acuity settings.