Pros
Working in a high-acuity Level I trauma center provided decent critical care experience and opportunities to develop strong clinical judgment, critical thinking, and advanced nursing skills. Many bedside nurses and interdisciplinary staff are incredibly dedicated and work tirelessly to provide excellent patient care despite challenging circumstances.
Cons
Despite being a unionized facility, chronic short staffing remained a major issue. ICU nurses were tripled despite management sitting in their office and giving you an attitude for asking for help, creating unsafe assignments and placing both patients and staff at risk. The culture of “do more with less” has become normalized, often at the expense of employee well-being and safe patient care.
Leadership was the single greatest failure of the SICU. Management appeared disconnected from bedside realities and consistently failed to address concerns regarding staffing, morale, retention, and workplace culture. Favoritism was obvious, with certain employees being protected while others were scrutinized or disciplined for similar behaviors. Management frequently responded to requests for help with hostility rather than support. There were instances of staff members being publicly reprimanded or yelled at in patient care areas after asking for assistance (it was genuinely recorded before), creating an atmosphere of intimidation rather than teamwork. Concerns regarding staffing, safety, and workplace culture were repeatedly brought to leadership through meetings, emails, and even union involvement, yet many employees felt ignored or excluded after speaking up. Rather than addressing legitimate concerns, management often became dismissive, failed to respond to emails, and distanced themselves from employees who advocated for change. This created a culture in which nurses felt punished for raising concerns instead of being encouraged to participate in improving the workplace.
The culture frequently felt more like high school than a professional ICU. Gossip, cliques, and interpersonal drama were common, and leadership often contributed to these problems rather than resolving them. Nurses were reportedly brought into management offices to discuss or criticize coworkers, creating an atmosphere of distrust and division. Supervisors even asked nurses to watch other nurses and report back to them. Charge nurses were frequently unhelpful and inconsistent in providing support to staff.
There were also too many instances of racially insensitive, homophobic, and xenophobic comments and attitudes that created discomfort among staff. Additionally, some leaders publicly aligned themselves with political positions and systems that many employees felt directly conflicted with the needs and safety of vulnerable patient populations, including immigrants and marginalized communities. For a profession built on advocacy, compassion, and equitable care, these actions undermined trust in leadership.
Employee retention is poor, and it is not difficult to understand why. Talented nurses leave because they feel unsupported, undervalued, and exhausted. The patients and clinical experience is nice but the management, culture, and leadership ultimately overshadow the strengths of the unit. Anyone considering employment here should understand that the greatest challenges are not the patients or the work itself, but the environment created by leadership.