Critical Care CNS, Tammy Ludwig, PIH Health Whittier Hospital

Working Nurse – My Specialty - Critical Care CNS, Tammy Ludwig, PIH Health Whittier Hospital - An evolving role that combines mentoring, education, and patient care.

What led you to nursing?

When I was 19, I worked as a home health aide. I would see nurses coming and going from patients’ rooms, and began to realize that I could learn more, do more, and accomplish more as a nurse.

How did you choose critical care?

When I did my final clinical rotation in the ICU, I knew I wanted to be a critical care nurse. As a new grad, I worked on a complex medical-surgical unit for nearly three years until I felt ready to transition to critical care.

The learning curve was still very steep. I remember thinking, “What have I gotten myself into?” I’ve always believed that a healthy sense of fear helps you stay alert, but it took me three or four years to not feel overwhelmed.

Critical care settings offer life-and-death scenarios requiring split-second judgments and interventions. It takes a great deal of hard work to become a proficient ICU nurse. It took me almost six years before I felt like a relative expert at the bedside, and close to a decade before I felt like an expert at all my duties, including charge and supervisory roles.

Read the rest of the story: Working Nurse Magazine Article

Read the Working Nurse Digital Flip Magazine: June/July 2026