how my life changed, thanks to u nurses.....

Hooray! Another convert!
I think you will love being a cardiac nurse, I know I do!
I graduated in 2007 and have been on a telemetry unit since then. I recommend doing tele right out of school, because it gives you a great foundation without the stress of really sick patients (most of ours are pretty stable, although we do get occasional codes, etc.).
You see all types of patients, not just heart related, and you get the experience of training in abnormal heart rhythms, and basic disease process/treatments.
I am actually at a point now after 2 years that I want to move on to a unit that deals with sicker patients, which is more challenging. If I had gone to ICU or a cardiac ICU right out of school, I probably wouln't have survived the stress...All I wanted in school was to do trauma in the ER or ICU, and all the experienced nurses I knew said do 2 years of med/surg first (telemetry units are included in that). Boy were they right! Took me 6 months to really get comfortable, and I still have to get help with stuff. Now I feel up to the challenge of an ICU, and have been searching for jobs. As far as specializing, there are certifications you can get, but your best training will be hands on, and you must have experience to take the cert tests anyway.
Good luck and welcome!
Amy

yes they hire new grads. Plenty of my classmates went to tele floors and work with mostly new grads