Specialties Critical
Published Apr 21, 2011
You are reading page 2 of ICU position immediately after graduating with BSN
PMFB-RN, RN
5,351 Posts
New grads should go directly into the ICU. Time spent on the floor is worse than wasted, it can be harmful. Patients lives are more important than our own goals so do the right thing by them and properly train new grads to be ICU nurses.
Obviously when we speak of new grads going directly into the ICU, something like a real 4-9 month nurse residency program followed by a mentoring program.
snifny1983
27 Posts
I do not think you would be wrong going either way. I have seen new grads work in areas like PACU/ICU right out of the shoot and they have done just fine. I think sometimes it can be scary and stressful, but I think it is that way for anyone walking into a critical care area with no ICU experience. It is the unkown. You already know the basics and lets face it, they teach you just that in school. THE BASICS! You are going to really learn and grow as an RN after you get some experience under your belt. I started in the surgical stepdown cardiac unit, but was only there for 8 months before I started working the critical care. I think either way you will learn what you need to learn and be just fine! I say if you want to work in ICU, shadow and see how you feel. If you think that you would want to start there then wonderful! I do think that if you are wanting floor experience first, cardiac is a great place to start! A little more exciting then med/surg and you will learn telemetry and cardiac!! That is something that will help with your transition to ICU.
GOOD LUCK!!!!
Farah123
4 Posts
Hello PMGB-RN
I enjoyed reading your post. I am looking for an ICU position once I finish nursing schools. What hospital do you work for? How do I go about finding nurse residency programs for ICU?
Thanks
PatMac10,RN, RN
1 Article; 1,164 Posts
I think going directly into a critical care area can definitely be tough, but I also think, overall, it's dependent in the individual and the team/unit they will be working on. I just got a Job offer for the CVICU in one hospital where I precpted at. I also have 2 offers from another hospital from the Cardiothoracic ICU and the Neuro ICU. New grads have been successful on all these floors because the unit took the time to effectively orient the newcomers to the units and processes.
My preceptor said she was always told to go to Med-Surf first and she never did! She went straight to CSICU and has loved since she started 20 years ago.