How do you get experience in a specialty if they wont hire you to get that experience?

Sour Lemon · Oct 25, 2016

I graduated in 2010, wanted to go in to NICU. I could not find a job bc of lack of experience. I worked in the ED and loved it and then went to Home Health for the past 4+ years. How can I get hired for a Pre op job when they say I need experience in pre op, or NICU ...same thing. Anyone experience this? Anyone have suggestions? :)

You move to an area where nurses are in shorter supply and employers have fewer choices. It might also work to "sneak in" from the side. I know someone who got to NICU by starting in med/surg, then networking to mother/baby, then networking to NICU. The NICU nurses knew her and liked her at that point and thought she'd be a great fit.

WKShadowNP, DNP, APRN · Oct 25, 2016

I got into my specialty from the float pool.

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 25, 2016

You get "related" experience and you develop a good reputation for yourself. For example, if you want NICU, think peds, OB, peds ICU, mother-baby, L&D, etc. ED and Home Health are not related unless you are regularly seeing babies in those venues.

Work for a hospital that has a NICU and develop a reputation as a great employee in a related area. Then you transfer in.

The same strategy is true for other "hard-to-get-in" specialties. If you want a pre-op job, work med-surg, then maybe PACU, etc. for a hospital that has the pre-op job you want. Get a good reputation and you'll be a strong candidate with related experience.