Acute care/New grad

[pikachaaa]

Hey everyone, I'm looking to go into nursing and I'm really interested into going into the surgical area. I have read that many people have lots of trouble getting into this area because of lack of Acute care experience. I was wondering how people got around this problem and if I'm fortunate enough to work as a CNA in the ICU would it account to any advantage when I become an RN. Would it just look good? or would the experience of working as a CNA acute care setting for 1yr be able to count as an RN acute care setting experience. I am also unfamiliar with the term new grad, when is someone officially not a "new grad" anymore? I'm just really worried I won't get to where I want to be so I'm just looking ahead, sorry If i'm questions are a little messy :|

[nandosport]

There are new grad residencies that you can apply for to get into the surgical specialty. From what I gathered reading this forum, any work as a CNA will help the transition into a RN and may make you more employable as a new grad RN.

[nandosport]

New grad means you've recently graduated from nursing school and you have minimal to no experience working as an RN.

[KyFNP13]

I currently work in surgical services and they prefer that you have some critical care experience before transferring to the unit. However, we have hired new nursing graduates in the operating room. We do not allow new nursing graduates into the recovery room because we do take care of critical care patients. The best way to find out what your hospital requires is to talk to the operating room nurse educator. Sometimes there are classes that you can take on your own in order to show your desire to work in surgical services.

At the hospital I work at, a new grad is anyone with less than one year experience as a registered nurse. We have a new grad residency program for BSN graduates and the time requirement is less than one year of experience as registered nurse to be able to enter into the program.

[RunBabyRN]

Time as a CNA will not be counted toward experience as an RN. You may or may not have an advantage with your experience, but you can leave an impression with managers along the way and see what happens.

You can see if there's a residency program in the OR when you graduate.

[DMfutureRN]

I actually just the other day heard an educator put it this way as to why clinical experience as a CNA/tech/whatever won't count towards your RN...it's because you haven't been doing the things clinically as a tech that you would be doing as an RN :)

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

CNA does not equal RN. They are two completely different jobs. If they did equal each other, I would just get the training to be a CNA. Why would I bother getting my RN license? Becoming a CNA will only introduce you to the medical field . It will maybe help you see if you at all will like the medical field. But it in no way, shape, or form give you RN experience. When you are in nursing school you will be doing clinicals. That gives you a tiny intro to what a RN job is about. You will graduate as a new grad with no experience like your classmates. You will all be vying for new grad positions. I think those who work extra hard in clinicals and make a good impression will get the jobs.