Advice on ICU qualifications

[angelique.obrie]

I have recently moved to Denver Colorado from Australia. I am currently acquiring my nursing registration and then plan to work in my specialty field of intensive care. I have been a nurse in Australia for over 20 years with lots of different qualifications. Worked in intensive care for the last 17 years. I have been lecturing at university for the last 5 years and have only clinically worked little bits to keep skills. Could anyone recommend some courses and companies that are good to attend before I start working again? I need to update my AALS (adult advanced life supoort). And I have also seen a couple of jobs advertise TNCC qualifications. Anyone with some advice who works or employs nurses in ICU?

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

I think you are fine. The 17 years of ICU experience should get people's attention. ICU is not a field requiring specialty education in the US like it is in other countries. Definitely make sure your ACLS and BLS are current, and if you really wanted to get fancy, I bet you could sit for the CCRN if you have been working with patients enough, or the CCRN-K if you have been doing more educating. It does say "comparable to US standards" on the applications when talking about where you are working, so you might be able to get approved for one of those although you might have to jump through some hoops to prove your facility was comparable.

Good luck!