Any advice for new grad in SOCA?

[katnmouse]

I am about to take the NCLEX and am also looking at local SOCA hospitals for my first job as an RN.

My love is Trauma, but many experienced nurses have recommended getting ICU experience first, which is what I've planned to do.

Recently I attended a SOCA job fair and was looking closely at Scripps, Sharp, UCSD, Loma Linda, and the VA system. I live in the Inland Empire and would rather not drive west if I can avoid it, but would do so for the right experience. I plan on having my license by June and my BSN next Winter.

I'm mainly just looking for an ICU opportunity that would best help me develop as a competent, strong and knowledgable RN with good skills.

I am open to any ICU opportunity--pediatrics included.

Does anybody have any knowledge of these hospitals or their new grad programs (good or bad)? Any recommendations on whether I should pursue a larger ICU for the experience or a smaller ICU for the teaching? Any hospitals or systems I should stay away from? Any advice or knowledge you could give me would be much appreciated...

Thanks.

[Sheri257]

If you love trauma, I believe Arrowhead and Loma Linda are the main trauma centers that I know of in the Inland Empire. Loma Linda is level one, Arrowhead is level two ... which, from what I understand, basically means they don't have a neuro surgeon 24 hours a day.

Arrowhead is county, so it can take awhile to get hired. Although it's probably the nicest looking county hospital I've ever seen. They get everything there ... it's a great teaching hospital.

Also, because it's county, you don't get that admit and discharge pressure where you get slammed all the time like in private hospitals. Although since I haven't actually been in their ER, that could probably be a different story.

I know some new grads that they trained first in the ER but I also know of other new grads that they started out in the ICU, then went to ER. From what I understand they give as much as six months orientation in either case.

I don't know as much about Loma Linda but, I've mostly heard good things in general.

The VA? That's federal and they don't have to comply with California's ratio law, which means they can overload you with patients. That probably won't matter as much in the ICU but, you might want to watch out for that if you end up working in the ER.

:typing