Areas more likely to hire new grads in ICU

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Mar 4, 2015

Most hospitals require some Medical/Surgical experience first, then some ED experience as well. Both of which would give you a good foundation to go into an ICU position. That is not to say that there's not new grad ICU programs, but there are not many.

There is also a thought to apply to smaller, community hospitals to get some experience under your belt.

Make sure you look at every hospital's website to see what each particular job requires.

Best wishes!

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Mar 4, 2015

I got a post card today from University of Kentucky Health Care is hiring (experienced, upcoming and recent new grads) and they have an open house 3/12

RNNPICU, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2015

DC area hospitals do. They have new grad programs for ICUs. I started as a new grad in the ICU and loved it.

LessValuableNinja · Mar 4, 2015

There are two ways, only two ways, though sometimes three ways to get hired into the ICU straight out of school:

1. You know someone. This is the tried and true methodology for getting a position which you are less qualified for than other applicants. The other applicant was valedictorian? YOU played soccer with the nurse manager's son in college. The competition will generally favor soccer play.

2. You apply to graduate nurse programs, also sometimes called internship or residency programs. Some hospitals in my area have these, but I imagine it's the same in most large metroplex's. If there are large hospitals near you (teaching hospitals), they likely have some of these programs for ICU, OR, etc. It ALSO helps if you know someone, which makes you much more likely to get into these programs. For further information, see number one above.

3. Dumb luck. Not to be counted on, but if you're the sort of people that falls off a bridge and lands on a pile of fluffy money instead of concrete, it may be worth ignoring #1 and #2.

dah doh, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2015

Bigger teaching hospitals still have new grad programs in specialty areas. Try bigger cities that have several big teaching hospitals. Look for residency programs too. Every place has different application deadlines too. Unfortunately, the hospital will probably wade through several hundred new grad applications for maybe a half dozen to a dozen actual job openings. It helps to have "connections" or impress someone with clout during a clinical rotation or internship. Otherwise you gotta get lucky!

If you are unsuccessful in getting a specialty area at first, try med-surg to get experience and your "foot in the door" then re-apply as an internal candidate in a few years.

FYI: We hired 1 new grad internal candidate, 1 experienced med-surg nurse internal candidate, and 1 med-surg nurse from the outside for the current new grad ICU program. For the last new grad program, we hired 4 new grads. 1 was an internal candidate, 1 was outstanding during internship so 3 nurses spoke up for her, 1 had an employee who was her friend recommend her, and 1 got lucky! Oh yeah, we usually run 2 new grad programs a year, but the number of trainees varies based on need at that time.

pamgri · Mar 4, 2015

Our NICU hires new grads. If interested in that area, check out your local NICU's.

lilcampy310 · Mar 4, 2015

I started in the ICU as a new graduate, but I had other experience (PCA, EMT, extern). I would only apply to hospitals that have new graduate critical care programs (internships, etc.) or the smaller community hospitals. I started in a small community hospital - It was ROUGH, but I got a solid base there and worked with wonderful nurses. I now work in a hospital with in internship program for new grads with specialty areas (critical care, er, maternity, medsurg). Most of the big teaching hospitals have these are they are really wonderful programs to transition you into your first nursing role.

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Mar 5, 2015

3. Dumb luck. Not to be counted on, but if you're the sort of people that falls off a bridge and lands on a pile of fluffy money instead of concrete, it may be worth ignoring #1 and #2.

I am envious of those people

YanMinor · Mar 5, 2015

You know someone.

It's crazy how underrated this is, especially to get a job as a new to practice nurse. As I've said in other posts, me and a few of my best friends recently graduated in December, and we've all found critical care jobs in the Philadelphia area, which is notoriously over-saturated. Me and another friend (HVICU, neuroICU) were accepted because of referrals from the nurse manager at our senior clinical site. Another (peds CICU) got a job at his actual senior clinical site. The last was a CNA on his eventual unit (SICU).

So much about finding a job, especially in critical care, is less about geography, grades, experience, etc. Rather, it's more about trying to develop a reputation as an awesome, competent, badass nursing student, and then using that reputation to carry you through the application and interview process. Also, don't be shy about asking preceptors if they'd put in a good word with a nurse manager!

Many of the hospitals that take new grads into critical care are in saturated markets like Philly, Nashville, etc. It's not easy getting in with a clean slate, unless you have a godly resume to back it up. Try hitting up prior nurse managers, clinical instructors, clin-specs, and preceptors to see if they know of any positions and are willing to write you a recommendation.

RNursingAssistant · Mar 5, 2015

Dumb luck for me? I'm interviewing this Friday for a Critical Care Residency in Arizona from California. Its a rural teaching hospital, and off the bat they require a 3 year contract if job offer is accepted. If contract is broken, you must pay back tuition $$,$$$(makes sense, they invested so much and now you're leaving them high and dry).

ICU, yes in big teaching hospitals are quite common. I usually see cardiovascular ICU, step-down PCU, but very rarely critical care unit. But usually 100+ applicants, 10-20 candidates and 1-3 position to fill. Very tough to get into, some of my nursing classmates got into CVICU at a big name hospital in California because they had someone high ranking work there, or they had a manager who liked them and overlooked their behavioral assessment.