biased workplace!!

Putting new grads in specialty areas over floor nurses with experience...........that sounds a little backwards to me. What is the rationale??

I know some hospitals prefer new grads in ICUs because they haven't learnt any 'bad habits' yet, and can be moulded into the very model of a modern major ICU nurse.

I personally think a bit of experience is a good thing prior to going in to ICU - but there are a million threads on this topic.

The reason they're doing this is obvious--they want to keep the floor nurse on the floor. It's easier to hire new grads to ICU than to med surge. New grads are getting smarter--they hear the talk from floor nurses how hard

their job is and they want specialty areas right away.

In some unionized facilites, this type of reverse bias wouldn't fly. Usually it's written into union contracts that current employees who are qualified get first pick of new positions.

In some unionized facilites, this type of reverse bias wouldn't fly. Usually it's written into union contracts that current employees who are qualified get first pick of new positions.

I'm not just pertaining to ICU alone but all the special areas!

You are not alone. I work in the south and that's why I will be starting as a travel in 2 wks. I have experience in ER, ICU, etc, etc but I would put in for transfers to different units and different shifts and then find out that the policy was that it was how long you worked at the facility not the experience. I think the straw was when I got turned down for an ER position. The person who got it had no ER experience. In fact they had only been a nurse a year of so. In my current unit, I am one of 3 nurses who have and critical care experience, the others have less then a years. We have no critical care class for new grads. It scares me that management places these new nurses in such a dangerous position. They don't even carry their own malpactice insurance. I am so tried of politics and poor treatment of nurses in general. Check with your facilites policy and see if you have any recourse. I didn't and that's why I am going Politics Free.

The OP did not say anything about new grads being hired into the units.....they said new nurses. These could be nurses with years and years of experience however they are new to that hospital. If that was the case I could understand why the "new nurse" with years of experience would be given a speciality position over a nurse without experience. It would be nice if the hospital would attempt to help their nurses that do work the floor with no experience in specialities gain that experience by placing them in the specialility they want to be in however if the ICU has a position open and most of the nurses already working in ICU are relatively new to the speciality and someone walks in with 20 years who would you take the "new nurse" or the inexperienced nurse.

I have never understood why facilites, or I should say some facilities, do not cross train more of their in house staff. I do know from personal experience that there are hospital out there that do. However, I think that they are few and far between. Over the years, when I had the opportunity to be pulled or float to other units, I took the opportunity with a smile on my face. I signed up and paid for my own certifications. I worked part time in an Onocology Clinic and did overtime on other units. It took some time but eventually these managers came to me and offered positions in their units. I realize that I was very lucky at that facility and sometimes regret the fact that I moved across the country. I have not been that lucky since. I hope that you are able to find a way to move to the unit that you are looking for.

I'll be transferred on the other unit next schedule. Meaning, next week. Its a sister floor of our unit and its more toxic than our unit. Well... its worth a try... Wish me luck!