Desperate for a career in NICU!! Where is there a need?

NurseDevonL · Oct 28, 2009

Ok, so I am new here. I have been a nurse for over two years and all I ever wanted to do was NICU. However, when I graduated I was forced to take a position with adults because I had not been offered a position in NICU (and I started applying at the beginning of my senior year). I did work in a Level III NICU for the amount of time the orientation lasted and then left. The orientation at this place I thought was horrible and I didn't feel that I got everything I needed to be on my own!! Since this time, I have applied to any and all NICU, PICU, SCN, OB/LDRP positions in IL and WI. I have had no luck. I have had a handful of interviews with no offers ( I am being told that I do not have enough experience or that they hired someone with more experience in the area). So, again I was forced to work Med/Surg for a while. I hated every second of it, so I am now doing post-NICU infant/pediatric home care. I have never stopped applying to NICU/SCN positions, and am going on over a year now of applying to positions in 2 states. I am now ready to leave this area if I have to, to get a job in NICU. Neonatal care is my passion and is where my heart belongs. I refuse to do anything else at this point, and it is starting to hurt me financially because my hours are not guaranteed in home care.
Where is there a need for NICU nurses and that I won't get shot down because of not having enough experience in the are

Hello!

I know how you feel, except that you have experience and I dont!

I was RELENTLESS in my search for a NICU nationwide (sent out probably at least 150-200 apps), and finally last week i had 2 job offers and 2 other people wanting to interview me!!! I accepted a level III NICU job in West Virginia!

If you want to know a state that hires A LOT of NICU nurses, Texas. They have huge NICUs over 100 beds! Memorial Hermann and the Womans Hospital of Texas for example. If you truly are willing to move for a NICU anywhere, Mcallen Texas WILL hire you. They are a border town and desperate for nurses, they pay you excellently but the heat is bad and its a culture shock down there...i turned a job down in Mcallen.

The 2 other places that wanted to interview me that I turned down was:

1. Albany Medical Center (New York)

2. Childrens Mercy (Kansas city Missouri)

So I know they are looking to hire right now!!

It seems like jobs are just now beginning to open up, I went through 7 months of NOTHING, until this past 2 weeks!

God bless you on your job hunt, I know if you are hungry like I am (and you sure sound like it!) you WILL land something!

fitRNpic · Oct 29, 2009

Thank you for your response. Since January, I have applied to over 500 NICU/SCN positions just within IL and WI. I am just getting so frustrated because I have had a lot of interviews, but no offers. I am always told that they are looking for someone with more experience or are pursuing other candidates that have more experience. Half the time, I get an email within 24 hours of applying to a position stating that unfortunately I am not being considered for the position I applied for.

Now, when applying to another state, I am not sure how to go about doing that. I can not afford to fly out anywhere for an interview and can also not afford to pay for another state license (yes, I am that broke!).

NeoNurseTX, RN · Nov 1, 2009

McAllen is BAD..

Yes Memorial Hermann Houston is hiring. We have a VERY large staff. Texas Children's has a huge NICU but rarely hires. Woman's hires often but usually will not get back to you in a timely manner.

llg, PhD, RN · Nov 1, 2009

I did work in a Level III NICU for the amount of time the orientation lasted and then left. The orientation at this place I thought was horrible and I didn't feel that I got everything I needed to be on my own!!

I don't understand exactly what you mean here. Are you saying that you took a job as a NICU staff nurse, made it the whole way through orientation (with the unit's leadership satisfied with your performance and wanting you to stay) ... but that you left immediately after orientation because you were feeling overwhelmed and anxious about being on your own?

If that's the case, that past NICU history might be hurting your chances of getting another NICU job. One of the worst outcomes of hiring someone from the hospital's perspective is that they hire someone who takes their resources (salary, benefits, and education) but who doesn't stay to use what they've learned to cover the holes in the schedule. That's a "red flag" on your application -- one that indicates you are a "high risk" hire. In these days, few managers are looking to hire someone who is a high risk for leaving soon after orientation.

Are you listed as "eligible for re-hire" by that NICU where you did the orientation? If not, that would be another "red flag." The employers you have interviewed with since then may have called and been told that they would not be interested in hiring you back -- and that would seriously hurt your application.

It may surprise some readers to learn that quitting a job just after orientation can be such a big deal. But think about it from the hospital's perspectives. During orientation, they pay your salary and benefits and provide you with their educational resources. During that time, they may also be paying overtime to fill the hole in the schedule caused by the nurse the orientee is replacing. An orientee who leaves in the first week doesn't help the unit, but she doesn't cost them much either. They quickly hire someone else and only have to "eat" a couple of weeks of extra expenses. But an orientee who stays for a 2 or 3 month orientation consumes a lot of resources without ever contributing anything to the unit. They consume the training expenses, but are not "worth the investment." That's a big deal.

If that could be what is happening in your case ... you'll have to think carefully about you mention this previous experience on your resume and how you discuss it in interviews and/or in your cover letter. You don't want to sound more "needy" or more demanding than most people or that you will need special handling in any way. I suggest saying that you discovered that you were not ready for an ICU environment when you were a new grad -- but that now that you have gotten experience as a nurse, you are ready to handle a NICU and will be ready to practice independently with their standard orientation.

You also may need to get more experience in a related field such as peds to increase your chances. Another possible tactic is to do some volunteer work in a hospital that appeals to you and/or become involved in nursing orginazations in which NICU people participate. While it is unlikely you would be placed as a volunteer in a NICU, you may make connections who can write job recommendations for you -- and hiring managers usually look twice at an applicant when the recommendation comes from someone they know and trust. Even if they don't write a recommendation for you, if you mention that you know them, the hiring manager may ask them about you -- and a good feedback about you from them will help a lot.

One mistake early in your career should not stand in the way of your ever getting a NICU job -- but if my interpretation of your previous NICU experience is even partially correct, you will need to develop a plan to overcome that specific negative on your record.

Good luck!

fitRNpic · Nov 2, 2009

Ok so here is the deal. I loved my job in the NICU and thought I was doing very well. Even the girls I was orienting with thought I was doing better than them! I did my homework and understood everything. They fired me on the last day of orientation stating that I did not meet their expectations within the 90 day orientation. The way that they do their orientation is that it is 90 DAYS, no more and no less and they don't try to work with anyone on that. A couple weeks prior to this, I met with the manager about my concerns with sharing a preceptor with other orientees and that when I needed help with something, they were nowhere to be found. In a Level III NICU, I feel that this type of orienting is unsafe. She came back at me with a list of things the preceptor(s) had said I was not doing correctly or whatever. (this list was complete BS) After this meet with the manager, they basically had my orientation on hold and did not move me forward in the orientation (ie I did not get to orient with deliveries, admissions, discharges, surgeries, etc!!) They started acting strange towards me and treating me differently (manager and preceptors!). So, them firing me did not come as a huge surprise, as they had stopped training/orienting me. However, I was still shocked because I thought I had been doing everything right. I moved myself and my family from central IL to northern IL for this job, and then was shunned. Then, when they let me go, the manager goes on to say that maybe I should try getting a job in LDR/OB or the other hospital in town where there is a level II NICU. I applied to and had a great interview at the level II NICU, they said that they wanted to offer me a position, but had to speak with my previous manager. After speaking with the previous manager at the Level III NICU, I was told that they could no longer offer me a position in their NICU. They wouldn't tell me why. I called my previous manager, and she told me that what she says about me to other people is none of my business!! I know that it is because of her that I did not get that job, and probably many others. But it really ****** me off that she told me to apply at this place and then talks bad about me to them after I had done nothing wrong.

On my applications, I specifically state that I do not want them contacted for reference, especially after this incident. I would have stayed in this NICU for a while had they given me a chance and not treated me like crap!! I know it takes a lot and costs a lot to bring someone in and train them. I don't know what else to do. If I leave it out, then it looks as if I have never stepped foot or had any experience in NICU whatsoever. Then it would be trying to answer questions about why I think I belong in NICU without having prior experience. I have tried to get positions in regular nurseries and Peds, without any luck. I know that on paper, I look like a risk, but when everyone only looks at that and doesn't talk to me or meet me, I am not being given a chance in the first place. My application is bypassed for others that have more experience in the area, and have been at their jobs the longest. My nursing career since the beginning has been one disaster after another, and I don't know what to do about it. I continue to apply for all the positions that I am interested in, however, am not being given a chance to prove to anyone that I belong and am worth being given a chance! I am not or was I ever overwhelmed or anxious in the NICU. I am not needy, demanding, or in need of any specialized training. I have a love and passion for NICU and refuse to do anything else. I have tried all of the adult areas and have been absolutely miserable working in these areas. I can't afford to be a part of any of the NICU organizations such as NANN or AWHONN. Nor can I afford to do any volunteering or have the time to do so. I am bad at trying to network, as I hate to ask for help from someone I barely know or just met. I also do not really know how to network!

I know that I am smart, dedicated, perfectionist/detail oriented, and a very hard worker and quick learner. I love nursing (although I have almost given up on it because of my bad experiences) and neonatal care. I have just had a lot of bad experiences and now no one will even let me do what I LOVE!

TreehuggerRN · Nov 3, 2009

McAllen is BAD..
Yes Memorial Hermann Houston is hiring. We have a VERY large staff. Texas Children's has a huge NICU but rarely hires. Woman's hires often but usually will not get back to you in a timely manner.

You mean "bad" as in cool and outta sight?