Do you hire new grads in you ICU?

grambograham · Jun 26, 2006

Yeah... and you are talking to one. I had to be screened and preceptored prior to working on my own. I had to prove competence and confidence in caring for vented patients, removing lines, sedating, paralyzing and all sorts of other things. It sounds as though the new-grads in your ICU either weren't meant for critical care or just never got the same support I did.

I take no offense to your post... just answering.

SanFranSRNA · Jun 26, 2006

Here is another new grad. I graduated in december of 2005 and moved to another state. I have been working as a RN for four months now. ACLS, PALS and IABP certified. There are always going to be something I am not familiar with but I always know that I have resources to go to. I know my limitations. As the matter of facts, I have to teach some of my co worker who has been working there for a year on how to set up swan, a line and cardiac output to help MD with lines insertion. I was fortunate to get cross trained in open heart recovery so I am very famililar with hemodynamic invasive monitoring. New grads are hired into our unit all the times but we have really good preceptor programs. Our unit is 20 bed CCU and 6 bed of cardiac surgery unit. There will be 6 new grads coming this summer.

twiceaslucky · Jun 27, 2006

Maybe it's our orientation then. Our new grads aren't ACLS or IABP certified for atleast one year their start date. It's just a lot of added responsibility to those of us who are certified. kwim?

SorenDrake · Jun 27, 2006

My unit hires new grads; there is a month long class orientation that covers in-depth EKG, pharmacology, code stuff, A/P. They have to pass tests on those prior to working on the floor in a 5-8 week preceptorship. IABP training comes later, about 1-2 years. Open-heart nurses are specially trained after 1-2 years CCU experience. (more classwork stuff, and then preceptorships for 8-10 cases). Most feel our new grads are pretty well prepared by the time they're on their own, but we have had 1 or 2 in the past years who have required additional help afterwards, but one person just wasn't suited to CCU and transferred out.

As someone said earlier, teach them their resources and to always ask if they have a question!

dorimar, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2006

It sounds like part of the problem is the number of new nurses, and hence their lack of resources. I think new grads are fine, as long as they are prepared well (critical care classes and good preceptorship), and they are not brought in in large numbers relative to the size of the unit. Yes your manager does not sound too birght.

kenesha212002 · Jun 28, 2006

I am a new grad and I have been in my critical care unit since February. I received a great preceptorship that included classes and clinical time. The clincal time included time on each floor (med-surg, telemetry and now CCU) and finally you end up with your 2-3 patients on CCU. The classes included EKG 1 and 2, hemodynamic monitoring, and ACLS. Later on there will be classes that prep you to take to CCRN.

I think a new grad's success in the unit depends on the training and preceptorship before hand. I don't think that straight out of nursing school any new grad would be prepared to work in a critical care unit without proper training. This includes nurturing and a good base line at your facility.

greatshakes · Jul 1, 2006

I think you all just answered my next question. There is a vacancy going in CCU for a registered nurse and I have been looking at all the fantastic sites in Siris first post and others. These tell me perhaps it is just too intense for me as a new grad. I really don't think I'd have the confidence to embrace such a placment. The sites are interesting though and thank you all for your

work in putting them on your posts. Much appreciated.

Kymmi · Jul 1, 2006

I have been working in ICU/CCU/CVICU for many many years now and I think new grads in the unit are a valuable asset as long as the orientation they receive is adequate. New grads come full of energy to learn and they also have no other experience (other than school) to bring bad habits from (I know I'll probably regret saying that) but what I mean is sometimes nurses that come to ICU post working medsurg/telemetry follow a different routine than what ICU would follow and sometimes old habits die hard. I think it is terrific for any nurse to work ICU as long as that nurse has personality for it, is able to think independently and can stay calm under crisis.

I do however think that any new nurse to ICU--be it a new grad or a nurse transferring to ICU needs to have good resources to go to and if you get a unit full of nurses with less than 2 years ICU experience than you're asking for trouble.

jennrn76 · Jul 3, 2006

ok as a former new grad that started out in the icu i am a little jaded when it comes to this subject. i started out in a thoracic icu straight out of school. with me there were 2 other new grads. we had a fairly decent orientation but unfortunately a director that was way out of touch with reality. after just 2 years, myself and one of those fellow new grads were the senior nurses on night shift. talk about scary!!! so as many of you i'm sure have experienced with that seniority came the responsibility of being in charge and training all of the future new grads that our director kept hiring. i think new grads are not the problem, as long as they are mature enough to know when to stand up and say "i don't know and i need help" needless to say after a couple of years of a constant influx of rookie rns i was getting to the point of not wanting to even go to work some nights. so with the may hiring of 6, yes 6 new grads to a night shift with only 2 senior nurses i bid a sorrow filled farewell to my home and left to a cardiac specialty hospital. my new and permanent home has a average experience level of 9 years and only hires rns with at least 3 years of experience. not to mention you have to take a personality test before they even hire you. i couldn't be happier where i am and unfortunately i can only report that there still continues to be a major staffing issue at my previous unit.:smackingf

greatshakes · Jul 10, 2006

Thanks for your posts everyone. I am at the stage where I am still waiting to hear results of one job and knowing there's to be another grad intake so am a bit reluctant to put in for anything else just yet.

banditrn · Jul 14, 2006

I don't think the ICU where I used to work does hire new grads anymore. I worked the floor for two years before I went to ICU.

It's OK, if there is a mix of seasoned and new nurses, but I think the new grads still need at least a few months on a general floor.