Experienced RN seeking ICU residency. Help/Advice!!!

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Hey everyone,

i'm an experienced nurse living in south florida with my BSN and 3 1/2 years experience in med/surg/tele and strong background in neurosurgery and gamma knife. i have been trying for over 2 years to enter into the ICU and have been told the residency is new grads only and that i need to go to other floors to gain more experience in different areas. i'm told the same thing when i apply to stepdown/pcu units.

I have also done national searches trying to find residencies for the experienced rn but to no avail. I know there are different areas of the country that prefer experienced nurses over new grads but i am having NO success finding them. i am willing, at this point, to relocate to another state if necessary to gain the experience i have been wanting. i have even considered going through the nursing program again just so i can be a new grad once more (very desperate thinking i know).

before i rush to an extreme like that i could really use some help and advice. does anyone know any specific residency programs that will accept me? please fill me in on different specific locations i can apply. can you let me know if you have a strong professional development and education department at your hospital? my hospital claims to have my best interests at heart but i just feel oppressed. i attempt to keep my knowledge sharp myself by attending symposiums and conferences but it's no substitute.

i'm so frustrated i don't know what to do and i feel all my schooling and critical thinking are not being used and consequently i'm losing the ability to really understand what is going on with my patients. If you can suggest anything at all to improve my resume: classes etc..

please help! i'll do anything!!

Frustrated in Florida

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Specializes in ICU.

Parkland in Dallas Texas offers ICU residency for experienced nurses with no ICU experience. You have to sign a two year contract that starts after your orientation.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

could it be that residencies, in general are for new grads? you could get hired into an icu as an rn, go through an orientation to icu without the "residency." after all, you're already a nurse and you already know how to be a nurse. you just need orientation into the critical care aspect of things.

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my hospital offers a "fellowship" for experienced nurses, it's typically a 4 month or so orientation with classes. It's also a children's hospital so I'm not sure if that's something you'd be interested in.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, Case Management.

[color=#ff6699]i can totally understand your frustration.:banghead: i think ruby has a good point, but if you truly are interested in an icu "internship", there are a couple programs in san antonio. one is at southwest texas methodist hospital, and the other is at university hospital (which is the teaching hospital).

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I had the same trouble going from ICU to NICU... especially when trying to transfer internally. So I had to check all job posting for experience required, some will say clinical or RN experience required, rather than ICU experience specifically.

I bought the book to get certified as a CCRN, for NICU specifically- and read the whole thing. It helped me realize how much I already knew, even though in changing disciplines there is a different focus. Its helped me so much while being trained too.

I would strongly advice buying that book, reading it, mentioning it in your interview with HR, and bring it to your interview. Get a highlighter - form page 1, and highlight the obscure things you don't know already. It will help later if you ever want to skim through it to find all that stuff again, and it is proof that you have read it.

Parkland's Residency in Dallas was mentioned... that is a great program. I know JPS in Fort Worth hires RNs in the ICU, but you better be ready for really sick patients in ICU... I've really enjoyed working here (in the NICU).

They are both Trauma 1 Hospitals. However, if you don't hear back from them - they might be looking at your address, and that relocating might be filtering you out.

Over the year,s you've still learned a lot of things about Critical thinking, while doing your assessments you look at vitals and symptoms to determine where the patients condition and where he is heading, you look for clues in history, ecg, meds they take, their baseline vs current labs and diagnostics. Being in teli you may have used cardiac drugs. So many things are the same, especially the 90% nursing aspect. Just say it's your dream job - and don't put down your current experience.

Hey everyone,

i'm an experienced nurse living in south florida with my BSN and 3 1/2 years experience in med/surg/tele and strong background in neurosurgery and gamma knife. i have been trying for over 2 years to enter into the ICU and have been told the residency is new grads only and that i need to go to other floors to gain more experience in different areas. i'm told the same thing when i apply to stepdown/pcu units.

I have also done national searches trying to find residencies for the experienced rn but to no avail. I know there are different areas of the country that prefer experienced nurses over new grads but i am having NO success finding them. i am willing, at this point, to relocate to another state if necessary to gain the experience i have been wanting. i have even considered going through the nursing program again just so i can be a new grad once more (very desperate thinking i know).

before i rush to an extreme like that i could really use some help and advice. does anyone know any specific residency programs that will accept me? please fill me in on different specific locations i can apply. can you let me know if you have a strong professional development and education department at your hospital? my hospital claims to have my best interests at heart but i just feel oppressed. i attempt to keep my knowledge sharp myself by attending symposiums and conferences but it's no substitute.

i'm so frustrated i don't know what to do and i feel all my schooling and critical thinking are not being used and consequently i'm losing the ability to really understand what is going on with my patients. If you can suggest anything at all to improve my resume: classes etc..

please help! i'll do anything!!

Frustrated in Florida

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Specializes in CCU, CVICU, Cath Lab, MICU, Endoscopy..

Texas medical center has tons of hospitals that have residency programs. If you work in tele goo ahead and get certification in CVRN level 1. That's going to give an advantage over new grads:-)...best wishes.

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Try Kadlec Medical Center in Richland, WA. They did when I worked there.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

Scott & White in Temple, TX offers ICU fellowships for experienced RNs without ICU experience. They are a large teaching hospital, level 1 trauma center. They have MICU, SICU and CTICU.

Temple is located in central TX and is about an hour away (maybe a little less) from Austin and probably about 2 hours or so away from San Antonio and Dallas.

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BUMP

please!

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I know it is an old post. I am in the same situation. I have been a nurse for nine years and want to move to a specialty floor such as step down, or icu ect. Amazono50508 have you ever found what you were looking for if so can you give me some tips on how to get there. Thanks

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