Any New Grads Working in the ICU or ED???

Nurses General Nursing

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Are there any new grads who are now working in critical care or the ED? If so where do you work? (what hospital and what city and state?) and how did you get the job? Any advice (FROM NEW GRADS WHO HAVE A JOB IN CRITICAL CARE OR ED) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

i am working in an icu in atlanta as a new grad, graduated may 09. i completed my senior practicum at this hospital. i would encourage you to apply where you did your senior practicum. i just worked really hard, tried to network with other nurses as much as possible, got a recommendation from my preceptor, and tried to make myself acquainted with the nurse manager so she'd recognize my name in the sea of applicants.

good luck!

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

Fayetteville NC, we have an excellent critical care program for new grads. I have not been in on the interview process for years, but I'm thinking the BSN new grads are chosen first as the majority of our 'students' are new BSN's.

The program runs twice a year and is just finishing this round, starts again in January I think. Good luck.

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Specializes in ICU, CVICU, Surgical, LTAC.

I got an icu job! Thanks everyone!

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Specializes in LTC, med-surg..

I'm not a new grad and I still can't get any hospitals to give me the time of day, and my GPA is good, too. Maybe I'm just too old? (mid 30's)

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Specializes in ICU, CVICU, Surgical, LTAC.

treehuggerRN,

mid 30s is not old by any stretch. What area do you live in and when did you graduate? I found that having persistence can get you quite far. You may have to do research and find out who the recruiters are, call them, e-mail them, just don't give up. Eventually it will happen. I am living proof!

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Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

I started out in a level one trauma center peds ICU as a new grad.

I worked there a year as a tech (we were able to do a lot....draw from central/art lines, suction, starts IVs, insert caths, sit the monitor, etc.) It was GREAT experience.

I worked there for about a year as an RN.

There were a lot of applicants for this job at the time. They only looked at those who had some sort of hospital experience (techs, etc). I made sure I went up the the unit and introduced myself, letting them know I wanted to work there, just to get my name in. For me that helped.

Good luck!

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Angel

I am working in a Medical ICU and graduated in May. I work at Johns Hopkins Bayview. They admit new grads into the ED or any one of their seven ICU's directly from school. There is a 6 month orientation that consists of class/clinical days, then 1-1 precepting. It is a very supportive and awesome program. I'm not sure where you live though. Just thought I'd let you know it is out there.

:-)

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I got a job at a large teaching hospital in Florida. This hospital has an amazing CC program. What I did was I started applying for jobs in March even though I was graduating in mid-June. I also worked in a CCU (NOT at the same hospital) for 2 years while in nursing school. The hiring manager told us that she job 200 applications for the 16 positions and she narrowed them down by: 1) applicants that worked in a hospital during nursing school 2) applicants that worked in an ICU. From there she interviewed people and the ones that seemed genuinely excited about the program and the position were hired. She said she didn't even look at the people who didn't work during nursing school. Also, grades didn't mean anything to her, she said some of the greatest ICU nurses were "C" students in school. So, that sums it up. HAPPY JOB HUNTING ;-)

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Specializes in ICU/ER.

I started as a new grad in the ICU in Kansas. First year was hard. But great!

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