Has anyone made the transition from home care to ICU?

[wernicke, BSN, RN]

I'm still a ways away from doing it but I like to plan ahead. I'll be applying to jobs in about six months all being well.

Im a new grad in home health; virtually all my patients are ventilator dependent. There's also central lines, TPN, trach/peg, etc that I think help to provide useful skills

I had planned to be a family provider but now I'd like to be a transplant coordinator. It's a really long story but I had the opportunity to get someone on the transplant list after being denied (this was in Europe), find relevant research to make it possible for them, and they indeed got on the list and received a transplant. I also worked with the team to implement new research that reduces the odds of rejection. It's by far the most exciting, fulfilling thing I've ever had happen in my life! I realized after that experience, plus 3 years of working with this population while in school, that this is where my heart is. I know it's not always glamorous and that my experience was very unusual, but in looking into that option, I just see it as a strong fit.

To do that I must get a few years of ICU experience.

Has anyone made this transition? Or, alternatively, does anyone make hiring decisions for an ICU, and would you consider a home health nurse?

What do you recommend I do in the next six months to make myself the most marketable candidate I can be? I plan on applying to community hospitals as large urban hospitals tend to want ICU experience.

I won't run in a year or two either; I know any hospital that takes me is making an investment.

I plan on getting telemetry certified, what other certifications can/should I do? How can I beat "sell" my skills? How do I make sure my resume gets by recruitment software so it can be read by a live person?

Thanks!