how to get to critical care?

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jul 1, 2014

Take an acute care job -- Med/Surg is a great place to start. After you've been there for a couple of years, apply for an ICU job.

ChipNurse · Jul 1, 2014

It doesn't hurt to at least apply for some ICU positions. Some ICU's prefer new grads as they don't *usually* come with bad attitudes or bad habits. It is a lot of work though. If you do get hired into ICU as a new grad, expect to study outside of work every day. Good luck :)

marta02225 · Jul 2, 2014

Thank you for your response. I am open to challenges and love to study.I have a hard time finding ICU job opening who does not fill '' at least 1 year of experience'' requirement. Are there any states that have less restrictions to newly graduated nurses?

palaviccinim · Jul 3, 2014

Just apply for some ICU jobs that interest you - my unit hires new grads all the time. I did a year of med/surg before ICU and I will sa that other than time management and a knowledge of different insulin types, nothing in my first year of nursing translated all that much into ICU - it's kind of like starting over.

CardiacKittyRN · Jul 3, 2014

I would apply even if they say they require one year experience. My current (and first!) RN job had this requirement and I was still hired. My nurse manager prefers to hire new grads & train them.. I am on a progressive cardiac unit though, not ICU. Although I do have 2 friends who graduated with me now working in ICU! I am in Georgia and also an ADN grad.

laRN1 · Jul 5, 2014

Question for you hollykristinxo. Do you know why your manager prefers new grads? I'm assuming she prefers them over experienced nurses. Just wondering because I have 9 years experience and having a tough time getting a job in the icu at my hospital.

If anyone can give me any feedback, something I can do to increase my chances, please let me know.

Thanks!

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Jul 13, 2014

I was going to start a thread on this same topic, but my issue is the opposite. I have 2 years of med-surg/tele experience with no classroom training or floor experience in critical care (no stepdown beds on my unit). All the jobs I want in stepdown, ICU or even ED units specify "critical care experience is required" so now I feel stuck. Very frustrating. Any thoughts on how I should apporach this in my favor?

CardiacKittyRN · Jul 15, 2014

Question for you hollykristinxo. Do you know why your manager prefers new grads? I'm assuming she prefers them over experienced nurses. Just wondering because I have 9 years experience and having a tough time getting a job in the icu at my hospital.
If anyone can give me any feedback, something I can do to increase my chances, please let me know.
Thanks!

I have been told it's because she likes taking new grads and training them to our floors way of doing things & we don't come into it with bad habits. The orientation I got was wonderful and extensive compared to what I have read about on here... We have lots of experienced nurses on the floor too. This is a unit with extremely low turnover, also, so new grads become worth the investment.

CamillusRN, BSN · Dec 31, 2014

I've heard that critical access nursing is a good start toward ICU nursing due to the fact that you're it for the next 300+ miles and have to stabilize until transfer arrangements can be made. I'm working on making the transition from critical access to critical care - we'll see how it goes!