Getting a job in the NICU

newgradRN001 · Feb 2, 2011

You have to do some research and find the hospitals in your area that are open to hiring new grads right now. Three years ago a lot of the NICU's were accepting new grads now its much harder to find a hospital willing to hire newbies.

Once you find a hospital open to new grad's email the NICU Nurse Manager, introduce yourself, talk about your experience, your NP program, and your passion for the NICU and attach your resume to the email. That's how I got my interview. Then for my interview I just let my passion for the NICU show through and backed it up with my preceptorship and nurse shadow in the NICU experience. Finding a job in the NICU is possible it just takes finding the right hospital, hard work, and lots of patience! Good luck!

Bobbkat · Feb 3, 2011

Also, do you plan on staying at the NICU position? I can see that some hiring managers might be hesitant to hire you as a RN if you plan on leaving shortly to begin your PNP career. It's a lot of time and money to train a new grad, and while there are never any promises that someone will stay X-amount of time, knowing that you have future career plans already in motion might not be in your favor.

kerussll · Feb 4, 2011

Just keep, keep applying. It worked for me. Even if you have to take another job in the meantime, don't stop applying for your dream job. I recently got hired in a NICU with no nursing experience except an internship in a NICU. You may also consider applying for sister units in house, like PICU or L&D. You might occasionally get to float or get cross-trained in the NICU and gain experience that way. You sound very passionate. I'm sure if you get an interview, you'll be seen in a very good light :)

nterenzo · Feb 4, 2011

Thank you for all of the responses! Yes, I do plan on staying in the NICU program, eventually I intend to add my neonatal certification to my PNP, but to even apply to these certificate programs you need at least a year of experience in the NICU. The only reason I started with PNP is because my program didn't offer a lot of different options, and there's only one NNP program in all of New England. I figured it would make sense to start with a generic pediatric education, before I specialized (know what's normal in a healthy baby and its easier to identify when something is not). I am realizing now this may have been a mistake, because the acceleration of my program prevents me from getting a lot of time in critical specialties such as the NICU, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I may be able to get one rotation. I do see why it might seem wasteful to train a new grad in the NICU, but having spent time on the units for the past 4 years, I know it's something I intend to practice for a long long time. I am definitely open to starting in the PICU, or even just a basic nursery or step down unit, but it seems like I am being ridiculed for attempting this without any other nursing experience. I understand its good to have skills such as time management and the ability to multi task under my belt from less critical situations, but I really don't see how it would be relevant to care for the elderly population when I know what I want my focus to be. I think my current strategy is to send out a cover letter & resume to unit directors, nursing directors, etc. in the area and hope that somebody recognizes potential in me, but it is certainly frustrating being told to get more experience when nobody wants to give it to me. Maybe being in Boston, where nursing jobs are very competitive, is hindering me, because I see new grads getting these positions in other areas of the country all the time.