Help choosing job

Do not work on the floor! You need to be in an ICU to get the critical care experience you need. And once you have been a "floor nurse" it is harder to sell yourself to most managers over a new grad who has only wanted to work in an ICU and wouldn't settle for the floor.

I have had friends at many differnent types of facilities (large, small, 1 general ICU vs 6 specialized ICU's) and you can get into CRNA school with any of that experience... If you spend your time wisely in the ICU and learn as much as you can. More people, in my limited experience, have better chances working in a cardiac or trauma/neuro ICU vs medical ICU. Mostly because you will be exposed to many more medication drips and emergent situations that will boost your knowledge and confidence for interviews.

This honestly depends on the school...I have worked in a 15 bed general ICU for a year (we get hearts, balloon pump, etc) and was accepted to one school no problem....however...another school will not consider me unless I move to a level 1 trauma center ICU (this is all based on how competitive the applicant pool is) by a certain date. I have known many people who have had to change jobs and move to a larger/more acute ICU in order to be accepted. I am upset about having to leave my job, but in the end I'm sure it will be worth it!

krissjazzer13 is right, while I was in nursing school, I actually worked in my CTICU as an aid on the weekends to "get myself in" with the manager. You'll sometimes hear that some ICU's don't accept new grads, so you may have to take what you can get. It makes no sense to hold out for a "perfect" job, you need to start somewhere. Once you start getting confidence, look around and try to get into a place that deals with big stuff like LVAD'S, transplants, etc. Anesthesia schools, at least mine, look at the autonomy of the ICU nurse. They want people that can make clinically sound decisions instantly, and not the type who call a doctor at 2am for a Tylenol order. The more acuity involved, the more competent the RN needs to be. Good luck with finding your job and hopefully, future education

Sodiumpent

I have had friends at many differnent types of facilities (large, small, 1 general ICU vs 6 specialized ICU's) and you can get into CRNA school with any of that experience... If you spend your time wisely in the ICU and learn as much as you can. More people, in my limited experience, have better chances working in a cardiac or trauma/neuro ICU vs medical ICU. Mostly because you will be exposed to many more medication drips and emergent situations that will boost your knowledge and confidence for interviews.

I have to disagree with this statement as it pertains to MICU. You can gain a wealth of critical care experience in a medical intensive care unit. Where do you think that train wreck also known as septic patient is going to be admitted?? How about that diabetic with a blood sugar of 1100 mg/dl along with several comorbidities?? Bottom line up front, I believe that you should try to find a critical care unit that typically has high-acuity patients. There are intensive care units that are loosely equivalent to step-down units. However, if you cannot get into critical care in a large facility then by all means take a position in the smaller, low-acuity ICU. You will, no doubt, learn something about the management of acutely ill patients. Good luck in your endeavors...