How to get a job in NICU as a new grad!

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Hello everyone,

This is my first time on this forum. I was applying for jobs today and was getting discouraged that all the NICU postions in my area require 1 year expierence. Do any of you have any suggestions on how to get the expierence needed and what units to work in. I am a new grad and have no expierence and really do not want to go to med surg.

Thanks

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Look for places that offer new grad nurse internships. They can be a great way to get your foot in the door. Larger teaching hospitals often have internship programs of this type.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

Do not go to med-surg!

Frankly, that is probably the worst thing you could do if NICU is truly your calling.

There are numerous threads here on finding a NICU job as a new grad, so please search the archives and read them to learn valuable information from those of us who have been there and done that.

Your best chances lie in finding employment in the NICU, mother-baby, or general peds units of large teaching and/or children's hospitals. Try those facilities first, and don't be intimidated by the " 1 year experience" requirement. Apply anyway. Contact the nurse manager(s) directly, as well as going thru the nurse recruiter(s).

Good luck!

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There are a couple of girls I graduated with who want to work in the NICU but weren't able to get jobs there. This NICU is at a Children's Hospital so they took nursing positions at the hospital on other units, in the hopes that when a NICU position came open they would be in house and considered for employment ahead of external candidates.

Best of luck to you!

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Specializes in ICU, PACU, Cath Lab.

I will be graduating in May and I am also looking for a position in the NICU..all of my local hospitals require experience. However the larger teaching hospital in the area has 6 positions open with no experience needed!! They are a great Magnet hospital and have a very nice facility. Now I am just deciding on when I should apply?! So my advice like others have said is try to find a bigger hospital, they may have an "in" for you!! Good Luck!!

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Do not go to med-surg!

Frankly, that is probably the worst thing you could do if NICU is truly your calling. "

Why? I understand that med/surg is not relevant to NICU but why is it the worst?:confused:

Thanks

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
Do not go to med-surg!

Frankly, that is probably the worst thing you could do if NICU is truly your calling. "

Why? I understand that med/surg is not relevant to NICU but why is it the worst?:confused:

Thanks

It is just that med surg nurses have to "un-learn" so much in order to adapt to the NICU. Babies are not little adults. Their pathophysiology, medical management, pharmacology, nursing interventions, etc. are so different from adults that it is difficult for experienced med-surg nurses to re-program their thinking and actions. It is much easier to transition from mother-baby, general pediatrics, PICU, or even the ER, where nurses have regular exposure to infants.

That's not to say that I would discourage an experienced med-surg nurse from pursuing a NICU job, just caution him/her to be aware of the challenges of doing so.

In my experience, new grads hired into the NICU adapt the most readily and find the greatest satisfaction in their jobs. Nurses with experience in adult health have a more difficult time orienting to the NICU, and tend to leave sooner due to job dis-satisfaction.

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Jolie,

Thank you for the fast and comprehensive answer! This is very sound reasoning, I see your point!

I am getting ready to finish my ADN program and I work in NICU as a CNA. I LOVE NICU.

Thanks again!

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Jolie,

Thank you for the fast and comprehensive answer! This is very sound reasoning, I see your point!

I am getting ready to finish my ADN program and I work in NICU as a CNA. I LOVE NICU.

Thanks again!

Hi,

I'm new here and haven't even started my schooling (I am trying to get more info to decide if the NICU is indeed my "calling"). I am curious as to what a CNA does in a NICU. I guess I had it figured that if you're in the NICU, you would need to be at least an RN. ??

Thanks for any info,

~Brenda

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I'm a new grad (Sept. '06 - RN as of 11 '06) and I beginning training in the NICU on the 31st! It was what I wanted and I looked for it and got what I wanted. I think it helps that the nurse manager had hired another new grad the previous year from my program and knew what to expect.

It also helps if you live in or near a big city (or are willing to move to one) which has teaching hospitals or children's hospitals. I just happened to be moving to southern California where there are 2 level 3 NICU's close by that hire new grads.

Definitely apply anyway and go in with confidence about your skills and abilities to be a great new grad NICU nurse. Also, try to get your critical care clinical instructor and mother/baby clinical instructor to write recommendations. Good luck! :)

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I will be a new grad in May and have already been hired into a Level IIIC NICU. For me, after doing my externship in the NICU I knew that was where I wanted to begin working. I guess also a little different for me is that I am single and willing to relocate to various cities. So if possible being open to relocating always opens up more doors. I applied to a lot of free standing Children's hospitals and like others have said, they did seem more willing to take new grads. In fact I didn't run into many places that wouldn't. So it is possible to find work in a good NICU as a new grad. Don't be discouraged :)

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