How do I get into the ICU?

MB37 · Aug 5, 2008

Some areas and hospitals are more competitive than others, and there are several hospitals in my area that do not hire new grads directly into ICUs. There are also several that do, and at least one where you seem to only need a pulse. Make sure you research all the hospitals in your area, and even ask HR what you can do to enhance your status - does your school host a job fair anytime soon? Many new grad ICU positions require you to start with a class that may only be offered once or twice a year, and they'll hire a month or two prior to that start date (or perhaps even earlier). Some in this area only require you to have graduated, others require you to have passed your boards. Either way, you'll want to get everything filled out on time and any supplemental paperwork you may need sent off very close to graduation. Consider working as a tech at a hospital you'd want to work at, even just for a few hours a week - here the hospitals are more favorable to current employees as long as they've taken their jobs seriously. The vast majority of my class wants to work in ICU, I only know one girl who's interested in L&D - must vary by area, plus we get a pretty crappy exposure to L&D during NS.

ChinUp · Aug 8, 2008

Make your presence known!!! Once I made up my mind, I showed up at my hospital's open house, took a tour, met the asst nurse manager, decided to take my last clinicals at the same hospital and spent them at ICU, introduced myself to the nurse manager and told her of my intent in working at her unit, be very nice and congenial to your possible future coworkers, and I did my preceptorship there also.

So i guess you can say that by interview day (about three weeks before graduation) I was comfortable at the unit and a lot of people knew me there already. I also had a great interview experience.

suanna · Aug 8, 2008

By all means talk to your student advisor ASAP. Our hospital hires new grads for ICU only if they have the recomendation of thier student advisor and have precepted in critical care. The time to set this up is NOW. I don't know what the policies are of the hospitals in your area but being able to site extra clinical time in critical care on your application and a letter of recomendation from your advisor or critical care instructor would go a long way to opening the door for you.