when should I switch from med surg to nicu?

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Hi guys! So I'm ever thankful for my first job in the hospital after some non acute nursing jobs I had. I always knew I wanted to be in the hospital. I got on with a med surg floor but NICU is my goal sooner or later. Overall I love the people and the hospital and I feel blessed to be working there. I'm about to be off of orientation soon (ours is 9 wks give or take a little). I respect this job and the people alot so I definitely am not going to ditch them all of a sudden. This hospital doesn't have a NICU. It's small, but within the hospital network (it's one large network of different hospitals) there's a hospital literally 5 mins from me that DOES have a NICU, and it's well known in this area as the only level III. I have to drive 45 mins to my work now, which I absolutely don't mind. But for obvious reasons I hope to work at the closer hospital eventually. I had tried to apply there before but I didn't have enough experience yet and didn't get selected for the new grad program because this town is tiny and over saturated with applicants and I moved here from out of state so from what I heard students who did clinical here got the upper hand of course.

I've kept watch and over the past year or more I keep noticing NICU jobs steadily pop up from time to time! My question is, should I stay at this job at least a year before I apply? 6 months? Somewhere between? Like I said I want to respect this job and won't do anything unacceptable, I just know that I don't want to be in m/s any longer than I have to. I do enjoy my job I just know that my passion and ultimate job satisfaction still awaits me! I would be transferring to a hospital still within the same network so I do feel like that's better than working for a completely different hospital. Opinions?

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Minimum 1-2 years to become proficient and the system reaps the benefits from providing the training & opportunity.

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I've been a nurse for 1.5 years and I started out as a new grad in L and D for 7 months, I then went to M/S floor specializing in Cardiothoracic surgeries for 10 months, and now I am currently working in the NICU. The only thing that makes my job in the NICU a little easier is that I know the computer systems, other than that my MS experience wouldn't be my saving grace to work with these little ones. It's a totally different ball game. I have worked a total of 2 shifts so far and I absolutely love it.

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I'm not an experienced nurse but I have always heard 6 months is a good time to start looking and applying for a job that further interests you. Technically the hospital will lose money if you don't stay for several years because they put in all of the work to train & orient you. But the heart wants what the heart wants... Goodluck!

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