I wanrt to work in NICU sooo bad when I graduate! What can I do this summer?

babyNP., APRN · May 12, 2009

If you're willing to move, it shouldn't be too hard to get a job in a NICU. I got my NRP (neonatal resuscitation) while in school and read a few books on the NICU before my interviews so that I could talk (somewhat) intelligibly with the manager for the interview.

What I had originally did was look up the best NICUs according to U.S. News and World Report, figured out some regions that I'd like to live in, and then e-mailed the managers of all the units directly about 6 months before I graduated, asking them if they had any spots open for new grads. I didn't find that the nurse recruiters were helpful in general. In my experience, they didn't really know if spots were open or not.

For the interviews (interviewed at CHOP and DC children's), I read everything about their mission and goals on their website and their facilities so that I had something to say, brought copies of my resumes and transcripts with cover letters...you have to realize that hospitals get a ton of apps so you have to stand out by making an outstanding resume and a decent cover letter and contacting the people directly.

Good luck!

cherubhipster · May 12, 2009

Thanks BabyRN. That is some very helpful advice! How on earth did you find the emails of the managers of the NICUs though?

babyNP., APRN · May 12, 2009

I can't remember, actually. Huh. If I were in your shoes, I'd just call call the main line of the hospital, ask for the NICU, and then ask for the e-mail address of the manager. Come to think of it...maybe that is what I did, lol.

cherubhipster · May 12, 2009

haha, awesome!! How very sleuth like. :coollook:

iHeartNICU · May 12, 2009

I think babyRN's suggestion sounds good. You really have to be persistant and "sleuth like" to get what you really want!

For me I knew I was unwilling to move and only wanted to work in one specific NICU. I got the nurse manager's phone number and called her 3 times within two months (starting about 9 months before graduation). I never got a call back and was getting really discouraged and figured she didn't want me or they weren't hiring. I planned to call back in another month or so just to check up on things. Well, I was in clinical one day and the nurse I was following for the day asked me where I wanted to end up working and I told her about how I called the NICU 3 times already but hadn't heard back, etc. She told me she knew for a fact they hired new grads every semester. At the end of my clinical day the nurse I was following said "You know what? I'm going to call her and put in a good word for you because you are going to make a great nurse and I can tell that is where you want to be." I figured it would't really help anything but I told her that was fine, she could definitely call on my behalf. I thanked her for the day and walked out of the unit. Not even 3 minutes later I got a call from the NICU nurse manager. She said she had gotten all of my calls but they were in the middle of remodeling the unit and were in a temporary unit and things were just hectic and crazy and she never got a chance to call me back but she had my number. She said she loved how I was so persistant without being totally annoying and she really wanted me to work there. She hired me on as an extern while I was still in school and then as a GN once I graduated and then finally, as a RN. Wow, that was long, sorry. Point being, if you want something bad enough keep at it and don't give up!!! Persistance can pay off! GOOD LUCK!!!