ICU Experience Question

I would get into a high acuity ICU full time for at least a year.. traveling and per diem show flexibility, but you don't get the training that you would from being regular staff in an ICU. I traveled for a year and a half, and rarely got to care for the vented patients on multiple pressors. I know that most schools require at least one year full time ICU experience, so I don't think that per diem would count towards that. Good luck!

Contact programs you're interested in and ask them. Experience expectations differ so drastically from school to school. From what I have seen, most places want full-time ICU experience for 1-2 years.

Definately find a full time ICU you can settle down with. You will need good recommendations from employers/managers and you will not have this like you mentioned. Keep in mind, even if a program says they will accept your travel experience to meet the minimum requirement, it does not mean that they will pick you out of an applicant pool where everyone else has roots on a particular ICU.

I have been reading alot of posts and requirements for the CRNA program but I guess my case may be a little different. I was a LPN for 8 years working in a cardiac step down unit and a RN for 5 years currently. I worked in an ICU for 6 months but due to my landlord selling the house, I had to leave the state and started traveling (due to the fact i only worked 6 months in ICU i wasnt allowed to work ICU for travel). So I did cardiac stepdown for a year till I came back to Florida. I am currently back in a cardiac step down unit but I work for an agency which I do ICU about 2-3 times per week on my days off.

Is working for an agency doing ICU good towards the experience required? I doubt I can get a reference letter from a manager due to the fact I work multiple ICUs a week.

I do have my BSN, CCRN and PCCN. Yet to take my GRE and have a pretty decent GPA (3.2).

I would find a actual fulltime ICU to work in. I'm not sure what types of PTs you get as an agency nurse but on my ICU we would give them the lowest acuity and they were the first ones sent home.