If ICU is long term goal, Med/Surg Hospital or Med/Surg LTAC ?

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Just would like to know your thoughts, guys--If my long term goal is to be in CVICU or SICU, what would be a good experience for a new grad given I already have less than a year of ED experience-- Med/Surg in a 300-bed inpatient hospital or Med/Surg in an LTAC ?

Appreciate any detailed response with explanation :-)

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Specializes in Cardiothoracic ICU.

Well a hospital will have more acute med/surge patients and will be better for networking opportunities.

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Specializes in CCRN, House Sup, CCT, Unit Director, ICU.

I'd go with the 300 bed M/S. You can network with their ICU and possibly transfer after you've been there a while

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I too would suggest the hospital. The LTAC will be very intense with high staffing ratios at the same time. Plus like the others said their would be more job opportunities and networking in a regular hospital if ICU is your thing!

Sometimes we are in the ICU taking tele overflow patients, so you could volunteer for that, and get to know more and meet people in the ICU at the same time, and find out if its for you or not. ICU is a high stress, noisy (lots of alarms) environment, but in my experience the ICU RN's are happy to teach newbies and transfers. They could show you things like swan-ganz lines, vents, suctioning, etc. Also you have more indepence with protocol orders but at the same time it is very much a team work environment where you might have an emergency with 2-3 RN's at a patient's bedside.

If I had a choice I would choose tele as that is so important in the ICU and becoming more so in hospitals nowadays. Also taking ACLS and 12 Lead EKG would be beneficial if your goal is ICU.

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Specializes in ER/ICU/STICU.

So do you want to leave the ER because you think med-surg will give a better chance at the ICU? Or are you unhappy with the ER?

In my opinion I would stick with the ER. Your ER experience will at least let you care for ICU patients at times, and to use ACLS, vents, ekg's, pressors, etc. I personally think your ER experience will give you a better chance than med surg experience.

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Med-surg sucks. I would stick with ER until you get at least a year exp, and then keep your eyes open for an ICU job to open up. Med-surg and ICU are 2 different fields, at least with ER you have critical care experience.

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Thank you guys for all your comments and suggestions.

What about the ICU in LTAC vs Med/Surg Hospital ? Which one would you prefer if you wish to go to SICU or CVICU someday ? I've read somewhere in this forum that ICU in LTAC also has some critical patients and they require 2 years of ICU experience to be an RN at an ICU in LTAC.

Let me know your thoughts and comments. Thanks !

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Specializes in ICU.

I've worked Med-surg/tele float and ICU in a 300 bed acute care hospital. i have managed an LTACH.

The LTACH patients can very much be like ICU patients at times. However, it is much easier into networking into the ICu when you are already inside the hospital ot even a system of hospitals. i got my ICU job after floating for a few months as a med surg. The floors got to know me and I was recommended, interviewed and got the job. i say do some med-surge float and volunteer as another poster said, to float the the ICU when they are short and have patients for tele. That's how a few nurses made it into our ICU.

Good luck!

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