Likelihood of a new grad getting an ER job?

pittnurse24, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2015

Like others have said it definitely depends on location and really who you know. If you work in the ER as a tech before, then you have a better chance of landing a job straight out of nursing school. Also if the co-op plan you mentioned is an option for ER then you'd also have a good chance. I live in SC and just recently went to an open house for new grads at a community type hospital. They had a table set up for the ER and basically told me that unless someone has previous experience as an EMT or paramedic, or have a burning passion to work in the ER, then they won't hire a new grad. This hospital in particular only hires two new grads a year in the ER too they said.

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Mar 28, 2015

Cooperative education program- Drexel will put you in hospitals around the USA for 6 consecutive months a year to gain experience in the nursing field. Co-ops start in sophomore year and ends junior year. Co-op nursing students get paid roughly $16,000 for 6 months. They work in contemporary public health networks, acute & chronic illness nursing, and an elective specialty nursing field of the student's choosing.
Consequently, it will take 5 years for me to graduate w/ a BSN and I'm assuming the in class schedule is more intense as a result of the co-op work experience.
I heard that people that utilize the co-op plan have a 99.4% employment rate.. 38% of co-op students end up being employed by their co-op employer upon graduation. However, I'm not sure if it will help me specifically get an ER nursing job or even be a credible thing on my job resume after graduating.

So it's kind of like a paid internship while still attending school? That sounds like an incredibly smart way to go about nursing education! Sounds like Drexel is a great school that most likely graduates students that are actually able to enter the workforce. I would think that kind of truly hands on training and the available networking toward future employment is well worth the extra year of school.

I can't say with any certainty that it will help you land an ER position out of the gate, but I will say your odds are probably better with that educational experience than without it.

bigdreams01 · Mar 28, 2015

Like others have said it definitely depends on location and really who you know. If you work in the ER as a tech before, then you have a better chance of landing a job straight out of nursing school. Also if the co-op plan you mentioned is an option for ER then you'd also have a good chance. I live in SC and just recently went to an open house for new grads at a community type hospital. They had a table set up for the ER and basically told me that unless someone has previous experience as an EMT or paramedic, or have a burning passion to work in the ER, then they won't hire a new grad. This hospital in particular only hires two new grads a year in the ER too they said.

What factors made those two new grads stand out and get hired in the ER?

I'm dying to land an ER job because it will open up the possibility of applying to Nurse Anesthesia programs.

windsurfer8, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2015

Nobody on here can answer that as we have no idea what hospital you will be applying. Also the interview makes a huge difference. Also you could have horrible references..or good ones. You need to contact the hospital where you want to work and see if they are accepting applications in the ER for new grads.

KeepItRealRN, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2015

That seems like jumping the gun. I wouldn't pay to get my license endorsed in another state unless I had a firm offer.
And I would say that the single best way to get a job as a new grad on a desirable floor is to work on that floor as a tech first.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^

KeepItRealRN, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2015

What factors made those two new grads stand out and get hired in the ER?
I'm dying to land an ER job because it will open up the possibility of applying to Nurse Anesthesia programs.

Not true. CRNA requires ICU. And the best strategy is to work in a Surgical ICU where they have Anesthesiologists and or Intensivists. One of them will have to write a letter recommendation.

ER experience will not get you into CRNA school. At least not around here.

If ER experience will get you into CRNA school in your area, then if you get the interview make sure you tell the interviewer that you plan to go to CRNA the minute your agreed upon commitment is done. In fact make sure you ask your manager for a letter of recommendation before your commitment is done so that you can start CRNA school ASAP when your agreed upon tenure in the ER is completed. Your will stand out as a shining star against a background of mediocrity.

bigdreams01 · Mar 28, 2015

Not true. CRNA requires ICU. And the best strategy is to work in a Surgical ICU where they have Anesthesiologists and or Intensivists. One of them will have to write a letter recommendation.
ER experience will not get you into CRNA school. At least not around here.
If ER experience will get you into CRNA school in your area, then if you get the interview make sure you tell the interviewer that you plan to go to CRNA the minute your agreed upon commitment is done. In fact make sure you ask your manager for a letter of recommendation before your commitment is done so that you can start CRNA school ASAP when your agreed upon tenure in the ER is completed. Your will stand out as a shining star against a background of mediocrity.

Oh, I'm sure most CRNA schools I saw required ER experience and only some required ICU. Guess I was wrong. I'm sure Drexel's co-op for ICU will help me land an ICU job, right?

RunnerRN2015, ASN, RN · Mar 28, 2015

As a fresh BSN graduate, what is the likelihood of getting a job as an ER nurse? Or ICU?
What would you need to accomplish this? Does co-op experience help? GPA? Connections?

I graduated in December. The level 1 trauma center/ED hired 2 new grads -- me and a classmate. I have 8-10 classmates who were hired into various ICUs at the same hospital: MICU, STICU, CVICU. We have nurse residencies for both areas (ICU and ED) so we have classroom time as well as time on the floor. My school is affiliated with the hospital system and has a stellar reputation so that helps. I worked as a tech in the same ED and my classmate worked in another ED in the system. We both did our senior preceptorships there as well.

Aliareza, BSN · Mar 28, 2015

I, too, have always heard it the other way around: CRNA schools want 1 year minimum of ICU experience and some will begrudgingly take ER experience instead, but the majority probably wouldn't because they have plenty of applicants. There's no dearth of people wanting to skip straight to CRNA these days.

Getting into ICU is typically harder than ER in my rural area. I know two people who have been hired for ER spots, and we haven't even graduated yet. One girl sat for an ICU interview, but ICU hasn't made any offers to the new grads and probably won't, is what we've been told. Everything is so much more critical in ICU that they want us to have at least a year of some kind of med-surg experience to broaden our knowledge and help sharpen our nursing instincts. If new grads do get into ICU (I've seen it happen), they're usually from the bridge program and thus were LVN/LPNs or EMTs before. Especially EMTs.

No matter what your end goal is, that year of paid internship sounds darn good, IMO. I'd take advantage of something like that no matter what my goals were.

Mr. Murse · Mar 28, 2015

I know some people disagree with this opinion, but it really is a good idea to work a med/surg floor for a few months or so before trying to jump into an ER or ICU. The one exception I would say is if you have been working as a tech of some kind in the ER or ICU for a while before you became licensed.

The surgical ICU I work in has hired a handful of new grads over the last year who went through 3 months or so of a "residency" program, but you really can tell the ones that have had medical experience (besides clinicals) and those who have not. I mean you're still learning the basics of nursing for the first few months out of school (no, clinicals have not prepared you adequately), and you're still developing that "nurse's 6th sense". In my opinion, stacking on the acuity of the ICU onto the task of just learning nursing basics is a little dangerous.

So many new grads are so eager to just advance their career that they want to take short cuts. Get a med/surg position for a year, hone some of your core nursing schools and time management skills, then pursue the ICU or ER. A year isn't that long. Not to mention having that experience will make you more desirable for the ICU and probably give you a foot in the door instead of trying to run across the country to jump the gun on a position you may be better off waiting on for a little while.

I worked 3 years on a surgical floor before moving to the ICU and I'm glad I did. I feel like I was so much more well rounded and prepared for it. I had developed my basic nursing skills, time management skills, and even charged for most of the time. Not that I couldn't have done it right out of school, but it was just a better, smarter move not to. I'm not recommending waiting 3 years, but at least a few months in lower acuity to really understand the job.

Again, the exception would be if you've been working as a tech or something else in a hospital setting.

That's just my opinion, as someone who works with a couple of brand new nurslings in the ICU and recognizes the handicap that it can be for you and even the team at times.

bigdreams01 · Mar 28, 2015

I know some people disagree with this opinion, but it really is a good idea to work a med/surg floor for a few months or so before trying to jump into an ER or ICU. The one exception I would say is if you have been working as a tech of some kind in the ER or ICU for a while before you became licensed.
The surgical ICU I work in has hired a handful of new grads over the last year who went through 3 months or so of a "residency" program, but you really can tell the ones that have had medical experience (besides clinicals) and those who have not. I mean you're still learning the basics of nursing for the first few months out of school (no, clinicals have not prepared you adequately), and you're still developing that "nurse's 6th sense". In my opinion, stacking on the acuity of the ICU onto the task of just learning nursing basics is a little dangerous.
So many new grads are so eager to just advance their career that they want to take short cuts. Get a med/surg position for a year, hone some of your core nursing schools and time management skills, then pursue the ICU or ER. A year isn't that long. Not to mention having that experience will make you more desirable for the ICU and probably give you a foot in the door instead of trying to run across the country to jump the gun on a position you may be better off waiting on for a little while.
I worked 3 years on a surgical floor before moving to the ICU and I'm glad I did. I feel like I was so much more well rounded and prepared for it. I had developed my basic nursing skills, time management skills, and even charged for most of the time. Not that I couldn't have done it right out of school, but it was just a better, smarter move not to. I'm not recommending waiting 3 years, but at least a few months in lower acuity to really understand the job.
Again, the exception would be if you've been working as a tech or something else in a hospital setting.
That's just my opinion, as someone who works with a couple of brand new nurslings in the ICU and recognizes the handicap that it can be for you and even the team at times.

I'd hate to be the newbie dragging the other ICU nurses down. Would it just be easier to get whatever job I can land first and then aim for finding an ICU job after a year? Getting fired from ICU as a new grad is the last thing I want on my CRNA school application.

The only problem I have with waiting a year is.. I don't want to spend years and years working up to the ICU nurse level when the CRNA schools will be a mandatory doctorate program by 2025.. I'd like to attend CRNA schooling while it's still a 2-3 year program but that's an entirely different topic.

I love nursing, but I'm just really eager to just get my dream job as a CRNA ASAP.

bigdreams01 · Mar 28, 2015

In fact, I'm pretty sure any student that's aiming to be a CRNA after Jan. 1, 2022 MUST have a doctoral degree.