Looking for ICU Preceptor

[Kricket, RN]

As a RN student that is set to graduate 02/21, I am searching for a preceptor, or even a way to find one, within an ICU. I am fortunate that my program will find a preceptorship for me, however, with everything that has come along with covid it seems those amazing experiences in exciting units are fewer and further between.

I want desperately to secure a preceptorship in an ICU. I know, probably next to impossible right now. The thing is, I'm 36 years old, a mother of 3,  and I'm just not getting any younger. Nursing is a second career for me. Well, third if you count being a SAHM. When I entered the program, I had originally intended to go to be a FNP. I wanted the experience of a nurse before transitioning into/becoming a "provider," as I felt the added experience would be far more beneficial to me than going the PA route.

...Then, in December, my mother had a congenital heart defect discovered. Within 2 weeks of Dx she was on the table having AV replacement. Her surgery took longer than expected, and her recovery has gone well (but not as well as expected). The short version of the long story was that the time that she spent in the step-down unit(s) was the most captivating nursing experience I've had. Watching the autonomy of these highly capable RNs really resinated with me. This is my path in the coming years, or at least I hope that it will be. 

The bottom line is, I have no understanding of how to get a preceptorship in this field. Almost ANY ICU job listing, even the internships I had planned to apply for, REQUIRE or STRONGLY PREFER RNs with ICU preceptorships. We are post-covid, and most ICUs are locked down tight. I can't seem to find ANY information on how to begin to find one, and I will need to do my preceptorship in my final RN class, which begins in 5 WEEKS! I am so discouraged right now.

I don't have ANY problem paying my dues, but at the same time I can't find any direction on how to begin to go about this. As I said, my program will set me up with "something," but I just thought, after as hard as I have worked FOR my school they would be more eager to assist me. I have been our cohorts leader and set up numerous activities for the CH. I have maintained regular communication with administration (my dean, my assistant dean and my campus president) and have coordinated regularly for/between administration and my CH. Things from ensuring clinical clearances were sorted to getting CH members to complete on-site facility-specific education requirements, to assisting with tutoring for struggling students. I have done far more, honestly, but you get the idea... All while maintaining a 3.6+ throughout the program and level 3-ing all of my ATIs [prob not THAT big of deal, but I mean to say I have not let my grades suffer in doing everything possible to ease the load on administration], and I guess I just thought they would be of more assistance. 

I am also a member of the NSNA and have reached out to the association and my local chapter, and they don't have any suggestions either. 

I suppose, what I'm asking is:

-Is it impossible to find an ICU preceptorship right now?

-If not, do yo have any TIPS on how to go about this?

-And, if so, will that kill my chances of going into ICU after graduation?

Any insight would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!! 

[bitter_betsy, BSN]

So.... does your school not set up your clinical assignments?  We didn’t get to pick our clinical locations or shift but our assignments were provided to us.

Having said that - I was able to end up where I wanted -even with Covid.  The first thing I did was get a job as a tech (nurse intern) prior to graduation in the department I wanted to be in.  That job ended up going by the wayside when Covid struck because it was poorly run and I couldn’t risk not being able to go to my clinicals because my job wouldn’t provide me with proper PPE.  They also didn’t have a residency program.  I ended up learning from this experience that it certainly wasn’t the hospital I wanted to work at.

Once I was close to graduation, I started looking for residency programs.  I found a magnet program that had a specific program for the ER.  (Our hospital has one for critical care units as well).  Although I couldn’t get HCA to move faster than a snail pace, they have a program also.

I am just getting to the end of my residency and I’ll be on my own soon.  It may have helped to have some of the experiences that I had, but I still tried - it took time.  We have new grads in our ICU right now learning, and maybe it is a hospital to hospital thing - but give it a try.  You will most likely have more luck in a residency program than just trying to get hired into an ICU (that is probably futile in the current environment).

Good Luck.

[socal212, CNA]

I don't have much advice for you, because I think preceptorships can vary from state to state and school to school.  If you are looking to do this without your schools help I think the only way this could happen is for you to start networking.  Can you reach out to hospitals in your area?  Or maybe any nursing school alumni who would have possibly gotten preceptorships on their own?  

I would also try to get away from the mindset that your school kind of, like, owes you an ICU preceptorship.  There's hundreds of other students who also need to secure a preceptorship.  Times are very challenging.  I would honestly assume that it isn't even your school not trying to help you, but it's the hospitals who are making it difficult to get students in.  They really put up a road block for nursing students and new grads.  Which I do get because (at least where I work) tripled and quadrupled ICU assignments don't leave a lot of energy for nurses to precept.  But this truly would be a great time for students to be in the hospital.  Because if we can survive this we can survive any nursing situation.

Best of luck to you.  If you don't get an ICU preceptorship, but you wind up somewhere else, don't be afraid to go talk to the ICU manager or HR or anybody in there for future new grad opportunities :)  

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

I would STRONGLY caution you against trying to secure a placement outside of school channels. It gives the facility the impression that your school 'makes students find their own placements' - which can be deadly for future collaboration with that facility. But also- schools and facilities must have affiliation agreements in place, insurance policies set up, access to onboarding and a qualified clinical instructor who will meet the facility requirements. These things CANNOT happen in 5 weeks (truthfully five MONTHS would be nothing short of miraculous) especially with the holidays, covid, and vaccine distribution impacting everything. 

 

[JKL33]

On 11/9/2020 at 4:08 PM, Kricket said:

Almost ANY ICU job listing, even the internships I had planned to apply for, REQUIRE or STRONGLY PREFER RNs with ICU preceptorships.

Would just like to point out that many places are not in any position to be nearly this choosy. Honestly it's a bit offensive, as if on top of everything workers shall now be expected to arrive at the doorstep of the hospital corporation already specialty-trained. Ridiculous.

I understand being a new grad and wanting to work in an ICU, but I would caution against even getting started with a mindset of bending over backward regardless of how ridiculous the demand. Hospitals depend upon new grads feeling so very desperate to get a foot in the door and it really leads to a lot of poor treatment overall.

Whatever your internship opportunity is, learn as much as you can. Work very hard. Then be prepared to talk about your experiences in an interview and how they will be applied to the job in question.

Good luck ~