I am currently a nursing student in an accelerated BSN program in which I have a little less than a year until graduation. I still have quite a few clinical rotations to experience, however my heart has always been set on working in a critical care setting, specifically SICU, but ER is a close second. I understand that getting into these specialties as a new grad can prove extremely challenging but I am very determined to reach my end goal.
So, this leads me to my questions:
What can I do now as a student to increase my chances of getting into an ICU as a new grad?
Is bypassing a medsurg floor and going straight into specialty really going to be as detrimental as I've been hearing?
Just some background on my experience if it matters, I've worked as an EMT on a 911 ambulance for going on 5 years now where I've been exposed to lots of trauma and exciting scenarios. I currently also work at a well known children's hospital on a medsurg floor where I do CNA/tech duties so it really helps with time management. I value both of these experiences but I've realized further that medsurg isn't for me. I do love pediatrics (PICU would be awesome!) and hope to get back to that someday, maybe as an NP.
