New Grad seeking CCU/ICU job!

william5703 · Jul 1, 2008

If you're interested in the Raleigh area WakeMed has fellowship programs for new grads in all of their ICUs. It's an awesome hospital and great place for a new grad to start off in a challenging critical care setting. WakeMed is great to their new grad fellows! Start applying early though, because the spots are limited and lots of people apply for them.

debthern · Jul 1, 2008

If your interested in Charlotte

I work for CMC and they have a huge ICU/CCU tower that is brand new if you want more info pm me.

kitty25 · Jul 2, 2008

If you're interested in the Raleigh area WakeMed has fellowship programs for new grads in all of their ICUs. It's an awesome hospital and great place for a new grad to start off in a challenging critical care setting. WakeMed is great to their new grad fellows! Start applying early though, because the spots are limited and lots of people apply for them.

~ I have seen many good critiques of the new grad fellowship program @ WakeMed. However, I do have one question- I understand that in order to apply for this program, I must submit an application online- they have all of their jobs posted (including fellowship spots for new grads); my question is: do I need to wait and apply for a spot specified for ICU?

~ Also- do you live in the area? If so, how do you like it? I've never really spent any time in Raleigh.

Thanks again for the input.

william5703 · Jul 3, 2008

Ummm...I'm not sure if they have all of their new grad fellow positions posted yet online. Normally, under "Job Category" (I think) is "Nursing New Graduate" then you search for that and they usually have all of their new grad spots. For instance after you search the results would show--New Graduate Fellow Dec 2008 SICU or CCU or MICU etc. So yes, you apply for a specific unit and then the supervisor or HR rep will call to set up an interview if they are interested. I just looked and it doesn't look like they have the jobs posted yet. It depends on whether a unit is going to be able to take a new grad. Plus, all of the new grads from May haven't started yet, so probably later in the year they will be posted. If you want to find out specifically I would call or email HR. They are very easy to talk to.

I'm currently in the fellowship program, and so far it's been great. PM me if you want to know more about the program, and I'll try to answer questions you have.

And I haven't been in the Raleigh area too long yet, but so far it's been good. I'm living in Cary, and it's only about a 15-20 minute drive to WakeMed.

paacollins · Jul 10, 2008

Both the hospitals in Winston Salem offer new grads positions in their critical care areas. Forsyth Medical Center's website is: www.novanthealth.org and Baptist Hospital's is: www.wfubmc.edu.

I did my last clinical in TICU (transitional ICU) at Forsyth and they were begging us to come to work for them. ICU and Neuro ICU also have ads all the time. Baptist has similar positions.

PS Both hospitals currently start new grads at $20.45 an hour with $4 an hour after 3 PM. That pay should go up slightly in the next month or so.

HTH

kitty25 · Jul 13, 2008

Thanks so much, paacollins! My last semester is this fall- I'm in Charlotte, & desperately hoping to get my preceptorship in ICU. I will check out Winston-Salem. Are you planning on working there? --- Neuro ICU sounds interesting as well.

paacollins · Jul 20, 2008

Thanks so much, paacollins! My last semester is this fall- I'm in Charlotte, & desperately hoping to get my preceptorship in ICU. I will check out Winston-Salem. Are you planning on working there? --- Neuro ICU sounds interesting as well.

Yes, I plan to work in Winston. I did my preceptorship at Northern Hospital in Mt. Airy and loved it. I would really like to work there but there are way more opportunities in the Winston hospitals. The pay is also slightly higher and way more chance for advancement.

By the way, one of my best friends works in the CCU at Baptist and loves it. She started on a cardiac unit of some sort, changed to the ED for a short time, and is now back in the CCU. If you'd like, I can find out some info for you on the unit at Baptist.

I, personally, don't care for critical care at this point. It might just be that the TICU turned me off and the other areas would be different. I think I just felt overwhelmed with all the tubes, drains, trachs, monitors, bells, beeps, etc. We also had to gown, glove, and mask for most patients because of all the hospital acquired infections they had. I felt like I was wearing a Hazmat suit most of the time. Very impersonal. Some of my fellow students loved it though. It's that different strokes thing.

kitty25 · Jul 21, 2008

paacollins - If you could find out whether or not Baptist actually starts new grads in an ICU setting I would be grateful; Good luck on finding your dream job!

paacollins · Jul 21, 2008

I am 99% sure that Baptist will start a new grad in the ICU. One of my fellow clinical students did her preceptorship at the ICU there and they offered her a job so I would say there isn't a problem. I believe the name of the nurse recruiter is Diana McCann (check the Website to be sure of spelling) and she can tell you what you need to do to apply. You'll need a couple of letters of reference, resume, etc.

I check Forsyth and Baptist's sites daily and there aren't as many jobs posted lately because all the schools around here graduated their nurses in May. Give it a couple of months and there will tons of positions again. There are still jobs open now, just not the amount there were before May.

My advice is to apply online at wfubmc.edu and you'll get an email from Diana (I did anyway). She'll tell you what you need to do from there.

Keep me posted and good luck.