New grads at Children's?

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Hi I was just wondering if anyone was going to start working at Children's soon? Or if anyone works there now, how do you like it?

I start in Feb. :D

hi EKnicuRN

are you given patient scenarios in the interview?

were you able to shadow a nurse?

any info will be very much appreciated thanks :)

DC RN09 - No, I was not given patient situations, mmm wow, my interview was almost a year ago and now I can't remember much of except being ecstatic that I was offered a position. I did hang out for a few hours with a few nurses who were caring for one particularly unstable baby, when things settled they answered a lot of questions about the unit & new grad program, I also met a few who had gone through the program themselves. I do remember from the actual interview that I think I asked A LOT more questions than Tara did haha. I remember she asked why I wanted NICU specifically & asked me about some of my clinicals & outside of nursing experience. Good Luck!

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Has anyone applied recently? I applied at the beginning of Jan and haven't received a call back?

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Nope...not a word. Still waiting!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I haven't gotten a response either. Glad to know I'm not the only one!

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Do you think we should call? New grads who have gotten a job should we call HR?

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Specializes in Pediatrics, NICU Level 2.

Hi all!

I'm a May grad from Texas and very interested in applying for an internship at Children's. We have mailed in our BON application and applied for NCLEX. My advisor suggested that I apply for licensure in TX and obtain a license for DC by endorsement if I am able to get a job. Does anyone know how I would go about applying as I will be an out-of-state grad? And will Children's even consider my application as such? From what I've been reading, some of you moved to DC from other states. Advice?

Jenna

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

That's a good idea, especially if you want to work anywhere other than DC or are applying to other states. Texas is big, lots of hospitals, so it doesnt hurt to have your license there too (just costs more money!)

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Specializes in Pediatrics, NICU Level 2.

Do you apply anyway as a out-of-state grad? Even though on the job description it says must have licensure in "such and such" state? Do nurse managers just take into account that you will get licensure in that state after being hired?

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MHB, I haven't gotten a job yet :) so I'm certainly not an expert, but I am pretty sure that since it's a new graduate program, they want you to go ahead and apply regardless of whether or not you have your license or what state it's in. I think they like it if you have your license already... but I've had one interview so far (haven't heard back yet) and I haven't taken NCLEX yet. So I think they'll just take into account that you'll get your DC license after being hired. On the other hand, if you want to wait until you have it, then when you apply you can check "yes" next to the question about having your DC license... and that would probably be appealing to them, to know you're all set to go!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Okay so now I'm getting anxious. Its been exactly two weeks since I applied, and I've heard nothing. Anyone hear back yet? Let me know if you did! I'm seriously thinking about calling HR.

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How does the internship program goes?

how many days are lecture days and duty in the first few weeks?

new grad RNs kindly give us an idea.. thank you!

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Well I applied and interviewed in December January (08-09) and graduated in May 09 so I certainly didn't have my license, didn't even graduate yet! Your job is pending graduating/licensure etc. They know you won't have that stuff yet

As far as the program I can give you some info on what my past 5 months have been like

I started the end of August with a week of general nursing orientation, new grads, old grads, travellers, everyone. Basically a week of 8 hr days going over policies, pumps, code carts, administrative stuff, general nursing stuff like wound care, palliative care, organ donation, really a random assortment of things that could apply to nurses in any unit.

I was hired for the NICU so after that first week I joined my 9 fellow NICU new grads for our seperate program.

The first couple of weeks involved 2-3 8 hr days a week of class time and 1 12 hr shift. Gradually that changed to be less class and more work. We did our shifts with a preceptor. In the beginning we had the stable kids. Feeder/growers, basic central lines, fluids, TPN/IL. Nasal cannulas, high flow, vapotherm, c-pap. Ostomy bags, basic wound care, tube feeds, stable admissions. Getting labs from heel sticks. That was phase 1, we had an exam at the end to progress to phase 2. Throughout each phase we also did online homeworks and presentations to our classmates.

Phase 2 was another 5 week segment. We started taking stable vents, doing bedside ECMO, taking the "mid-cooling" kids (babies who are already in induced hypothermia and not going on or off of it during out shift). Non complicated surgical procedures that the kids shouldnt come back too sick from. Stable trachs. This phase we learned suctioning/bagging of those pts (we don't use in-lines). We learned how to change broviac dressings, how to change trach ties & trachs.. Started working with A-lines, drawing gasses & labs off of them. Started learning to do our own IV's, put in foleys. Still throughout this phase we had 4-8 hr class segments, presentations, homework & a final exam.

phase 3 is the last phase, for me in the NICU it was 10 weeks. We got the sick kids & were expected to do a majority of pt care w/o help of the preceptor. We got unstable ECMO kids, kids on oscillators. Kids on dopa & epi. PPHN-ers. Sick surgical kids, sick sick sick as we could get (unfortunately for us the unit seems to be lacking many of these sick kids at the moment, im sure my first week off there will be a sudden stream of them). This phase also ends with a final exam & a day of doing mock codes.

This is actually my last week of orientation, I have two shifts to go and on Monday I will start all on my own. I am nervous & excited and for the most part feel ready. For those things I don't quite feel ready for I know I will be able to find the help I need from the people around me on the unit. The nurses are very supportive of new grads & people are always asking eachother if they need help with anything.

I hope that helps to give you an idea of what the new grad program is like. I know it is similar in the CICU/PICU but on the med-surge floors the orientation is a little shorter.

Good luck!

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