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

No kidding! From what I understand from Tara, I am the only May 2010 new grad in the NICU for the group beginning in Aug. I feel very fortunate but I know that I was very proactive in looking for a job because I only wanted NICU and I think that helped alot.

EKnicuRN - I would love any help or information about what to expect for orientation!

Thanks,

Jade

Hi Jade, congrats on the job!

Orientation is pretty straightforward, the first week is administrative/hospital/computer stuff with all the new hires, then you will start in the NICU. The first week is pretty much classes and lecture, tour the unit, tour the places you might have to take a baby etc. There are 3 phases about 5wks, 5wks and 10wks. You will start days or nights and then rotate about every 5 weeks to get a feeling on the different things that go on during the day vs nights. You will be assigned one or two different preceptors per phase and those are the ones you will work with each time you have a shift. You will start out with very stable babies, grower feeders mostly, bigger kids with more benign issues, etc. Each phase you progress, stable vented kids, stable cooling or ecmo kids, stable micro's. Then you will start to get the unstable ones, oscillators, pressors, going on or coming off cooling, post surgical etc. If you don't feel prepared to move on to the next phase you can work it out with the educator to take an extra week or two. At the end of each phase is a written exam you must also pass before going on - in the midst of all these shifts you are taking weekly classes, getting certifications such as NRP and STABLE and attending lectures from everyone from other staff nurses to the unit attendings. At the end of the final phase you should be comfortable doing all the care on your own...your preceptor should be sitting back with her feet up reading a book :lol2: The first couple of weeks on your own you will have a back up assigned nearby you if you need a resource, often when I get to work I will scan my area and determine who is the most experienced near me that I feel comfortable asking for help or opinions if I need it. At this point I have been off orientation since the end of January, have already cross trained in both the PICU and CICU - and up for floating if needed, and I have already found some of our current new nurses asking me for advice :eek: ( I have also been recently surprised how often the residents ask me for advice! You quickly get to become even more experienced than them as they only get a month on the unit). I love it though, I have yet to be in a position where I have felt unsafe because I am comfortable using my resources and asking for help, there are always going to be times where you go home thinking "could I have done something different, should I have done this or that" but it's going to be like that no matter where you are or how experienced you are. I also made great friends on orientation which helped a lot, we are still a great support for each other and spend many of our days off together.

Good luck, I hope you love it and I'm sure I'll see you around!

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Specializes in Level IV NICU.

Hi EKnicuRN,

Thank you so much for the great advice and info. I am sooo excited. Hope to meet you in person come August.

Thanks again,

Jade

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Hi Jade! I'm also starting at CNMC's NICU come this August, so from what I read it sounds like it might be very few :) I can't wait to start and meet you!

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Hi Jade! I'm also starting at CNMC's NICU come this August, so from what I read it sounds like it might be very few :) I can't wait to start and meet you!

i've heard there are 14 in your group...which is bigger than mine was

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Specializes in Level IV NICU.

Hi jejohns 2,

Congrats on the job. I am counting down the days. Now I have to focus on passing the NCLEX! I look forward to meeting you also!

Jade

EKnicuRN- hi, when I talked with Tara in Feb she said there were only 10 spots for over 400 applicants but maybe she was able to hire a few more?

Jade

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Hi jejohns 2,

Congrats on the job. I am counting down the days. Now I have to focus on passing the NCLEX! I look forward to meeting you also!

Jade

EKnicuRN- hi, when I talked with Tara in Feb she said there were only 10 spots for over 400 applicants but maybe she was able to hire a few more?

Jade

we were recently told 14, but a few people have left recently, and not all the new grads from my group decided to stay

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Specializes in Level IV NICU.

Hi EKnicuRN,

I was wondering if you purchased a peds stethoscope or if each room has its own. Thanks for your help!

Jade

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Do you think they'll have more new grad positions this winter?

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Hi everyone,

I just got my RN DC license last week, Im looking at Children's website and they say they have program for new grads. i searched for job openings but it always says that the minimum requirement is 1 yr experience... I wonder if the job opening for new grads are already filled up, i wonder if they dont accept new graduates applicants anymore? I would probably call the HR to check it. I really love to work in Children's ICU.

Im a bit confused, for those new graduates who will be starting soon, what job opening did you apply for?

... Because all I can see in their website is RN II ( minimum experienc required -1 year) .. .

i need help....

thanks!

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Specializes in NICU.

Most people apply at least 6 months prior to their graduation for the ICUs...you can ask if there is room in the February 2011 group. During my cycle, I applied in December of my senior year in nursing, interviewed in February, and started in August. Good luck!

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Hi EKnicuRN,

I was wondering if you purchased a peds stethoscope or if each room has its own. Thanks for your help!

Jade

Every baby has their own...although its this adult sized, plastic yellow thing :rolleyes: it does it's job fine though. I did eventually get a neonatal (much smaller than a peds) stethoscope of my own, I typically use it on the smaller babies, vented babies and babies with known lung/heart issues. I scrub it down diligently between patients with the "purple wipes" and I don't ever use it on a MRSA or CEF positive baby, and I don't usually carry it around with me between cares, I keep it in my bag.

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Specializes in Level IV NICU.

Thanks EKnicuRN!!

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