New Nurse interviw for NICU

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 28, 2016

How long have you been in the OR position and how long was your orientation?

I am under the impression that the OR has some of the longest orientation periods of any specialty. You said that you have been out of school for only year and had a four-month stint in med-surg. So I am guessing you have been out of the training for three months?

I honestly would slow your roll. OR is perhaps the most coveted specialty in nursing even more so than NICU. You say you don't like the OR but you haven't given yourself a chance yet.

There is a reason OR has such a low turnover...it is a great specialty. You get acute care experience but don't have to put up with the crap that bedside nurses have to. And if you ever want to travel you will make bank.

I say this as someone who is now in the middle of a NICU orientation. Love my job and I don't regret it (yet) but it is pretty stressful at times and there is more turnover than OR. Slow down

RNCaroline · Feb 28, 2016

OR orientation is 6 months, and I'm about to get off orientation. I know there are people who love the OR, but it just isn't for me. I miss that patient interaction. I really miss bedside nursing. I honestly did not even apply to the OR, HR just had my resume from times I had applied to other places in the hospital, such as NICU. And unfortunately, there has been a very high turnover in our OR, and I think that is why they were so desperate to get people who applied anywhere at the hospital. Trust me, unless you have worked in it, especially in this hospital, you don't know what we put up with in the OR. Honestly, I wasn't really looking for advice on whether or not I should stay in the OR. My heart is in the NICU.

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 28, 2016

You aren't listening to what I am saying.

NICU has an extensive orientation. Mine is 12 weeks long and some level 4 NICUs have sixteen weeks.

A NICU manager is going to look at your resume and see that you have thrown away a six-month orientation in the OR and not want to hire you as orientations are considered an investment. Why bother hiring a flaky employee when they can choose a candidate that has a better track record of sticking around?

You say you don't like OR but you haven't even gotten off orientation yet. I am telling you that if you want the NICU you must prove to management that you can keep a commitment and are worth the investment (you would have been better off staying in med-surg and volunteering and joining professional organizations, but that is water under the bridge). A good rule of thumb is for every week of orientation you stay one month.

So I would stick with OR for a couple of years and in the meantime volunteer at your local March of Dimes and join a professional organization to show you are interested in NICU.

Employers are forgiving with one short stint but multiple on a resume? Especially after a six month orientation that was well into the thousands of dollars? Not so much.

RNCaroline · Feb 28, 2016

Thanks but I absolutely hate the OR, so thank you for your input but obviously you are looking past my questions and just telling me not to even try for NICU. I really didn't ask for commentary on whether I should stay in my job now, especially because you don't walk in my shoes. I'd rather try and get turned down than not try at all. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. FYI I was going to stay with med-surg for a while, but working over an hour away on night shift became very unsafe, so when I got contacted for a job much closer to my home I took the opportunity. Thanks for your opinion though.

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 28, 2016

I am not telling you not to go to NICU. I am telling you to stay put in the OR and not to make further damage to your resume so that you can get into a NICU eventually. Please read before responding.

Nicu management is not going to look at your resume favorably if they see that you are wasting an incredibly expensive orientation elsewhere.

I have given you advice as to how to get into the NICU and it is up to you to take it.

Thanks but I absolutely hate the OR, so thank you for your input but obviously you are looking past my questions and just telling me not to even try for NICU. I really didn't ask for commentary on whether I should stay in my job now, especially because you don't walk in my shoes. I'd rather try and get turned down than not try at all. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. FYI I was going to stay with med-surg for a while, but working over an hour away on night shift became very unsafe, so when I got contacted for a job much closer to my home I took the opportunity. Thanks for your opinion though.

RNCaroline · Feb 28, 2016

I don't think currently being on orientation gives you the experience to hand out somewhat rude, and unwarranted advice to get in the NICU. You really did not even offer any advice, you originally just told me to stay in the OR for a few years and then basically complained about the stress and "crap" you deal with at your job. At least I would appreciate a position in the NICU more than you seem to be. By the way, if I did stay in the OR for several years I would likely lose all of my nursing skills, so for future reference that is not actually good advice for someone who wants to get back to floor nursing. If they don't look at my resume favorably then I won't get an interview; if you look at my original post most of my questions are directed as if I were to get an interview. My resume is better than most nurses actually. Thank you for your analysis of the resume you haven't seen, though. I hope you are more encouraging to other nurses you work with than you have been with me. Thanks, have a good day :)

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 28, 2016

You asked for advice and I gave it. Being rude and nasty to someone who is trying to help you out isn't doing you any favors. I told you to volunteer and join professional organizations geared to the NICU and to give OR a chance before job hopping yet again. There wasn't anything rude about my posts.

Good luck.

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · Feb 28, 2016

Thanks but I absolutely hate the OR, so thank you for your input but obviously you are looking past my questions and just telling me not to even try for NICU. I really didn't ask for commentary on whether I should stay in my job now, especially because you don't walk in my shoes. I'd rather try and get turned down than not try at all. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. FYI I was going to stay with med-surg for a while, but working over an hour away on night shift became very unsafe, so when I got contacted for a job much closer to my home I took the opportunity. Thanks for your opinion though.

some of us are very experienced,

In my case almost 44yrs.... A lot in mgt....

I would not give you a second thought considering, your brief stay at med surg, A very costly six month surgical orientation....., I would consider application as you, "not worth the risk"

i dont, know just over four DECADES of experience, to back up my opinions

BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN · Feb 28, 2016

Many places will not let you transfer for one year after your orientation. They don't want to spend money on someone who hops job to job within the system.

And managers don't like to see a lot of job hopping within a system.

See if you can get in more peds surgeries, this will give you a leg up on the peds world. As for losing your nursing skills, you won't. And your adult skills don't translate too much into what we do.

ChristiRN · Feb 29, 2016

Good luck!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 29, 2016

This thread has been relocated to our NICU Nursing / Neonatal forum to accrue responses from those who could offer advice on interviewing for a NICU position.