NICU after Med-Surge

[sdclarinet]

I am a new grad RN who has been working as a med-surge nurse for the past 5 months. Now I never really believed in the mantra of "Do a year of Med-Surge first" that all of our professors tell us. I always knew I wanted to do critical care nursing, but then I got engaged and moved to a new area and was unable to utilize all of the connections I made when I was in nursing school. So I had to take a job to make money and it was in Med-Surge.

I am SO over being a Med-Surge RN. From the first time I toured a NICU during Maternity I was hooked. So how do I do this?

It is harder to go into a NICU after working med-surge? Will they put me though a "new-grad" program? If anyone else has done this advice would be helpful. Should I suffer through the next 7 months to make a year of med-surge? will that look better on my resume? ARG I NEED HELP! :icon_roll

[Mimi2RN, ASN, RN]

Do you have a NICU in your hospital? If you do, put in a transfer. If not, it doesn't hurt to start looking. It may be several months before you are hired, so I wouldn't worry about being a year of M/S.

Ask questions about your orientation. Ours are tailored to the individual RN, whether they are new grads, come from a different unit or from another NICU.

Good luck!

[HappyBunnyNurse]

I went to NICU after 5 months in med-surg. I just started so I can't really tell how it will be long term. However I can say it is great so far. I am basically going through the same program as a new grad. Which is good because I feel like a new grad! It is sort of depressing to go through that all over again. However I know it will be worth it as this is what I wanted all along. The process was pretty easy for me because I am at the same hospital so it was just a transfer. I did pick up a few things in med-surg that are helping me now so don't feel you have wasted your time. Good luck.

[dawnebeth]

Every nurse who comes in new to our ICN gets 12 weeks of training regardless of whether they just got out of nursing school, have done a year of med/surg or worked in a different ICN. We feel that they would all need training on how to work in our unit, what we do differently or the same as other ICNs and just to feel comfortable in a new environment.

If you want ICN, apply to all the ones in your area asap. You may not get hired yet, but your name will be out there. Start reading up on neonatal practices and diseases. Once you get into training, you may feel like you never went to nursing school, there is so much that is quite different than adult nursing.

But, if it is for you, you will thrive and succeed. Nearly all ICN nurses that I know wouldn't work anywhere else and most have been in our nursery for over 20 years--some for over thirty!

Dawn