RNEMT-P

Starting in an ICU is possible. I'm a new grad myself, and I just started in an ICU last week. Some things I have picked up on... To get hired, I hope you have some medical experience outside of school. I have 10 years as a paramedic behind me. My director, though, said she will look at new grads who were techs, CNA'S, and other hospital positions that expose you to some aspects of the job. She said she just wants to see something outside of nursing school. Even showing initiative and taking relevant continuing ed will get her attention. Do not rush out and take ACLS. You need to be halfway decent with rhythm interpretation first. ACLS no longer teaches this, but you are tested on it. Take a basic EKG class first unless you have experience with it. If you do know rhythms, however, do get your ACLS. Of you get an interview with the ICU where you did clinicals, make sure you mention that you were in there. As long as you did well, that will go a long way. They will ask the nurses you worked with what they thought of you. This helped me as much as being a paramedic. I actually did my senior preceptorship in the ICU I'm working in. When I interviewed, they took me on a tour of the unit and some of the nurses I worked with were there and gave me a great recommendation. Good luck in your job search.

Apply for everything. Most hospitals' application systems will copy the last app you submitted, so worst case you have probably wasted 5 minutes. On the other hand, the definition of experience is sometimes quite subjective. I just got hired for an ICU position that required 2 years nursing experience even though I'm a new grad. Fortunately, the unit manager saw 12 years as a paramedic and figured it was close enough. She told me she will look at people who have any healthcare experience, even if it is as a unit secretary or veterinary tech. So, apply, worst they can do is say no.

The problem with this statement is that it does not take into account where the dollar came from to begin with. In order for the government to spend a dollar, it must first do one of three things. One is to steal a dollar from the economy in the form of taxation. In this case, the dollar would have been spent in some way without government intervention; the government is only choosing who gets to spend it. The second option is to borrow a dollar. In the current ways of DC, that dollar typically comes from China or another foreign nation, meaning that at a future date a dollar plus interest must be taken from the economy to pay for the loan. The final option is to print a dollar. Here, the laws of supply and demand dictate that because of this new dollar (since we are no longer on the gold standard), all other dollars are worth less than they were the day before, further depressing the economy because everyone's spending power is hurt in the process. If something cost $1 before the printing, but the devaluation of the dollar makes it now cost $1.10, it does not help the economy. If what you said was true, the recession should have been fixed after TARP I&II, ARRA, and the auto bailouts. These programs helped the poor with jobs, mortgage assistance, and other assistance. Hundreds of billions, maybe even into the trillions, were spent on these programs, therefore the problems should have immediately gotten better rather than worse. So, to say that government spending helps the economy is to focus only on one half of the story while ignoring the other half. Also, people do complain about corporate welfare. True conservatives and libertarians do all the time. It's Republicans and Democrats who ignore it. The rich send money overseas because that is where it is most profitable. If the government stepped back and allowed it to be profitable here, there would be no need to send it offshore.

It is funny that you bring this topic up. I am currently a firefighter/medic, but start my first nursing job in 2 weeks. All I hear from my coworkers is how I'm off to make big money. They are shocked when I tell them my base pay is actually about $8000 less, or about what a new firefighter makes, and these are people who work around nurses every day. I think people believe RNs make what NPs make. Because I was hired for night shifts, the shift diffs will bump me about $500 higher per year than I already make. The only thing that will actually make it worth it in the short-term is that the fire dept. is keeping me on part-time, meaning I can make extra money there. Long-term, I'm looking to be a CRNA, so that is the other part that makes this new job worth taking since I'm going to an ICU and can start getting the required experience.

One more piece of advice not already mentioned: Don't put the tourniquet on too tight with elderly patients. You only need enough pressure to make the vein pop up; too much will cause the vein to burst when you puncture it if it is at all fragile. Also, don't put the tourniquet around the neck to try a scalp vein; it usually doesn't work out so well.

Yes, it is possible to get a job as a new grad. It just takes time, unfortunately. I graduated last December, got my license in February, and I finally start my first job in 2 weeks. I have 12 years as a paramedic and even that did not help the process until I found a manager who is willing to look at new grads. During the interview, she admitted that most managers see new grads and rule them out immediately. But, she also said she and a few others will look at the whole application before they make that decision. Fortunately, I stuck it out until I found her, now I'm going straight to an ICU. You just have to make sure you find the ones who will look and not give up until you do.

Yes, the program needs to be accredited. More specifically, it needs to be REGIONALLY accredited. Nationally accredited schools often have the same problem of unaccredited schools in that credits do not always transfer. There are a few nationally accredited schools that I would recommend for certain majors, but nursing is not one of those majors. Also, if you go on to a MSN program, those programs will not always accept a BSN from an unaccredited school, though nationally accredited degrees are typically accepted. Another thing to be cautious of is if the school's accreditation is on probation. There is a chance that the school will not have it much longer.

In central Virginia (Richmond), it is a little difficult to get hired as a new grad unless you already work in the hospital, and sometimes unit, you are applying to. I graduated a year ago and just had my first interview 2 weeks ago, and I have about 12 years experience as a paramedic. I had put out probably 75 or so apps, many to ERs, with no luck. Fortunately, I did get the position I interviewed for, which is an ICU, so it is possible to get that as a new grad. I can't tell you for sure how it is to be a nurse in Virginia, since my experience is all as a student. But, my old ambulance partner is now a nurse in Texas and she said it sucks there, that they aren't allowed to do much beyond assessments and meds. But, I have seen hospitals from Texas at job fairs here looking for new grads, so it seems like the job market might not be too bad there, but I can't attest to that. Good luck!

In the program I went through, each semester had a compelling argument for why it was hardest. In first semester, you are adjusting to a new lifestyle. I had been a paramedic for years, so the knowledge at that point was nothing new, but I was so unaccustomed to having a patient more than maybe an hour at a time. At one point in first semester, I had a talk with my clinical instructor about dropping out because I thought I was completely lost in the hospital setting. Fortunately, she convinced me to at least hang on for the semester. The very next clinical went awesomely and I did a complete 180. Second semester was very heavy with pathophysiology. We were warned to pay attention because that semester was going to be the foundation of everything in 4th semester, and they were right. In our program, if you did well in 2nd semester, you were likely to do well in 4th semester, and they were right on about that. 3rd semester was our specialty rotations. Everyone in my class had at least one of the three that they struggled with. In peds, I was 1 question away from failing the class altogether on my final. 4th semester was a very high-level of knowledge. This was mostly critical care topics as well as leadership. On top of this, our instructor was a retired Army Colonel who expected a lot. She told everyone that we got 30 seconds of whining for the semester, and she actually kept track of the couple who did whine. But, she was awesome to learn from, so she ended up being my favorite instructor.

You may not have as tough a time finding a day shift as you think. I just got hired specifically as a night person, but that was what I wanted. During the interview, the manager was telling me she sometimes has trouble filling day shifts because everyone wants the night shift diffs. Where I'm going to, the shift diff can equal $10-12k per year if you work all night shifts.

While working EMS, called in a report: "I'm bringing (frequent flyer's name), be there in 10, he wants turkey for his sandwich tonight."