Skills needed for ICU travel nurse?

Specialties Travel

Published

I have a question for anyone who has some experience as an ICU travel nurse:

I am 4 months from graduation, and looking to get hired into ICU, and hopefully transition to travel nursing after 2 years. If I worked in a 'lower' acuity MICU and was unable to get training and become familiar with specialized equipment like LVADs, ECCMO, and whatever other things a nurse needs to learn to use before being dropped off in a new unit.

ER isn't completely out of the question, and I assume in comparison to ICU it would be a much more standard set of skills and knowledge.

(I understand the potential difficulty of starting ICU straight out of school but don't believe this will be a problem with my background and drive. Just looking for advice for if I go down this path.)

Thanks for any insight you can give me!

Ideally you would want to find a first job at a large teaching hospital that would rotate you around different ICUs as part of your orientation. I interviewed at such a hospital in Chicago whose formal orientation was 18 months (I didn't get the job as a new grad, but it was a difficult period for new grads). That would give you the broadest foundation no matter the travel assignment, as well as putting your first staff job on your work history in a better known hospital nationally. You can travel successfully with just medical experience, but the more you know, well... the more you know, and it will make you more competitive and a better nurse.

I can promise you that even if you have worked CVICU in a teaching hospital, the odds that a manager is going to want ECMO/LVAD skillset is pretty close to zero (as far as my direct experience goes, those ICU patients will have a perfusionist 24 hours). Same with the charge nurse doing actual assignments. Those will go to staff nurses of known ability, or for staff education. That is not to say that a hiring manager might like that depth of experience and that will help give you an edge over other candidates for that same travel assignment. IABP skills could be useful but easy to learn. Same with PA lines which you probably will never see in a community hospital setting.

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Also, please consider that travel nurses usually don't get the super sick patients. If that is what you are after you might be disappointed. YMMV

I wouldnt necessarily be seeking the sickest. Thanks, that sounds perfect.

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