When did you get your ICU experience?

netglow, ASN, RN · May 12, 2009

Well, different rules for each facility... Not too many allow new grads to hop in. My thoughts are a good facility would not. You really need some hard experience to tackle ICU. I did some ICU hours this semester... have you while in school? If so, you've probably figured out that you need to really have a good understanding in practice of a few little things like cardiac/respiratory to start. And frankly if I were to be offered an ICU position as a new grad, I'd turn it down and think twice about that facility. :twocents:

Magsulfate, BSN, RN · May 12, 2009

I had six months of med/surg experience when I went into ICU.

Christen, ANP · May 12, 2009

I started in the ICUs, but I worked as a PCT for a good year before hiring on there. It's not the place for everyone to start, but it worked out well for me!

RNMeg · May 12, 2009

I'm also hoping to go straight into ICU when I graduate. I loved my ICU rotation this semester, and I really felt I could learn what I needed to know. My preceptor-for-the-day went straight into ICU out of school..she did her capstone in a CVICU, graduated, took an ACLS class, passed boards, and was hired as a new grad.

RNperdiem, RN · May 12, 2009

I worked a little over a year before I switched to ICU from med-surg.

Some hospitals have a dedicated nursing ed. department and are used to orienting new grads and are well equipped to do so.

When I was a new grad in the 90's, entire hospitals refused to hire new grads for any department.

In a recession, nursing ed departments are often cut, and new grads have fewer choices on where to start. New grad openings for ICU become scarce.

A lot depends on the state of the economy.

Teaching hospitals are a good bet for finding an ICU new grad job.