Originally Posted by
Summit
PACU seems like the perfect entry punch to SICU! 5x9=Ouch indeed!
I haven't worked the floors. Basically, I had ~1000 hours of 1:1 precepting in the ICU that hired me into a (second) half-year-long ICU orientation program.
Longer version: I'm just lucky and worked hard: I worked my rear off to get into the (tied for) best reputed BSN program in the state (<5% acceptance), then kicked butt, received recommendations and good grades. I needed these to get an interview for an extremely competitive ICU internship: only BSN students from NLN/CCNE schools with good recs and >3.5 could apply, and <5% of applicants got into the ICU. It was essentially a paid 400 hour long precepted practicum. I performed well enough that they doubled the internship from 400 to 800 hours (not all interns did). I did my senior practicum in that ICU as well. I had enough precepted hours in that ICU that I had the equivalent to over a half-year's full time employment. When they posted a position, I applied like everyone else, competing against candidates with ICU experience and internal candidates from the medsurg floors. I interviewed like everyone else; against all odds, they picked me.
My theory: someone spilled coffee over everyone's paperwork and mine was the only contact information was still readable.
It seems like about half of my classmates have jobs now (May graduation). Most of them are floor jobs and some moved out of state for them to ND and TX. Outliers: me, 1 PCU, 1 Level III ED (she worked there for 4 years including during school), 1 L&D, 1 OR, 2 NICU, 1 HH, 1 LTC, 2 military nurse corps, and 2 went straight to NP school.
