Hey All!!

Hey everyone Im not quite a nurse yet But I do test next month for My CNA through my highschool... I am currently wanting WLS, but can already tell Im going to have some problems with my insureance company. I really want to go straight in to the NICU after i get my RN anyone know if thats actually possible? Meagan

Meagan-Hi, I am an OB RN, and I have a couple of suggestions for you. First, while you are an aide, see if any local hospitals use them. Try to get a job in NICU as an aide, or in postpartum, or stepdown nursery...anything even close to your field of choice. This will probably mean that you have to do some night shifts, but if you even do it 2 days/wk while in school, and you prove yourself as a reliable, intelligent individual, you will probably line yourself up for a job. Secondly, when you have your LPN, see if the hospital has extern positions. Sometimes you can land a job as an extern while you are still in school working on your RN, again aligning yourself for the job of your choice. A third thing to look at is this. Because of the national nursing shortage, many hospitals are paying off your school loans if you agree to work for them for a specified time. Hope that helps.

hey meagan i am a critical care nurse and a traveler actually some hospitals will take you on a as consortium where they train you for nine months or a year for icu and you have to commit to a year or two with the hospital. others want you to have a years experience. good luck yvonne

Meagan, I am a NICU nurse at a Children's Hospital . We hire new grads and have a great intern program. I love my premies and never regretted the decison to switch from CCU stepdown to NICU 10 years ago. Study hard for your boards then you're in the driver's seat for the rest of your career. You can maybe can shadow a nurse in a NICU where you live. Just can call the human resourse dept at your hospital. See what an exciting world it can be. Connie RN

Hi Meagan.......... How exciting that you want to go into nursing and more exciting that you want to do NICU. I have been a NICU nurse for 30 yrs and absolutely love what I do. The hospital I work at hires what we call Nurse Externs into the NICU. Basically it's where you are working as a unit aid........but with an expanded roll since you are also a nursing student. You work closely with the nurses and gain added knowledge of the unit you would like to work in after you graduate. We go on to hire the majority of our nurse externs........so YES it is very possible to go directly from getting your RN in a position in the NICU. So keep the DREAM..........Dreams really DO come true ! Make us proud ! Huggs, Kathy, RN........ NICU (hard not to love those little babies)