Question:
Dear Donna,
I entered nursing at the age of 48. I completed a one-year accelerated BSN program. My experience has been one and a half years in med/surg and telemetry and the rest in the emergency department.
I have been trying to change to a different specialty, but have been turned down repeatedly for critical care positions. I've been told that ED experience is not considered the same as critical care. The only positions being offered to me are in the ED. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you,
Wants to Work in the ICU
Dear Donna replies:
Dear Wants to Work in the ICU,
Nurses are hired into the ICU all the time with no prior ICU/critical care experience, but there is an abundance of experienced nurses in the marketplace, many with current ICU experience.
Some hospitals may prefer to hire those ICU-experienced nurses, perceiving a shorter assimilation time for them. Either way, when what you're doing isn't working, it's time to try a new approach.
Start attending local chapter meetings of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses as a guest. Do some informational interviewing with nurses, managers, and supervisors who work in the ICU at any facility. You can find these nurses through word of mouth, online networking such as LinkedIn, and through your state chapter of AACN.
Start by speaking with your state and local chapter officers. Informational interviewing, as the article explains, is a way to make contacts, gather valuable information, and get advice. It is not intended as a direct job-finding strategy because you should not ask for a job while conducting this type of interview, even though obtaining a position is often a byproduct of this interview.
Best wishes,
Donna
