Frustrated
I have been working as a nurse for a year now on a cardiothoracic surgery stepdown unit. I started out working in PICU at a level 1 trauma center but I had a long commute and got into a car accident so I decided to secure employment at the level 1 trauma center that is closer to home. Unfortunately, there were no ICU positions available. We are required to say on our current unit for at least a year before applying elsewhere and since then there have been positions available in the STICU and NSICU neither of which I could apply for. Now I can apply and positions are available in the PICU (I applied but no response yet from the manager, but I heard that it can take this particular manager about 3-4 weeks to call just for an interview. I'm on week 3 now) and I applied to CSICU but I've heard that the director makes it very hard for nurses to transfer within the heart center because she does not want to short staff one unit to fill a position in another unit. Both STICU and NSICU positions are extremely rare at my facility and I am becoming increasingly frustrated because I can't reach my goal without getting into an ICU!
BROWSE
Featured Content
SCHOLARSHIP
SCHOLARSHIP: National American Arab Nurses Association OFFERED BY: NAANA Scholarships DESCRIPTION:Offers various scholarships for current nursing students, practicing nurses, and students interested in pursuing a career in nursing.
Phone: (313) 982-4070
Web site: https://n-aana.org/scholarship/index.asp
Deadline: July 1, but may vary from year to year
Amount: Unspecified
EMPLOYER
NAME: Lutheran HealthCare LOCATION: Brooklyn, NY DESCRIPTION:Lutheran HealthCare is a state-of-the-art, nationally recognized health system comprised of a 476-bed teaching hospital that includes a Level I Trauma Center and Stroke Center, multi-site ambulatory care network, and strong academic affiliation to SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn.
READ MORE READ ALLEVENT
TITLE: National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition: Together. Stronger. Bolder. ORGANIZATION: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses DESCRIPTION:NTI offers hundreds of sessions for nurses who care for high acuity and critically ill patients, while highlighting the latest trends and best practices in healthcare. The Critical Care Exposition showcases the best of what’s new in practice and technology.
Web: www.aacn.org/nti
Phone: (800) 899-2226
email: info@aacn.org
Response to Frustrated
Thu, 01/14/2010 - 8:32pm — meprice76It was interesting to read your "frustration" for more than one reason. I had worked on Cardiac Telemetry for 3 1/2 years and decided that it was time to further my education. To do this, like you, required ICU experience. The director of the unit, at that time, also took weeks to get in touch with people. However, I did something that worked in my favor--I became proactive. I asked her face-to-face if she had openings...she told me yes and to apply. When I applied, I let her know and asked her when she thought I could interview...she told me "in about 2 weeks". When 2 weeks passed, I politely reminded her of our previous conversation. To make a long story short, after one month I secured a position in ICU and have been there for 2 years. I was not pushy, abravise, or unprofessional; I was interested and proactive. She saw that I truly desired the change, and my enthusiasm seemed to have helped pave the way. It can be frustrating when you are trying to make things happen, but you just use this time wisely. Continue to network with people, work on eliminating unnecessary debt, and obtain any certifications that may help your resume look even better. Anything worth having is worth fighting for, right?:)