I’m in the my last semester of nursing school. Can I start out in the ER/ICU? That is where my passion is.

Yes

Definitely! Do not let someone tell you that you need a foundation in med/surg. That's bogus! However, do your research! Find hospitals that have 6 month to 12 month new graduate programs that train you properly as an ER nurse! Learning as a new grad is be important and there are many things in the ER/Trauma that you MUST know! School is all the general ed thrown at you for you to binge at once. Getting out is time to practice and learn how to implement all of the excessive information but also really see how real life works. It can be overwhelming! That's why a new grad program is IMPERATIVE! You can definitely do it! Grab an amazing mentor also! ❤️ You've got this!

Yes, you can! That’s exactly what I did. I graduated from nursing school In December 2006, started off as a brand new RN in the SICU (Surgical ICU) and had a preceptor take me under her wing for 3 months. When I felt comfortable, I was checked off of orientation. I worked in the ICU for 2 years then I wanted to transfer to the ER. My mother, who’s been a nurse for 55 years and was working in the ER at that time, told me before I graduated nursing school to “start out in the ICU, get that experience then you can work anywhere”. She was 100% correct. After I transferred to the ER, there were times when my mother was requesting me to help her set up for an A-Line or triple lumen insertion bc those aren’t done routinely enough in the ER for some nurses to feel comfortable setting up the supplies. I highly recommend it. I still have most of that ICU knowledge in my brain.

We had several "fresh out of school" nurses starting in our ED through the "STAR RN" program. Do you have access to such a program?