Soon to be RN in search of travel.

[NurseLV]

Im soon to be a RN (in may), but has been an LPN now for 3 years experience in rehab. Looking to travel but most agencies want experience. Would my experience as an LPN count and what kind of jobs would I be eligible for? I dont want to work in Rehab any longer. I was thinking ICU or med/surg.
thanks

[AmandaWIRN]

Sorry, but you really need to have at LEAST 1-2 years in your chosen specialty as an RN before most travel companies and any hospital will consider you for travel positions.

If you want to work ICU, you'll need to graduate, get a job in an ICU, complete a hospital ICU orientation program (which should be anywhere from 6 months to a year for a new grad in an ICU), and then work for another 1-2 years in the ICU before you'll be considered ready by most companies to travel.

I would be wary of any company or hospital that would hire a new grad to work as a traveler in an ICU with no ICU experience. Even with your LPN rehab experience, the 1-2 days of orientation travelers get will not make you prepared to function as an ICU RN on your own by any stretch of the imagination.

I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's what's needed to keep your license & your patients safe.

[ansellcr]

Originally Posted by AmandaWIRN

I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's what's needed to keep your license & your patients safe.

This last line in Amanda's post speaks volumes! Patients rely on you knowing what you are doing! As a new grad without any ICU experience to back you up, you are in NO WAY ready to hit the traveling circuit. Take Amanda's advice--it is great advice! Get yourself into a busy ICU and learn, learn, learn and then learn some more. Then after 2 years, you will have a solid ICU base to refer to when you start traveling.