Over the past few months I’ve been confused as what I want to do as a career. I’m 18, recently left education and am currently unemployed. After a recent scare where my mum was emitted to an ICU, I think I’ve finally found my “niché” so-to-speak.
I honestly believe this is what I want to do. I spent every day in the ICU unit for 5 weeks, and learnt alot. I know it’s a stressful job and the 12-hour shifts are long, but I know I could do it.
My mum is finally home and I want to pursue this career path but I have no idea where to start as I don’t know what qualifications are required for this kind of position. Can anyone help me out? Thanks.
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How Do You Get Into Intensive Care Nursing?
Posted on June 10, 2011.
Well, most people think of nursing in the ICUs, but there are actually many different professional that work in ICUs: respiratory therapists, physical and occupational therapists, speech therapists, nursing techs, dieticians are the ones that come to mind first.
I suppose you should start by contacting a local university and seeing what the prerequisites are for entry.
Hi, if you want to become an ICU nurse, you first need to attend a Nursing course to get a diploma/degree in nursing. (you generally need your english maths and science GCSEs above C grade and 3 Alevels to gain a place on a course or a college course if you didnt get Alevels) you would then complete 3/4 years training (depending on the university) to become a nurse, from there you will be applying for jobs and can search for ICU jobs on the nhs jobs website, http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/advanceds… you may be able to chose your final placement as a student nurse so chosing ICU would give you a good experience and knowledge base and an advantage to apply for ICU jobs, there may however not be any ICU jobs going when you qualify especially if you want to stay locally, it might be a case of biding your time for an ICU job to come up. There are a number of different roles you can have in ICU, you could search the NHS jobs website for healthcare assistant in ICU, from here you will gain a lot of knowledge and may be entitled to be seconded onto a nursing course. Good luck
You need to qualify as a Registered Nurse first, then get a bit of post reg experience before applying to work in ICU. You will be expected to take further qualification in ICU/critical care nursing if you wish to go up the career ladder.
If you have good A levels or equivalent and experience of working with people you need to apply to the universities of your choice via UCAS for a pre registration nursing course. It’s a degree course.