Current nursing student going into senior year. Looking into RN ICU Fellowships, but have decided that I eventually want to advance my career and become an Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner. Was wondering if ICU was a good place to get experience for that

No. You’ll want to get into an OR and focus on plastics. You’ll get one on one time with surgeons and see techniques firsthand. I was in the OR for 14 years. I worked in plastic surgery for about half that.

ICU is the place you want to be. With the current nursing shortage, you should not have a problem getting a job at any hospital.

From my understanding most aesthetic nurses need to have ICU experience, so yes that will be a great start

ICU experience is always a good basis for any practice. Getting some experience with a Dermatology NP would be great also. I personally go to one for injections and she is great!

If you can get an ICU position right after graduating then yes, ICU is a great start on your way to becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetic. Most programs do want the candidate to have ICU experience. If you don't get an ICU position right away do Med Surg nursing for at least a year and then look to transfer to a specialized position. Med Surg nursing is the basis for all nursing and can be valuable to learn how to quickly assess a patient, how to prioritize care and how to delegate duties. You will encounter a variety of diseases and conditions in patients that can really round out your knowledge base. Transition to ICU and you will have a solid base under your belt. From there you can then apply to a CRNA program. Good luck in your endeavors.

I do believe you are correct. I think you have to have at least 2 years in any type of ICU before you can get into the program. Good Luck with your choice of Nursing Care.