In our setting as an LTACH, we employ students and/or graduates. Our policy requires one year of critical care experience to work independently in our facility. Working with one therapist per shift unless therapy indicates, it can be hard to regularly schedule them, (weekends tend to work well). I currently have one new grad working in my department that hired on during her second year of the program. With the RT program at our local college, grads/students are abundant and also do clinicals here at our facility which allows us to observe them during clinical rotations. They are a diamond in the rough!