Where to work?

Nurses New Nurse

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I graduate on May 9th and I'm really starting to get worried. Where should I work?? For me it is between ICU, L&D, or Med Surg.

My concerns for ICU is that (I hear) one year of Med/Surg is invaluable and you WILL get pulled there if ICU is slow and if you don't have the experience you will sink. You never develop good prioritizing skills, ect. I know everyone has heard all this.

My concern for L&D is the slow pace. I do my rotation next semester so I'm not sure what it will be like but I fear boredom. It seems everytime I've walked through things are so quiet. I also heard they get called off alot and at some places are expected to carry pagers.

So that is the only reason I think I should work Med/Surg is because of all of the above not because I really really want to work Med/Surg.

Any advice???

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Maybe you can return to a floor that you were student on or to any facility that you might end up applying to and ask about shadowing for a couple of shifts. Some places don't allow it, but some do, so it's worth asking. You could also consider volunteering or working as a nursing assistant to get more first hand exposure.

Nothing like being exposed to the real deal to help figure out where to start. Good luck!!

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

Don't choose your career based on what floor you might get floated to. In ICU you develop prioritizing skills rather quickly, since you need those as any kind of nurse, whether you've got 1-2 critically ill patients, or 10 M/S patients. L&D can be either crazy busy or dead, depending on the moment. There are times people are literally running from delivery to c/s to delivery all day. Yes, sometimes you get sent home with call pay, or floated, but you do that anywhere. Choose a good orientation program in the unit you REALLY want.

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Don't choose your career based on what floor you might get floated to. In ICU you develop prioritizing skills rather quickly, since you need those as any kind of nurse, whether you've got 1-2 critically ill patients, or 10 M/S patients. L&D can be either crazy busy or dead, depending on the moment. There are times people are literally running from delivery to c/s to delivery all day. Yes, sometimes you get sent home with call pay, or floated, but you do that anywhere. Choose a good orientation program in the unit you REALLY want.

Thank you so much! I really love the ICU, and although I have not been in L&D yet it's something I have dreamed of.

I guess everyone will have thier opinions on starting in Med/Surg but I want to be excited about my first job and do something I will LOVE!!

When I did my clinical in ICU I just felt like something fit. The chemistry of the unit, the small pt/nurse ratio, (i like to know every nook and cranny!) really felt like home.

There are so many people giving advice and it's hard. Thanks again.

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

When I did my clinical in ICU I just felt like something fit.

Sounds like you have your answer right there....:trout:

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Sounds like you have your answer right there....:trout:

Yeah, I guess so. Hee, hee. :)

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