[gabby20]

hello everyone I just got out of class this afternon and I have to decide where to do my preceptorship at. I can't decide which hospital i want to go to or what type of floor. Does anybody have any suggestions or please tell me where any of you have capstoned ( last nursing class).
thanks

[BrandyBSN]

What are you really interested in?

I am working in Emergency for 180 hours next semester as my elective area.

Do what you are the most into!

good luck
BrandyBSN

[Adrena]

Any medicine or surgery floor is a good experience as well because you get a variety of different diagnoses and treatments.
I did a general surgery unit for my final preceptorship and it was great.
But, like Brandy said, pick something that you are interested in and could see yourself doing after grad.

[tattoochick]

Most people at my school are either doing ER or some type of intensive care. That way it will prepare you for about anything because you will get to do so many different skills and take care of critical patients. I'm doing the NICU hopefully because I know it will prepare me well for after I grad since I want to work in the newborn/special care nursery. Also, go for the biggest hospital around/available to you. You will just get to do more and see more! Good luck and find something that you would be happy with learning more about!

[ERDIVA2B]

I just got a Nurse Externship at the ER of Westside Regional. They had an LPN job fair and me and my 2 friends who are all LPN to RN students came to just check it out! I was hired! My ER nurse manager loved me! I had previous ER experience working as an ER Technician at a Level 1 Trauma Center. I also brought to the table my ACLS, PALS, NRP, EVOC, and other certificates I have. I really only want to work ER right out of school, and this way I got my wish!

Once you are in your last 6 months of school, most hospitals will take you as a nurse extern, this way you are guaranteed a seat in the Critical Care or Specialty area you are interestec in Peds, ER, Icu whatever that hospital offers!

I got a retroactive scholarship of $5000 and $2000 sign-on bonus I live in South Florida, this is good money down here! and they are giving me credit for being an LPN for 2 years and I don't have to start a the base new grad RN rate when I start! Most of my friends also got hospital scholarships but they couldn't guarantee them the area they wanted! No thanks! Most hospitals make you sign on for 1 or two years.

I'm glad I waited and got lucky this opportunity came up! Plus I'm making LPN pay as an extern, my old hospital paid externs $9.00 an hour! Ick!

I wish you the best and I say look around subscribe to area health magazines and keep your eyes and ears open! Hospitals are so desperate! They are giving so much away, and have great preceptor programs!

[debbyed]

If you haven't decided what type of nursing you want to do a med/Surg internship would probably be best...however that said... if you have an idea of what you want to do after graduation try to get an internship in that area. Not only will you get the experience, you will also be able to decide if that is the area you really want to work before you accept a full time position.

We now hire new grads in our ER but we perfer that they have either ER experience in a different capacity (ie: ER Tech's) or that they did an intership in an ER environment. It is difficult to know if you will be comfortable in a speciality area without more than a limited clinical exposure.