[2ndcareerRNmaybe]

I was talking with a friend tonight who has been an L&D nurse for 20 some odd years and she was encouraging me to seriously consider L&D when I finish school. Gotta admit I didn't tell her that up til this point L&D would be last on my list of areas that I think I would enjoy but I also know (and told her) that I don't know enough abot any area to make any decisions yet.

I know some people just "know" what kind of nursing they want to do but obviously I'm not one of them. I know I'll have clinical experiences in different areas as a nursing student but I also know that student nursing doesn't hold a candle to actually working as an RN!

So how did you figure out what area to go into as a new grad (or beyond)? Hospitals around here hire new grads into all specialty areas so I'm not tied into a year on med-surge.

Thanks!

[rn4babies63]

When I graduated from nursing school, jobs were pretty scarce so you kinda took what you could get at the time. In nursing school, L&D was also the last area of nursing I was interested in. However, when I applied to a big teaching hospital, I was offered a job in L&D. Though hesitant, I had no choice at the time. I now have been doing OB nursing for 12 years and would never consider any other area of nursing! I love to teach (also have the gift of gab) and because OB requires so much teaching, I LOVE it! It can be sooooo stressful at times, but is worth it! You are an OR nurse (c/s's), ER nurse (triage), Med/surg nurse (post-ops, high risks), as well as nursery nurse, L&D nurse. Your job is NEVER boring! It upsets me when I hear how other nurses laugh at OB nurses because they think are jobs are a piece of cake. Sure, I couldn't just walk into ICU or a Cardiac unit and know what to do, but, neither could they just walk onto our unit and do the same. However, we do highly value anyone with their skills and welcome them with open arms if they do decide to try OB nursing.

[carebearRN08]

Like you, I didn't have that "gut" feeling of just knowing what I wanted to do. I did know right away a few things I didn't want to do, but there are many areas of nursing that interest me. Upon graduation, I decided to go into an area that I felt most comfortable in, which just happened to be med/surg-telemetry. Because I worked on a med/surg unit during school as a tech and because so much of my nursing program focused on med/surg, this is what I felt most competent doing. What's really funny now is how I think back to basic anatomy; I hated learning about the heart, it really confused me, and it was one of my worst subjects. Now I work with heart patients all the time and feel fairly confident in what I know and do.

Just goes to show you never know where you may end up. I still think of maybe working in women's health one day, as that used to be a major interest of mine, but who knows where this crazy career will take me

[Halinja]

Whatever area I was doing in clinical (except for med/surg and ICU) I would think...."This is what I want to do!" Then next quarter, I'd change my mind. Near the end of school I decided on Labor and Delivery, did my practicum in an L&D unit, got an L&D job, started out loving it....and then somehow things changed. Life changed. I'm now working PACU and LOVE it. But I don't think I even considered that when I was first looking at jobs fresh out of school. It was a job that kind of 'came along' and I took it for reasons other than the job. But it suits me. So, advice, hmmm. Be open to opportunity. Be willing to consider things you might not have thought would be 'you'. And enjoy! If you get into something you don't like, you can always move. Nursing is very forgiving of the person who says, "this is just not a good fit for me'.

[TheCommuter]

I examined my preferences and dislikes, and went from there. I also examined my personality type, and made a decision based on that.

I don't particularly like infants, children, or teens, so the specialties of peds, OB, L&D, and postpartum were out of the question for me. I don't like visitors or a whole lot of family member involvement. My personality is somewhat laid-back and reserved, and I don't act with a sense of urgency. I like low-stress situations, so hospital work would be out of the question for me.

I purposely work in a nursing home around stable geriatric people who have predictable outcomes. I also work mornings, because visitors tend to arrive during the evening hours.

[aeauooo]

Divine intervention.

I started as a CNA in a NH where I became fascinated with spectrum of neurological deficits resulting from stroke.

I applied for a position as a nurse tech at Harborview in Seattle, and accepted a position in the rehab unit. It wasn't my first choice, but it was mostly neuro, and the nurses treated me almost as an equal - I took a nurse's assignment, charted, gave report, everything except give meds. Nursing technicians on the other floors were essentially glorified nursing assistants.

By the time I graduated I had a full-fledged interest in neuro and, while most of my classmates were having to take jobs in home health and LTC, I got hired on to the neuro floor at Harborview.

If that isn't enough evidence for divine intervention, the neuro CNS at the time, who is still my mentor, is one of the most highly respected neuro nurses in the country.

[aloevera]

it can be a tough choice, I remember I knew those in school that somehow knew exactly what they wanted to do...then there was me...every unit I had clinicals in, I liked...OR, ICU, med-surg, etc. I just could not make up my mind...so I figured let me start on med-surg, I was used to that from school (mostly renal floor) then after a few years I wanted something altogether different...I went to home health, than later LTC then later Hospice and now after 15 years I went to psych and BAM!!! i HAD FINALLY FOUND MY NICHE...have been in psych now for 5 years and absolute love it...so you never know what you may end up in,,,I never could have imaginged being a psychiatric nurse when I was in nursing school 25 years ago...That is the beauty of nursing.....there are so many fields you can work in...so it really doesn't matter what you choose to start out in....you can always move if it doesn't fit.!!!!!

[ann945n]

I would love to know the answer to this question! I have no idea still what area of nursing suits me
I say find a job that fits your life style and has the work environment you love. If you can find this it really wont matter the type of nursing you are doing as long as you get to work in a happy health environment. I figure in time youll figure it out on your own, your area of nursing. Till then stay happy in your current job!

[NurseNature]

You know... I have been asking this question a lot over the past few years. I am graduating next week and I accepted a med-surg position because I still just don't really know and more clinicals were med-surg based. I have said before, and I'll say it again, I think there shoud be an awesome tool made, like a personality profile or something, that would at least generally show you what areas might be a right fit, or wrong fit, for you upon graduation. Or even a hand-out in school that outlines each field of nursing... pace, skills, etc... This website helps a lot actually, but a nice, neat, little survey or handout would be even better for the overwhelmed and busy student.