Can I Get Some Advice?

Nurses General Nursing

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I graduate with my BSN in 6 months or so and I am dead set on being a psych nurse. I like everything about it. I have finished my psych clinicals and have even shadowed on my own. Plan on applying to a child/adolescent facility after I graduate.

My worry is what happens if I somehow lose my job, fired, or they close? Am I going to have trouble finding a job in a med surg type job with only psych experience?

I have had some people tell me to do a year or two of med surg when you graduate and then go do psych, but I am so excited to start working psych right away....

What do you think?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Depending what the job situation is like in your area I would suggest applying for jobs everywhere and see where you end up

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Depending what the job situation is like in your area I would suggest applying for jobs everywhere and see where you end up

Job situation in my area is extremely good. I could get a job at any of the two hospitals in my city and the mental health facility right after graduation. I don't know of any Seniors last year that didn't get a job instantly after passing the NCLEX

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Specializes in CICU, Telemetry.

If you want to do psych, do psych. Honestly you come out a BSN program knowing how to think and problem solve, not knowing how to take out a central line or place an IV or deal with an arterial line. That's what orientation is for. If you end up going to a med/surg unit after being in psych for a few years, you'll get the same orientation as a new grad would anyway. I don't think you will have trouble getting a job/thriving in a hospital environment after psych. It will be difficult to learn to prioritize, as it is for any new grad, but you shouldn't be unable to do that.

That said, there is some merit to those who say it is wise to get a year or two of general medical experience before you specialize in anything. It's hard to know what you really want to do until you try. I went through my first 3.5 years of school adamant that I wanted to do inpatient adolescent psych nursing, and then had my critical care rotation and psych rotation and knew I belonged in the ICU. Don't get too attached to one specific care area until you give it a try. You might surprise yourself

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