Did your ideal "area" change before and after school?

[AragornSkywalker]

Im currently between a pre-nursing student and an actual nursing student. I finished my prereqs and am as good as in, but I wont start until Fall 09' (sigh). I cant help not thinking about my "ideal" nursing area based on my personality, but should I really go in with a heavy bias towards a certain area?

Nursing is such a broad field and I should be able to find my element sooner or later, but it would be nice to have something to shoot for. But I want to keep an open mind in case something is alot cooler than I though. So for those of you who are at the end of your programs or past it, did your ideal nursing job stay the same or change? Like did you go in thinking the ER is where you should be, only to completely change your mind by the end?

And does anyone else here relate more with Dr. House than Patch Adams? I know they are both doctors, but I cant think of any iconic nurses except Heath Ledger.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

I went in wanting to do ER or ICU. Ended up in neonatal ICU. Up until the end, I hated peds. Found my love for peds/neonatal critical care at the end. Now I can't stand adults!

Go in with an open mind and go to each clinical as if you might end up in that specialty.

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

I went in wanting to do ER or ICU. Ended up in neonatal ICU. Up until the end, I hated peds. Found my love for peds/neonatal critical care at the end. Now I can't stand adults!

Go in with an open mind and go to each clinical as if you might end up in that specialty.

Same here. Went in thinking I'd only like ER or OR, had no intentions of liking peds or neonates. Graduate in May 2009, hoping to work in a nursery or NICU...and hated the OR and ER rotations.

[groovy jeff, RN]

Went in thinking ER or something that doesn't have lots of poop! However after a few days in ER, I knew it wasn't for me.

I have spent the majority of my current med/surg rotation in ICU and love it!

Med/surg is OK and I would do it if I needed a job.

To me it seems that Telemetry is the toughest place to work; your getting everyone from ER with chest pain, everyone leaving ICU is going there, your 1:5, have 3 discharges and 4 admits AND juggling 5 call lights and meds for 5-NO THANKS. But once again I would do it if I needed to.

Stay open minded; nursing is groovy!

[magnum_4415]

i went in thinking icu and er

was offered internship in er but my best friends mom is an or nurse and told me i would like that.

Just so happened that a classmate of mine asked if i would be interested in an or job and i said yes, now i can't imagine nursing anywhere else besides icu.

not to mention its more like a normal 5 day a week 8 hour shift job or 4 10 hour shifts weekends and holidays off, of course you have to take call everyonce in a while but when your called out we get the next day paid off =P