Med-surg or NICU first?

[Neonatal WannaB]

Hello all, this is my first time being on allnurses.com. This site is excellent. One of my classmates told me to check it out and I am glad I did.

I have a couple of questions for the "seasoned" nurses. First off, I'm a GN and I work in a sub-acute facility where patients come from the hospital for rehab or they aren't sick enough to stay in the hospital. I am going to continue to work here until I get my license. Question #1. Should I start off on a general med-surg floor for a year like everyone has been telling me since I entered the nursing program? or #2. Should I go right to the NICU? My ultimate goal is to be a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner. I just want to get the best experience so that my career can flourish in the way that it should.

I welcome any incite from anyone who can help me. :confused: :confused:

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I think you should do at least 1 year of med-surg. you gain all the skills you need. that is where you learn how to do iv's, careplans, central lines, picc, and anything else you can think of. you learn a lot in that year. then move into the area of your choice. i think you will appreciate it in the long run.

The OP will learn about central lines,IV's, careplans, etc in the NICU. Learning these skills on adults and then "re-learning" them for babies will not help.

[kerussll]

Go right into the NICU. It really bothers me when people say you need a year in med-surge nursing. NICU is a different world. You will have to re-learn everything in a bit of a different way when you make the transition. In my opinion, it can actually be a disadvantage to some people because they can't break their "adult patient mindset." Why not just start out where you want to be in the first place and not waste any time? You will get an appropriate orientation and people will help you learn everything you need to learn.