Don't Like Med-Surg New Grad

[alyssa17]

Hello!

So very soon I will be a new grad (BScN) and out in the field looking for a job. I have tonnes of volunteer experience and took the time to build my CV during nursing school. In nursing school I've come to realize that I do not like med-surg floors but our teaching hospitals do not have NICU or other speciality placements for students starting the year I was able to choose this . I've always been interested in specialities like the NICU, OB, and emerge but have no idea of what it's like besides through casual observation. Unfortunately, I've been told that experience is usually needed in med-surg to climb the ladder. So I was wondering:

Is it very competitive to get into specialties?

Do hospitals hire new grads in the NICU?

Do they look for med-surg experience?

What sort of things are they looking for?

What can I do now to prepare for a NICU position both academically and through other means (i.e volunteer)? (I already volunteer in the hospital)

Are only nurses who have precepted in the NICU considered/preferred?

Thanks in advance.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Just wondering if you're in the US or Canada (which I suspect, based on the BScN). It may be more helpful to ask your question in the Canadian forum if that is where you are working since there are differences between US and Canadian nursing, and it seems the majority of posters on AN are from the US.

[alyssa17]

I live on a border city and both Canada and US are an option for me :)

[anna_91]

well I'm in Montreal and the NiCU is hiring. a lot. IF ur willing to work for 25$/hour and pay 40% in taxes

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Moved to the Canadian forum

[loriangel14, RN]

Generally in Canada they won't hire new grads into specialty areas.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

If you had a fourth year placement or an externship in emergency, you would have a greater chance of being hired. Usually, one to two years experience is required.

A friend works in emergency but she started out on a telemetry/ cardiac unit first.

[JVoEDrn]

I work in the ER and never did med surg. It helps but it's not necessary. That's my opinion. Everyone says MS is where you need to be first to get to where you want to be. I disagree. Not every end goal has the same starting point.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

Ability to enter into speciality area is dependent on the job market cycle, in nursing shortage cycles, new grads can be hired either directly into a speciality area or move into a specialty within a years time, but in a nursing surplus cycle, a new grad will be lucky to be hired into any acute care position, let alone a specialty area and it often takes more than three years to get into a speciality area. The recommendation for new grads to start on a medical surgical unit is more prevalent during nursing surplus cycles, than in nursing shortage cycles. During nursing shortage cycles, employers offer new grads their dream speciality as an incentive for them to chose their hospital as a place of employment. New grads who enter into a surplus job market, need to gain experience, accrue seniority and watch the job market. When the job market starts to change to a shortage market, they will be strong candidates for specialty area positions.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Agreed. Employers are closely monitoring their resources, so they will likely hire an experienced nurse over a new grad.

[ltothew]

I was hired into a specialty as a new grad but only because I started the specialty program, and paid for the first two theory courses while finishing my degree, and then they paid for the rest once I was hired.