New Grad, Many Interests, What to do?

Published Nov 8, 2017

6 Posts

Sorry in advance for the length of this post, I'm trying to sort through my thoughts as I get veeryyyy close to making some important choices! I am a few weeks away from finishing my RN program, by February I'll be sitting for the boards. AAH!

I've been job hunting, and even applied a couple places...

A community hospital, LDRP maternity, 11p-7a full time, My "home base"(3 rotations and my senior preceptorship) hospital's medical floor, 11p-7a full time, and an Internal medicine job in my local town.

I know a lot about addiction, homelessness, and psych from personal/work life since high school and it's a big passion of mine, but doesn't tend to be open for new grads. I love women's health/OBGYN/L&D but have less expertise in that area, and again not so new grad friendly. I work well with the elderly, but rehab/LTC doesn't appeal to me because of staffing, low pay, burnout, ect.

The only specialties I'm really opposed to are OR and ICU because you don't talk to the patients much in these specialties and it's a lot of technology and high stress. God bless yall who work in those areas, I'd burn out faster than a campfire marshmallow.

My preceptorship was in med-surg on the same floor I did acute care on. We get a lot of CMO's, bariatrics, GI surgical and Renal patients (hello TURP city) and I love this floor, but they aren't hiring at this time. I love med-surg, but I like taking the time to talk to patients more extensively than a 5 patient load typically allows for. Love me some medsurg but the community setting appeals to me more because of the continuity of care.

Hopefully this doesn't sound like I'm being picky, I'm completely willing to work anywhere that would give me an offer! I'm just trying to give you an idea of my values and skills.

Now the twist is that I have a personal networking connection for a school nurse position through one of my professors, the clinical overseer. My mentor/friend started school nursing at a different school this year (got back into nursing this year after many years of raising her chilluns). I'm going to shadow her for a day in 2 weeks so that I can get a field for the specialty, but I think if I wanted it, with a little elbow grease, I could get it. Especially because of my school nurse friend who would recommend me and my instructor who referred the job to me in the first place who also would be willing to recommend me.

What do you think?

Do you think school nursing for a new grad is a terrible mistake?

Do you think for someone who likes continuity care it could work?

Would I miss the old people, the hep drips, the wound vacs and PICC lines?

Would I be able to do any drug/addiction counselling with the adolescents?

What do you do over the summer with your time off?

Is there continuing education opportunities for school nurses to do skill checks/training?

My mind is whirling with questions and options.

The world of nursing is so vast...Thanks in advance for your advice and expertise!