Where to precept?!

Nursing Students Student Assist

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Help!!! I know there are so many different areas of nursing, that is part of the reason why i chose to go into nursing. But now that it's time to choose where to precept, I'm clueless on what to pick. Is there a list of all the different areas? I think I'd like ER but I don't know....

Um wow, can't believe the type of response you're getting :/ Anywho the way I see precepting is; a last chance to safely learn as much as you can. And I think hands down, the ER will give you the widest variety of experiences. Lots of IV practice, too. ICU is a good place too, but keep in mind you will be charting assessments on each patient every hour, and lots of sad, grieving families. Some ppl can't stand this. Med-surg floors are usually you have 5 patients, who each have tons of meds, (my average is 8-10 meds per pass) and you run your butt off trying to get in all your assessments and meds on time, then a handful of dressings/foleys/etc to squeeze in. Very little actual time spent with the patient.

Ask around, if you like a specialty, sometimes they'll let you in there- one of our students precepts in a cancer clinic and loves it. And good for you for thinking and planning ahead!

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Also- out teacher gave us a list of where we could NOT work. I really wish I had asked around to see where I could. I love wound care, and would have lived to do that unit. You can also be a float nurse and go to different floors!

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Wow, I definitely understand your confusion. We had a med surg rotation,but most of us was on renal,oncology,or even cardiac. You can learn alot on med-surg,but it sure isn't my first choice as a new grad.:loveya: I agree that you can learn alot in the ED,but I love cardiac because it effects the body in all aspects. Goodluck

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Mitral and pedsluv, thank you so much. Your input is very helpful :)

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Specializes in NICU.

Wow, people lay off a little.. Although I agree not knowing what med-surg is when you're in your 4th semester seems a little strange I think you need to take a chill pill, quit judging.. Get it together? That might just be one thing she didn't ask or was obviously confused about. Some people can be so rude. You guys will be the very nurses that give all nurses a bad name, people that hold their noses up high and try to spit on every else. The ones that will make nursing students want to quit. Don't know if you guys are nursing students or practicing nurses, but I think we are all here to learn, to understand, and to get better, so either help, lend what I am hoping is your 100%, outstanding, above the top, better than the rest, advice, or move on to another site.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
Wow, people lay off a little.. Although I agree not knowing what med-surg is when you're in your 4th semester seems a little strange I think you need to take a chill pill, quit judging.. Get it together? That might just be one thing she didn't ask or was obviously confused about. Some people can be so rude. You guys will be the very nurses that give all nurses a bad name, people that hold their noses up high and try to spit on every else. The ones that will make nursing students want to quit. Don't know if you guys are nursing students or practicing nurses, but I think we are all here to learn, to understand, and to get better, so either help, lend what I am hoping is your 100%, outstanding, above the top, better than the rest, advice, or move on to another site.

Isn't there quite a bit of judgment in that post? :)

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Wow, people lay off a little.. Although I agree not knowing what med-surg is when you're in your 4th semester seems a little strange I think you need to take a chill pill, quit judging.. Get it together? That might just be one thing she didn't ask or was obviously confused about. Some people can be so rude. You guys will be the very nurses that give all nurses a bad name, people that hold their noses up high and try to spit on every else. The ones that will make nursing students want to quit. Don't know if you guys are nursing students or practicing nurses, but I think we are all here to learn, to understand, and to get better, so either help, lend what I am hoping is your 100%, outstanding, above the top, better than the rest, advice, or move on to another site.

We can all agree that many hospitals call different department by different names. The OP's school isn't helping by calling "Med-surg" by utilizing so many different departments. Some facilities only have "general med-surg floors" while other facilities have designated renal and hem/oncology floors.

I think it is perfect acceptable to be over whelmed by the last semester and all the tasks that are suddenly imperative to continue your path until graduation.....especially when the school has made it as clear as mud.

I think that we ALL need to remember that everyone has an opinion and we need to be respectful of them.....we can "agree to disagree without being disagreeable"....Gerald Ford.

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You know, after getting the response that i did, i was so upset at this web site, and almost deleted this app off my phone. Glad i didn't because then i wouldn't have heard from understanding, caring, and helpful people like you. Thank y'all so much!!

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
You know, after getting the response that i did, i was so upset at this web site, and almost deleted this app off my phone. Glad i didn't because then i wouldn't have heard from understanding, caring, and helpful people like you. Thank y'all so much!!

Glad you stuck with it. Just like in practice, there are trying times and situations where it might be easier to quit, but stick it put and you realize how worthwhile it is. :)

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

In the hospital where I work, we have cardiac stepdown floor (with med-surg overflow), ICU stepdown floor (with med-surg overflow and renal), Orthopedics floor (with med-surg overflow), oncology floor (with med-surg overflow) and PCU (with med-surg overflow). So any of those could be used in clinicals for med-surg, because along with the specialties, they fill the beds with all the other folks who don't fit cleanly into one category. Most patients these days have conditions that could land them on any or all of these floors at any given time, so really it is all med-surg with a touch of specialization thrown in.

We didn't get to pick where we did our preceptorship when I was in college and I find it interesting you can. I do suggest med-surg or even LTAC. Those will give you the most hands-on experience in a global sense. Good luck!

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Specializes in Cath Lab & Interventional Radiology.

We got to put down first and second choice for our preceptorship. With that being said, a huge percentage of people put down OB & ER. There were only a few select spots in each of those departments across all of the facilities that my college utilized. This meant that a lot of people got their heart broken, because they were set on those two departments. I ended up on a Neuro/Trauma unit which I thought was totally awesome. Some of the units that people in my school did their final preceptorship on were: Cardiology, Progressive Care, Critical Care, Behavioral Health, Oncology, Neuro/Peds, NICU, Neuro/Trauma, Med/Surg, Ortho/Surg, Dialysis, ER, OB, Home Care, Cath Lab, & Surgery. Good Luck!

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