Adult CCU or Peds CCU??

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hello all-

new graduate RN here - currently interviewing for my first RN position. i am interested in critical care - preferably cardiac. i have interviewed for a tele position on an adult step-down unit and am patiently awaiting their decision. in the mean time, i have another interview scheduled for a step-down position in a pediatric ccu.

as a new graduate, will i have any advantage/disadvantage taking one over the other? any advice, suggestions, or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!!

xoxoxoxox

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.

Congrats on the interviews! Either would be good, depends what your preferences and career aspirations are, as well as the demand in your area I suppose. I couldn't do paediatric, so I went right for adult CVICU. I love it still, 10 years later.

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Thanks for the response augigi!!

Any other replies/feedback would be greatly appreciated!!

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Being a new graduate, I suggest that you go for adult ccu. That will give you more and easy exposure. I wish you the best in your new career.

Mume Ejime

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

I couldn't work peds. I would go for the adult CCU.

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Really depends on what you want to do. Working with adults vs working with kids is very different! The type of head problems that you will see also very different, Peds will be mostly congenital problems while in adults you will see some congenital defects but also atherosclerotic issues, with MI's, afib, etc.

While not impossible it can be difficult to switch from adults to kids and vice versa so I would recommend starting with what type of population that you'd like to work with if you can see yourself being a pediatric nurse start there, if you don't think you can handle working with kids work in the adult arena. You could also ask to shadow on each unit and see which you like better.

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