Best location to start as a new grad?

Macuna RN · Sep 21, 2007

i am a recent rn new grad with 3 yrs er experiece in an er as an lpn and the best advice i can give to you is you know yourself... if you are a brand new rn with no previous hospital experiece it may be best to go to a med surg floor for 6 mths-1 year don't try to take on to much because you don't wan to burn out :banghead:

lilo19 · Sep 21, 2007

I wanted to know where the best place to start as a new graduate nurse would be? On the medical surgical floors or in OB, ER, etc. I want to get good experience but not to be too over whelmed. Any advice would be appreciated!

You know it better. It also depends on what you have acknowledged up to now and what you want to become specialized in. Everywhere is hard at the beginning.

guerrierdelion · Sep 23, 2007

I wanted to know where the best place to start as a new graduate nurse would be? On the medical surgical floors or in OB, ER, etc. I want to get good experience but not to be too over whelmed. Any advice would be appreciated!

You have some idea of "the best place to start" based upon your clinical rotations in school. Medical Surgical Unit nursing would be considered solid "bread & butter" experience on one's resume. To prevent "overwhelm", a formalized RN New Graduate Program to include clinical rotation under the supervision of a qualified preceptor to ease the progression and advancement on the continuum from novice to competency would be ideal. You could also throw in a generous Loan Repayment program to boot!

:paw::smiletea2::w00t:

... but when I said that nothing had been done I erred in one important matter. We had definitely committed ourselves and were halfway out of our ruts. We had put down our passage money— booked a sailing to Bombay. This may sound too simple, but is great in consequence. Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets:

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!"

-W.H. Murray

The Scottish Himalayan Expedition (1951)

Curious1alwys, BSN, RN · Sep 24, 2007

You will feel too overwhelmed. I think it is just inevitable.

If you have really good organizational skills and time management skills to begin with, you are more likely to feel less stressed.

I don't consider myself good at either of the above and freaked one month into my first RN job on a med surg floor. That, combined with pregnancy hormones (found out I was PG unexpectedly first day orientation), was a BAD mix. My anxiety got the best of me and I quit the job, feeling that ANY job was better than staying with such stress. But, I regret it totally now. I actually feel guilty for doing it now. Now I understand that there is no way out of the stress that is the first year of nursing. I just freaked, like fight or flight. That is what kicks in you know, especially if you have some underlying anxiety problems already. Instead of staying and fighting, I ran... It sucks that you have to get past it...that you are destined to feel like a total mess for at least 6 months...but that is how it is for most people. Now I realize that and am back out looking. I am no longer pregnant (sadly) and researching ways to keep the anxiety down through positive self talk and possibly medications (been on them before). I don't want to leave a job again for the wrong reasons. I am not sure nursing is for me but I would like to become somewhat proficient at it... But that job decision to quit...stupid..stupid..stupid. Life is too short for regrets, I know, but man it is NO FUN being back in the interview/job app process... I am just telling you this, maybe it'll help you. You need to stay and FIGHT if you are in a good workplace and if you know in your heart nursing is right for you. Don't let anxiety get the best of you. If you get to a point where you feel so overwhelmed you can't go on, talk to people (like us) and if that doesn't work.....see your GP. You may need anxiety medicine.

AND....if you are undecided about a specialty, I say Med-Surg hands down or wherever they offer the longest and most thorough orientation program. The quality of the place you work is much more important than the work you are doing at first, IMHO.

GOOD LUCK!