Can I only ever work with children?

sissiesmama, ASN, RN · May 23, 2016

In the USA.

Hi OP - my hubby and I are both RNs in the US (Louisiana).

From what I've seen (and heard from other nurses in our state) staff is SO apt to be pulled to other units in the hospital. In facilities that have a Pediatric ER a lot of the time even the peds nurses get pulled to the adult side.

The peds staff gets pulled all over the hospital - at times just to PP and Gyn but also to med-surg and even to ICU at times.

Our facility doesn't have a peds oncology - but our adult oncology staff does also go all over the facility also.

I'm not sure if that helps u at all - hope it does.

Anne, RNC

roser13, ASN, RN · May 23, 2016

Thank you. I do not expect to always work on oncology, but at least in pediatrics. It might sound weird, and perhaps unprofessional, but based on trauma, I do not think I would ever be capable of working with adults and elderly.

In the US, the vast majority of your clinicals will be with adults. That is roughly two years' worth of working with adults/elderly.

djh123 · May 23, 2016

Yes. Several people I went to school with started out at children's hospitals, in the NICU, etc.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · May 23, 2016

In the US, the vast majority of your clinicals will be with adults. That is roughly two years' worth of working with adults/elderly.

I was going to say this exact thing... OP, I'm truly sorry for whatever it is you went through. However you'll almost exclusively be caring for adults during school. I had exactly 1 pediatric pt my whole schooling, except for the 2 days I spent shadowing a visiting home RN and a school RN. You may want/need to consider getting some help for your trauma before beginning nursing school; you'll need to focus 110% of your mental capacity on your clinical patients. If you're gripped with anxiety over the adults in your care, you will not be successful. Hugs!!

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · May 23, 2016

Hello and welcome! As an international student you will have many hurdles to jump before reaching your eventual goal of working in peds someday. Are there resources available to you in Colombia to help you along this path? Even knowing the requirements for eligibility and what paperwork is necessary to gain a student visa would be daunting without somebody to advise you through the process.

Once you are on your path and in the US studying be prepared to work with adult and elderly patients through the clinical component as that is where the vast majority of hands on studying is done. I would hate to see you be thinking that you would have the opportunity to learn in a peds environment as that just will not happen.

If you do come to the US, finish a nursing program and pass the NCLEX which will allow you to work as a nurse in whatever State you test for then you will need to find employment in a peds unit which is the last of many steps for you. Your journey is not impossible but it would be very difficult. I suggest you find some contacts in the US if possible. It will help you tremendously to have an eventual employer in mind, or at least an eventual State or even region of the country you would like to live in. Knowing the right people can make the journey much easier.

Editorial Team / Admin · May 23, 2016

In the US, the vast majority of your clinicals will be with adults. That is roughly two years' worth of working with adults/elderly.

Exactly. And even working in peds, you're going to have to deal with adults- these patients have parents, grandparents, and other relatives. If there's some sort of traumatic event you experienced, the best path is to deal with the trauma rather than to avoid a huge segment of the patient population.

~PedsRN~, BSN, RN · May 23, 2016

I have always been a peds nurse and will always be a peds nurse. :) That being said, the majority of my clinical hours were definitely spent on adults, and our peds rotation was VERY short and very hands off. I did my preceptorship time in pediatrics though (it was highly competitive but I got my first choice) and was eventually hired into work at that hospital after graduation. :)

Good luck!

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · May 23, 2016

Exactly. And even working in peds, you're going to have to deal with adults- these patients have parents, grandparents, and other relatives. If there's some sort of traumatic event you experienced, the best path is to deal with the trauma rather than to avoid a huge segment of the patient population.

Agree.

You will also have to deal with traumatic experiences with your population by the hands of adults; as a trauma survivor myself I would've never been able to do this if I didn't take care of myself first and be able to be the best advocate for my pts. :yes:

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · May 24, 2016

I was going to say this exact thing... OP, I'm truly sorry for whatever it is you went through. However you'll almost exclusively be caring for adults during school. I had exactly 1 pediatric pt my whole schooling, except for the 2 days I spent shadowing a visiting home RN and a school RN.

Really?! At my program, we had an entire semester clinical class in pediatrics.

roser13, ASN, RN · May 24, 2016

Really?! At my program, we had an entire semester clinical class in pediatrics.

I had a couple of observation days.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · May 24, 2016

Really?! At my program, we had an entire semester clinical class in pediatrics.

I attended school in a smaller city -- pop 64k amid a very rural area. I had clinical rotations in 3 hospitals, none of which had a dedicated peds floor.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · May 24, 2016

I had a couple of observation days.

Wow. :no:

I had actual assignments, assessments, Ned administration, did care plans, etc for the semester; 12 hour clinicals.

The only observation days were in the ER and OR.