Can we talk about something other than NCLEX?

Nurses New Nurse

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Hey all new grad nurses! i know this is a really stressful time in all of our lives, but PLEASE, in order to preserve my sanity, can we try to discuss something other than NCLEX on some of the threads on here??

I am so frustrated right now. I still have not received my ATT, so maybe I am a little jealous of all the new grads who are ready to test. Maybe I'm just sick of the wait. But all this NCLEX stuff sure does seem irritating!

So, in order to fulfill my own request, let's talk about JOBS!!

How is everyone's first job as a GN/new RN going??

I start Feb. 9 if I decide to go with the position I have been offered in NICU. What about you guys??

*Sorry if this post seems like I feel like this: :( Unfortunately, I do feel that way, and probably will until I receive my ATT. Sorry for venting the frustration on you guys*

Originally posted by Mom2kids

It's funny, but I never thought I'd want to work in mother/baby/NICU, but since having my 2 kids....it's given me a different perspective for the nurses who work within that specialty. I'm definitley looking for a specialty that I can grow with and leave work feeling like I've "made that difference". I guess just being a nurse should make us all feel that way though!

Although being a nurse should make us feel like we've made a difference, I have found that in my clinicals, some areas DID NOT make me feel like I had done anything except torture myself for a day!

I will be sure to keep you all posted on the new job. You all do the same!

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.

Hi all,

I graduated in June...can't wait until I hit that one year mark!!! It's been an emotional 7 months, but I truly believe that I grow more and more each day.

As far as whether or not to have med/surg experience 1st...I went straight into the ICU. I was doing well, getting good evals...but my heart wasn't in it. SOOOOO, I went with my gut and interviewed for L&D. I LOVE it. My ICU experience has definitely been an asset...especially when we get some post-op gyne patients in postpartum. With that being said, I personally feel that med/surg is a specialty in its own right....and it can swallow even the best new grad alive....

As someone else posted, I do believe that it's an individual decision. Just put some clear thought into it. It can be hard to think clearly...it's overwhelming as a new grad when you start interviewing and realizing that you are getting multiple job offers.

Good luck everyone!!

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Specializes in ED, Forensic, Long-term care.

This is a great thread and one I wanted to share in as well. I knew when I went to nursing school I wanted to do forensic nursing. I had an AS in Criminal Justice and ten years as an EMT and thought I should be able to go right into the ER. The ER is the environment where much of the type of forensic nursing I want to do is done.

The last thing I wanted to do was med-surg. Well, I graduated in June 2003 and in applying for positions, realized that for where my heart was, I really needed to have that med-surg background. This was also the opinion of those I talked with- and they included forensic nurses around the state who worked ER and ICU, and who were also in law enforcement (CSI).

And so here I am, doing a couple of years of med-surg - and finding out that it really is much like detective work, figuring out what has an effect on what and then how to respond appropriately. And as I relate what I learn from nursing to those in law enforcement and corrections (in my upper division Criminal Justice courses), I find that I am gaining respect and credibility for going this route.

It is taking a great deal of patience, but in the end, I have no doubt it will pay off. I have even already talked with the Director of the ER at the hospital where I work of what needs to be done to have an effective Forensic Nurse on staff there. The fact that I am doing the med-surg, I find, again gives me the credibility I need to specialize in my own area of interest.

This is NOT to say that I think everyone should go this route. But I wanted to give another perspective on the matter. I hope everyone is able to realize their dream job after all the hard work of nursing school.

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Specializes in NICU.

I agree with everyone above about whether or not you should specialize right out of school. I graduated 6 years ago and went straight into NICU.

If you plan on going into any adult care areas, I do think that a year or so of Med-Surg floor nursing would be great experience. I was impressed reading that some schools have clinicals 3-5 days a week for 8 hours, giving students complete patient loads. Can you believe that senior year, in my BSN program, we only had 2-3 med-surg patients, and only 6 hour clinicals 2 days a week? If I was going into adult care, I'd have definitely NEEDED a year of med-surg floor nursing to get my assessment, skills, and organization down!!!

But if you plan on going into maternal/child, well it's a whole different world, especially L&D and NICU/PICU. I've worked with nurses who had gotten a year or two of med-surg experience before transferring to NICU, and they had to kind of un-learn a lot and open their minds to a totally different kind of nursing. Not that they were better or worse than new grads in the NICU - just that med-surg nursing really did not help them very much.

Good luck everybody!!!

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Thanks to all of you for your replies!!! I appreciate your input. I pretty much know what I want to do right now, but that doesn't mean I won't change my mind once I get into clinical rotations. I guess I'll just see where I'm at then and decide what works best for me ...

Dsczephyr-

Forensic nursing sounds very intriguing! and you don't hear about it all the time either. That would be dealing with assault and rape victims, right? Can you summarize that field for me? Would you be similar to a CSI nurse? :D

I've really enjoyed hearing about all the different career paths that each of you is taking! What a great field nursing is with all it's endless opportunities.. you just can't go wrong! Proud to be a future RN! :)

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Originally posted by rpbear

I just wanted to add that I have my first interview as a GN on monday. I am SOOOO escited because it is in L&D and that is what I have allways wanted to do. It is my "dream" job. I just wanted to share my excitement!

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rpbear --

congratulations on your interview!! i'm sure you'll do GREAT!

keep us posted!

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I have an interview on 2-3-04. The hospital I applied to has an opening on the telemetry floor and on the med/surg floor. I don't know which I will get, but I'm pretty sure it will be the night (7p-7a) shift:D

Also, I take the NCLEX on Monday (2 more days!!!) I've been trying to study more.

Wish me luck!

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Originally posted by DGfuturenurse

I have an interview on 2-3-04. The hospital I applied to has an opening on the telemetry floor and on the med/surg floor. I don't know which I will get, but I'm pretty sure it will be the night (7p-7a) shift:D

Also, I take the NCLEX on Monday (2 more days!!!) I've been trying to study more.

Wish me luck!

Best of luck to you! Hopefull, my ATT will arrive soon and I too can test! try to relax and I'm sure you will do fine. Keep us posted!!

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Specializes in ED, Forensic, Long-term care.

THis is for Mom2kids: for a great place to learn about forensic nursing, go to http://www.forensicnurse.org

That's the web site for the International Association for Forensic Nurses. In particular, go to the Resources link and click on "Management of Crime Victims." That article will tell you what the heart of forensic nursing is all about.

Hope this helps.

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I have been out of school since May 2003 but I have been an R.N. Since October 21st, 2003. OOOOOh does the time fly by so quickly. I find it so hard to believe that I have been out of school for almost a year now.

To those who wonder about med-surg experience first. That is still something that is pretty debatable. Some hospitals will NOT hire new grads into speciality areas while some hospitals will.

Some hospitals leave it up to the nurse managers for example if you end up having one of those long extensive behavioral interviews I have found out that is so the nurse manager can evauluate to see they feel a new grad may do in a speciality area.

I have heard some friends who interviewed with the same manager had the manager told them that she had been doing interviews long enough to determine which new grads should start in a speciality and which new grads may be better off doing a year or so of med-surg first and they usually know that is true and admit to it.

I started in med-surg not because I really want to but I had no other option really. The speciality areas I wanted to do was full for new grads and of course med-surg never is full in my area. I am glad I started in med-surg. It is not my dream job but I have learned soooooooo much and I honestly can say now after 3 months as a R.N. that is has NOT been a waste of my time. Although if you would have asked me that a few months back I thought to myself why me.

I say starting off in med-surg is good for those who are not exactly sure what they want to do and they are changing their minds every other week what speciality area they want to go into.

IF you are at least 90% sure what speciality you want to do and you can get into your speciality right away then GREAT, go for it!!!!

IT is a choice each and every person has to make for themselves and then hope they can find a job in their area. Just because you want a certain area does not mean you will get it right away. So you may have to do med-surg in the meantime to get to where you want to go.

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Thanks dsczephyr! I'll check this out!

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peaceful2100 - thanks for your input as well, I appreciate you sharing your experience with med/surg! :)

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