Choosing a Practicum Senior Year

[nursing twin, CNA]

Hi everyone, I am in my senior year almost going into my last semester in the fall and I need to decide where I want to go for my practicum. We get to decide where we'd like to work and follow a preceptor for 7 weeks full time. It's intense and by the end I will be able to get an idea of where to go. I was thinking about the OR but have no experience or have even observed. Where would you recommend new graduates of nursing school to go? Most people say Med surg units but I guess I'd like to see if I want to specialize. thanks

[muffie, RN]

med surg for sure

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Good luck. I think practicums can be done just about anywhere. Go for what your interested in. Good luck.

Our OR only allows for shift long obs by student, not precepting.

Welcome to Allnurses!

[bv_girl]

I say go where you want to work. You probably have more than enough experience on Med/Surg, and you don't get the opportunity to go to a different area that often. It is a good idea especially during school because it is only 7 weeks and not a few years or so if you hate it.

[BeccaznRN, RN]

I agree with the other posts - go with what interests you. This is a great opportunity to see areas that you didn't necessarily get to in school, such as ICU or OR (I got to do my preceptorship in OR and I LOVED it).

If you are unsure of what will interest you, then I always suggest students pick an area they are weak in. For example, go to med-surg if you want to work on time management or telemetry if cardiac isn't your strong point. This is a great way to learn!

[Larry77, RN]

If the facility that you are going to has them, I highly recommend going with a "float" nurse....I did that and was able to spend time on tele/med/surg/peds/and psych...great exposure!

[Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN]

What have nursing schools come too? allowing the students where they want to "precept". When I went thru (and dinosaurs did walk the earth then) we went where they told us. We did not get a choice on things like preceptorships and such. There was not even an idea of a nursing internship. you graduated and got a job as a gn and worked as a regular nurse from then on unless you failed your boards.

[West_Coast_Ken, BSN, RN]

If the facility that you are going to has them, I highly recommend going with a "float" nurse....I did that and was able to spend time on tele/med/surg/peds/and psych...great exposure!

Cool idea, Larry. I think that would have been a good idea--if I had thought of it.

Since I didn't think of that idea I am currently doing mine in the ER, however, my preceptor is cross training in the ICU and she said I am welcome to do a few rotations with her there, too. I'm going to wait until the end of my ER preceptorship to do that so at least she'll have a few weeks there before I join her. She's still doing ER, too, and she's a Dialysis RN at a clinic in town, so I guess I kinda am doing this with a non-float nurse!

[KellNY, RN]

To the OP: Go into the field where you think you might be interested. I went into OB because I knew that's what I wanted to do, and I loved my internship! I got to do so much, and had some really wonderful preceptors.

I personally would not suggest MedSurg unless that's what you want to do as a career. But that's just me.

A big thing is the hospital you choose or are assigned--try to make sure you go to one known for working well with students. I took mine at a large teaching hospital, which was great in some ways (they're used to students-a lot of the nurses had special training as preceptors, the unit was almost always very busy--ie lots of different cases, etc) and notsogreat in other ways (sometimes with the med students and interns-especially in July, god help us-there are too many hands in the pot and you're a little less than welcome there).

A friend went to a small community hospital (also for OB) because she thought she'd get more one on one attention. She ended up seeing only 5 deliveries and 2 c/sections. Whereas I saw about 30 or so vag. deliveries, 10+ c/s, plus termination, cerclages, D&Cs, twins, triplets, etc. The nurses there were very nervous about having a student, and she spent many days with the other nurses at the desk, doing crossword puzzles.

What have nursing schools come too? allowing the students where they want to "precept". When I went thru (and dinosaurs did walk the earth then) we went where they told us. We did not get a choice on things like preceptorships and such. There was not even an idea of a nursing internship. you graduated and got a job as a gn and worked as a regular nurse from then on unless you failed your boards.

What? Nowadays (lol), the students do clinicals in the required classes (peds, ob, med surg x2, psych, etc) and then for their final experience chose which area they would like to go to. It is a vital part of their schooling -they are graded, not paid anything, and gain more independence and experience (usually) than as part of a group of nursing students. They then graduate and have the option at many hospitals to work as a GN and then a "regular nurse" as you said.

Why on earth is this a bad thing??? Or did you just misunderstand?

[nursing twin, CNA]

I have a great instructor already I have in mind for a preceptor that is awesome with students. I've already have been able to do so much with him that I can imagine how great he'd be for the OR. The hospital is a teaching based hospital and the nurses are used to seeing students around. Sometimes we are welcome and sometimes not. I think that is the idea I have...if I am going into med surg why not try an area that I haven't seen?? I don't know if I will like it but at least I will have a choice not to go in that area. thanks for the advice

[NeosynephRN]

I think is is great that you get to choose!!! I agree with everyone else...go with what you are very interested in...or the suggestion to go with your weakness is a good one too!!! I am in my final semester and we did not get to choose...it would be nice to be doing something that intrests me...but any experience is a time to learn!! Good Luck choosing!!

[RunnerRN, BSN, RN]

My $0.02.....go to the highest acuity setting you're allowed. We had to get a certain score on the HESI test to be allowed in the ICU, ED, or PACU. I flirted between med surg, ICU, and ED, and am SO SO glad I chose the ED. Do a lot of introspection - where do you want to end up after graduation? I wanted to go into the ED, and my preceptorship there was a huge selling point to get into the internship program. I do wish I had gone into the ICU for those weeks because it is so similar yet so different from the ED. I would have killed myself (and probably gotten out of nursing all together) if I had done my time in med surge - my M/S time in clinicals was awful, and I just don't have the attention span for that.

My bottom line? Go for the most difficult area, and learn as much as you can! If you do your preceptorship in ICU and go into OB, you won't be hurt by the knowledge you gain in the ICU.

Good luck!