Confused

[msleely]

I will be graduating from a BSN program in May and I am so confused about what area to go into. I have always wanted to work in pediatrics, but when I did my critical care rotation in CCU I loved it. During my pediatric clinical we were very limited on what we could do and I didn't enjoy it as much as I did CCU (adults). I was able to spend one day in PICU and I did like it but I am so confused. For as long as I can remember I wanted to work with children and had plans of becoming an acute care pediatric nurse practitioner. Now I don't know how to decide. I will be applying for internship programs soon so I need to figure something out. If anyone has any suggestions please share.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

If pediatrics is calling you, maybe you should listen. I have serious issues with the way nursing school programs structure their clinical experiences, and wish they would allow students more hands-on opportunities. If you loved CCU, then you likely would love PICU too. It would be the best of both worlds for you. Although the interaction between nurse and patient is often limited in PICU, there are still lots of chances for comforting and soothing the child in the bed, and for supporting the family. There is much to learn about critically ill kids and their nursing care, and there is no "normal" day in PICU. Every shift is different, even with the same patient. Maybe before you commit yourself you could ask to do a couple of days' shadowing in PICU again, and go prepared to ask a lot of questions, do a lot of observing and maybe get the chance to perfome some skills. It doesn't take a PhD in nursing to do mouth care or to help tape an IV. You never know, it might tip the scales for you.