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Why are instructors and professors in nursing school so adamant about starting at med-surge. I heard this my entire years of the accelerated program I went through. Why cant they speak on an individual basis?

Say hey if you have the confidence go for the speciality you want. I got hired right out of school in a cardiac icu, and now the next the issue thats presented itself is some nurses telling me that I will not be ready for CRNA school. Please stop trying to kill dreams. Encourage the new nurses and for do not try and crush others who want to be more. You may come into your job and hate it, but we are not all made the same.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Maybe they all are speaking their truth that stems from their experiences and they all have had the same or similar experiences. Maybe they're right.

Sometimes we see folks here (particularly new grads/new nurses) who consider any advice that is constructive and factual to be soul-crushing criticism. They tend to come here and ask for advice but qualify that request by saying "no negative answers allowed!" Then, a truthful, honest response that does not coincide with the OP's mindset is labeled as mean-spirited dream-killers.

I hope that's not how you're interpreting your co-workers' statements. If they are telling you their truth from their experience, you don't really get to call them dream-killers.

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It's because you need some good solid basic nursing skills and experience before you attempt any sort of advanced practice.

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This was not my experience in nursing school. Our professors encouraged us to go into whatever area interested us. Here are a few of the first nursing jobs my classmates got: oncology, outpatient pediatrics, research nursing, urgent care, inpatient psych. I'm not saying you can go into any specialty/area/job without experience but I would say it is possible to get jobs in areas without working in med/surg first.

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Why are instructors and professors in nursing school so adamant about starting at med-surge. I heard this my entire years of the accelerated program I went through. Why cant they speak on an individual basis?

Say hey if you have the confidence go for the speciality you want. I got hired right out of school in a cardiac icu, and now the next the issue thats presented itself is some nurses telling me that I will not be ready for CRNA school. Please stop trying to kill dreams. Encourage the new nurses and for do not try and crush others who want to be more. You may come into your job and hate it, but we are not all made the same.

If you don't want to exchange ideas about your future plans, it might be better to keep them to yourself. Not all of us are inclined to encourage a moth to a flame ...no matter how hopeful and enthusiastic the moth is.

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Well update to my thoughts. I got hired as a cardiothoracic surgery RN and currently sending out applications to CRNA school. I have or had no intentions of ever listening to the "truth" that was given to me. I see the light as a "moth" and no turning back. ACLS, PALS, BLS instructor and working on my CCRN.

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Well update to my thoughts. I got hired as a cardiothoracic surgery RN and currently sending out applications to CRNA school. I have or had no intentions of ever listening to the "truth" that was given to me. I see the light as a "moth" and no turning back. ACLS, PALS, BLS instructor and working on my CCRN.

Wait, so did you have a question or did you just want to inform everyone of your game plan? lol.

Whatever the case, I wish you luck. Most of my instructors advised us to get Med/Surg positions first for a couple of reasons. 1) We'll see a wide variety of patients and therefore learn how to care for a wide variety of patients, which will better equip us for future jobs. 2) While all nursing positions are stressful, Med/Surg patients typically tend to have a lower acuity, meaning you have time to learn, time to look through charts and put two and two together, and time to research things you may not know all while feeling less pressure (for instance, caring for a post op cholecystectomy patient is far less stressful than caring for a patient who is very likely to code at any given minute--many new nurses aren't ready to handle ICU level stress).

These rules don't apply to everyone. I've talked to some nurses who have said new grads have done quite well in the ICU, while others have floundered. I've also had instructors who have encouraged some of us to take non-med/surg positions because they believed we would do well. Students are all different and will take different paths to meet their goals. Take cookie-cutter advice with a grain of salt, but do ask questions and do be receptive to advice from others who have already been through all this.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Well update to my thoughts. I got hired as a cardiothoracic surgery RN and currently sending out applications to CRNA school. I have or had no intentions of ever listening to the "truth" that was given to me. I see the light as a "moth" and no turning back. ACLS, PALS, BLS instructor and working on my CCRN.
Good luck with your career aspirations.
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It was more of a rant lol. I just get frustrated with the negativity sent out when someone tries to further themselves. We are not made equally. Some people need 6 years, others need 6 months. As they saw, its how you act when you finally see that zebra.

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I could not agree with YOU more @along2708. There are definitely a lot of negative spirited people who do not believe in going straight into a specialty. I personally was accepted into ICU straight out of nursing school into a level 1 Trauma center. I learned a great deal there and I preferred it that way vs working on med surg. In the ICU I had the opportunity to learn about the patients (assignments of 2 or sometimes 3) and care for them in a more in depth way than I could have ever done working on med surg with 7 patients. I do not think that ICU is for everyone per se, but NO ONE should be discouraged from what they believe they can obtain. I heard it many times as well from primarily older nurses that new grads should not be in the ICU, but me and many others have become great critical care nurses (with the help of course from senoir RNs). I now have 3 years of ICU experience under my belt and I have been accepted into CRNA to start in AUG. I did not get in right away at alll, but I was persistent and believed in myself. Negative people in my life tried to slow me down, but it only motivated me. I had a hard knock life that showed me I can get through anything w/ POSITIVE ENERGY. KEEP PUSHING! And dont let those who feel bitter cause you to post stuff like this lol. Just DO YOU

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Thank you for thr words. I am happy you got in. Can I ask what your other background information included and what program? I am now just trying to streghthen my resume with whatever credentials I can obtain.

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Neuro trauma/surgical ICU for 3 years. CCRN . Participated in organizations on the Unit and became a preceptor. I did not have a strong GRE and d/t some life struggles in undergrad my grades in science struggled so that is not the greatest either. I studied and came prepared to my interviews. I was at the bottom of the barrel because of my GRE and science but my eagerness and desire kept me persistent. I nailed an interview that drilled me on questions and I was prepared for it. :bookworm:. I do choose to keep the school private given the context of this forum and it being public but I do wish the best for you on your endeavors.

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