Devastated about my recent preceptorship placement in med surg

elkpark · Jan 29, 2017

Disappointing? Definitely! "Devastated"? That seems a bit much. I'm sure that your school had informed students that they were not guaranteed their first choice of preceptorship sites. Make the best of the placement you have, work hard, learn as much as you can, and make it a positive experience for yourself. I don't know anything specific about the market for new grads in Denver, but I doubt it will make a great deal of difference in eventually getting hired into a NICU position. When you look back on this in years to come, you will see that it was just a minor "hiccup" in your career. There will be many others -- it's important in nursing to be able to "roll with the punches," be flexible and resilient, and make the best of minor setbacks.

Welcome to allnurses -- best wishes for your journey! :balloons:

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Jan 29, 2017

You really kind of shot yourself in the foot putting NICU as your ONLY choice. By placing yourself into a very narrow space- you have far fewer opportunities to get something close to what you want.

Here's my suggestion: Stop with the status dramaticus ( I am absolutely devastated, and I just cannot stop thinking about how my career goals are falling apart.) Go into the M/S preceptorship absolutely determined to learn and BE all you can in that role. Graduate. Pass NCLEX. Apply for jobs you want.

Until that point, you are wasting energy and the opportunity to learn something.

Editorial Team / Admin · Jan 29, 2017

I am absolutely devastated, and I just cannot stop thinking about how my career goals are falling apart.

This is not something to be absolutely devastated about, nor is it something that will make your career goals fall apart. Direct your energy elsewhere- do your best in your assigned practicum, make a good impression, realize that in a time where many areas are seeing a glut of new grads vying for the same positions it isn't always possible to get into your first choice specialty, and roll with the punches.

oceanblue52 · Jan 29, 2017

All of my classmates agonized over our placements, but the reality is that it is only 6 weeks time and a very small segment of your nursing career. Med-Surg is a great overall experience that will give you applicable skills wherever you work.

Denver job market is pretty saturated, another option to consider if NICU falls through is Private Duty peds. Know at least 3 companies that hire new grads and do decent training to boot, and will give you applicable skills for working in the NICU in the future.

Julius Seizure · Jan 29, 2017

Okay. So. My school didn't even really HAVE a capstone preceptorship. In my entire curriculum, we did one HALF of a semester of pediatrics. After graduation, I got a new grad residency in a PICU (and was also offered one for NICU, so I got to choose). I got them because I was willing to move pretty much anywhere in the country to get the kind of job that I was looking for. You might have to make a choice - Denver or NICU - for your first job. But I don't think that the location of your nursing school preceptorship is nearly as make-or-break for your career as you think it is.

SF BSN2b · Jan 29, 2017

Thank you so much everyone for your words. I really appreciate your advice. I am not the only person who didn't get their placement. Maybe as a student I am just too naive to expect things will happen the way I planned them. It is not about me being picky, not at all! It is about having true interest in the NICU field that I just couldn't wait to expand during my preceptorship.

Workitinurfava, BSN, RN · Jan 30, 2017

Maybe it wasn't your first choice but at-least you have a med-surgical position that can lead you to where you want to go. I started out in a nursing home with 20-25 patients.

Apple-Core, ASN, BSN, RN · Jan 30, 2017

Hi everyone,
I am a BSN student from the Bay Area planning to relocate to Denver, CO once I graduate in May. Although I put the NICU as my only senior preceptorship choice, my school was not able to find a placement for me and put me to med-surg. I am absolutely devastated, and I just cannot stop thinking about how my career goals are falling apart.
My plan is to apply to new grad NICU programs in Denver Metro, but now I am at such disadvantage.
Do you think my med-surg preceptorship will make it much harder to land a NICU job (or get into the program)? Maybe some of you ladies and gents also know how hard it is to get a job in Denver in general?
Thank you!

I sincerely doubt your career goals will fall apart based on this one small hiccup in your plans. I can understand you'd feel disappointed, but devastated seems a bit much... I would channel that emotional energy into learning everything you can during your time in med-surg. Who knows, you might even find another passion you weren't even aware of?

djh123 · Jan 30, 2017

You'll probably do just fine. Lots of us have had stumbles or obstacles along the way. My evil prof who was in charge of preceptorship placements placed several of us in the opposite of what we wanted - sometimes in terms of what specialty, sometimes (in my case) at night when I had pleaded for days. I could go on much longer ... but just keep at it.

oceanblue52 · Jan 30, 2017

It is really awesome that you are so enthusiastic about a specialty...Having passion for your field can be helpful for carrying you through during difficult moments in your career. Consider the Med-Surg placement a challenge; put aside your yearning for the NICU and go into clinical everyday ready to learn. Maybe even journal about the experiences and how you can apply them to NICU. Mindset and self-reflection is very helpful for shaping ones career path.

Wolf at the Door, BSN · Jan 30, 2017

I ended up in med surg but wanted peds. First job was in ICU, I turned down peds (after waiting for my offer for over a week smh). Those in ICU during last semester ended up in med surg as a first job.