Did you got placed into your preferred field of nursing right after graduation?

[EatLoveNurse]

I start classes next week and am taking A&P II and Micro in the Spring. I work 40 hours a week so I figured since these were such difficult classes I should take them one at a time. Once I am in the second week of Micro I can start applying to the ADN program at my school. As time gets closer I am getting more anxious and nervous about the program. I am full of excitement and can't wait to get going!! I want to be a pediatrics nurse more than anything, and the other areas of nursing don't really interest me. So my question is, how many of you got placed into your preferred field of nursing right after graduation?

[RNDreamer]

No, not even close. But I have a job, so I'm happy.

[nursie_pants]

I did.

I realized I wanted to do oncology nursing. I graduated with an Accelerated BSN in August 2009 in an area with few job opportunities (Maine - but gorgeous). I applied to just under 100 jobs. In order to find one on a medical-oncology unit, I finally gave up applying strictly in places I thought I wanted to move to, used Indeed.org, and applied to any and every oncology RN position in the US. I had to move my husband and me to St. Louis to do it, but at least (a) I found a job I love, and (b) it's at a magnet hospital ranked #9 in the U.S.

With the current job market for new nursing grads, you may need to weigh the pros and cons of working in a specific nursing field you love vs in a particular place you love. But hopefully you can have both!

[chloecatrn]

I was very lucky to get a peds job right out of school. However, that was two years ago, in a very different job market. Now, it's next to impossible to get into peds right out of school. If you're truly set on peds, move if you have to, otherwise, take the experience that you can get and make the most of it until you can move to a peds setting.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I don't know what you mean by "get placed". Who are you expecting to place you in a job?

I went directly into a large surgical / trauma ICU after graduation. I had to move half way across the country to do it but that is what it took for me to avoid the "1-2 years of med-surg".

I admit that at the time I graduated there existed a far different job environment for new grads (more jobs) than there does now.

[klone, MSN, RN]

I did. I worked for a year as an extern in that department, and then hired on as a new grad.

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

Do you work in any area of healthcare now? The reason I ask is, it is very possible you may realize you in fact do have interest in other areas as you do your clinical rotations. Thinking you know what you want without experiencing any areas yet kind of pigeon-holes you. Keep an open mind!