The main reason I decided to change my major and become a RN is because of my passion of caring for babies. The NICU is the place I want to work in for the rest of my career.
I have volunteered in the following units[multiple times]:
PICU
NICU
Med-Surg
L&D/Nursery
Cardio/Neuro
Adult ICU
(I'm very active in a medical volunteering organization)
The only specialty I am BEYOND interested in is Neonatal, specifically acute care. There's no interest in me to work with adults nor older kids(general peds). Computer engineering was my previous major and I had a FULL scholarship but gave it all up for the babies after extensive research in the field as well as many others.
I start clinicals next semester (Jan-2017).
Did any of you guys know the specialty you wanted to go into before starting clinicals?
Specializes in Psychiatric RN & Retired Psychiatric CNA.
Yes, I went into nursing specifically to become a lactation consultant, so I knew from the very start that I wanted to work in OB/L&D. While in school doing our clinical rotations, I really enjoyed ICU and how technical and specialized it was. That was sort of my alternate choice if I wasn't able to get into L&D. I was very fortunate that I was chosen by L&D/OB for the new grad program and some facet of women's health is all I've ever done.
That said, I think my situation is fairly rare, both with my single-minded determination that THIS is all I wanted to do as a nurse, as well as the opportunities I was afforded - being chosen as an extern in L&D while in nursing school, as well as being hired as a new grad right into the unit. It usually doesn't happen that easily for most new nurses, so I would caution you to keep your mind open to other options or possibilities.
I often wonder how my life and career path would have been different had I gone into ICU instead of OB.
Congrats! This is what I'M TALKING ABOUT!! The passion that I have for caring for infants has lead me to join multiple "health care/research" based organizations specifically tailored towards children i.e. "march of dimes, make a wish foundation" as well as entering local hospitals to volunteer in the Nursery/NICU(when they allow it). It's usually a Level I.
I have a portfolio, before I even enter into clinicals and theres's FOUR(spring/fall) semesters left. So I know it will be wonderful by time 2018 rolls around.
I have NO desire to work in anything else. I love the subject of women's health, probably equal to my love for infant's health, but I couldn't work in it. Nope. Never.
Not really. And I still don't. I've always had an "obsession" with ICU and/or ER, because I've always been one to challenge myself and wanted to push myself into working some of the most difficult areas in nursing. However, after going through nursing school, and having an unsuccessful 3 months working on a cardiac progressive care unit, I'm starting to think those jobs aren't really in my skill set. Right now, I'm working in a LTC rehab facility, but it's not really where I would like to stay. I enjoyed my public health nursing clinicals, so maybe that's where I would like to end up. But, those jobs are really limited, so maybe working in the clinic would also be a good choice. I've also thought about advancing to become a nurse practitioner.
Specializes in Psychiatric RN & Retired Psychiatric CNA.
Not really. And I still don't. I've always had an "obsession" with ICU and/or ER, because I've always been one to challenge myself and wanted to push myself into working some of the most difficult areas in nursing. However, after going through nursing school, and having an unsuccessful 3 months working on a cardiac progressive care unit, I'm starting to think those jobs aren't really in my skill set. Right now, I'm working in a LTC rehab facility, but it's not really where I would like to stay. I enjoyed my public health nursing clinicals, so maybe that's where I would like to end up. But, those jobs are really limited, so maybe working in the clinic would also be a good choice. I've also thought about advancing to become a nurse practitioner.
I would love to become a NNP but that will take MUCH more volunteering and actual NICU work as a RN to make the final decision on that. 40K+ more in tuition.
I wish I had a full scholarship to pursue computer engineering.....
Back to the original question, I wanted to be a peds nurse back when. Came to realize that kids make me nervous and the parents drive me crazy! Also there is way too much variety (weight based meds, vitals signs, psychological an physiological differences) between a 5 week old with an ear infection, a 2 year old having an allergic reaction, a 8 year old with a fractured arm, and a pregnant 16 year old. Peds nurses do it all! I also wanted to do hospice, L&D, NICU, ICU and Neuro during school. Now I want none of that.
Now I work with adults...on a cardiac step down floor. I really, really don't like it. I've found that I don't like nursing much at all. It just doesn't work with my personality. I think research nursing or maybe Quality Improvement/Risk Management might work for me....otherwise I plan to leave nursing in a few years to pursue something else (maybe biomedical engineering or microbiology).
Specializes in Psychiatric RN & Retired Psychiatric CNA.
I wish I had a full scholarship to pursue computer engineering.....
Back to the original question, I wanted to be a peds nurse back when. Came to realize that kids make me nervous and the parents drive me crazy! Also there is way too much variety (weight based meds, vitals signs, psychological an physiological differences) between a 5 week old with an ear infection, a 2 year old having an allergic reaction, a 8 year old with a fractured arm, and a pregnant 16 year old. Peds nurses do it all! I also wanted to do hospice, L&D, NICU, ICU and Neuro during school. Now I want none of that.
Now I work with adults...on a cardiac step down floor. I really, really don't like it. I've found that I don't like nursing much at all. It just doesn't work with my personality. I think research nursing or maybe Quality Improvement/Risk Management might work for me....otherwise I plan to leave nursing in a few years to pursue something else (maybe biomedical engineering or microbiology).
Simply by your career wants, I bet you're an introvert.... LIKE ME! That's one reason why I want to work with babies only! The ability to, for the most part and based on what I see, work with colleagues and frantic parents only.
I don't like to work with older kids for the reasons you stated! Peds nurses are pulled to far in my opinion. Too much.
Before nursing school, I wanted to be an ED nurse and now I am. I did my capstone/school preceptorship (I think it's also called) on a mixed ICU/step down unit and absolutely loved it. That type of unit became my backup plan, but I landed my first choice job in an ED nurse residency program.
I also can't do pediatrics (I work in an adult ED). I love kids way too much to lose some at work and still be sane. I know I'd be able to do my job while there, but I'd carry too much of it home with me. And I was a teacher before becoming a nurse and I also know just how parents can be. If it was just the children, I might be able to handle it but add in the parents and I'm out. That and for the most part, adults can tell you what's wrong with them and if they need something.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Wow. I wouldn't have revealed that but, anyway, how did you do in peds?
I did just fine in peds back when I was in nursing school. Just because I was not fond of a certain patient population did not preclude me from doing well academically in that particular subset of the nursing program.
By the way, there's no shame in revealing my dislike of providing care to babies and kiddos. It is called being true to oneself. Why lie and pretend to be enamored with a particular patient population that annoys the hell out of me?
By the way, there's no shame in revealing my dislike of providing care to babies and kiddos. It is called being true to oneself. Why lie and pretend to be enamored with a particular patient population that annoys the hell out of me?
To piggyback on this: I also know I couldn't deal with kids in acute care. My answer was from an ED point of view where longer term care isn't done and the patients aren't necessarily stable. I was fine with my Peds rotation in school and I enjoyed working with most of my patients, but I couldn't do inpatient Peds for the rest of my career. It would drive me up a wall.
I knew where I wanted to work. Like you, I'd volunteered in a certain setting, and that's what led me to nursing in the first place.
Clinicals didn't change my mind. I found that I liked most other areas just fine and could potentially be happy with a job in any department, but I still had a preference for that first department.
But life led me other directions. I ended up elsewhere and, while I wouldn't mind working in that original setting, the direction I'm currently headed makes it less likely I ever will. And that's fine.
Specializes in Psychiatric RN & Retired Psychiatric CNA.
I did just fine in peds back when I was in nursing school. Just because I was not fond of a certain patient population did not preclude me from doing well academically in that particular subset of the nursing program.
By the way, there's no shame in revealing my dislike of providing care to babies and kiddos. It is called being true to oneself. Why lie and pretend to be enamored with a particular patient population that annoys the hell out of me?
Certainly why I dislike adults. They annoy the hell out of me and i will NEVER care for them as a RN. I would rather remain unemployed until I find a NICU job. í ½í¸Š
Before I came into nursing, I had been an elementary school teacher, so I knew working with sick kiddos was out for me. I'm way to nervous around babies, so that was out too. I was open to my clinicals in that area in school, however I knew it wasn't something I could do long term. Other than that, I didn't really know what I wanted when I entered school. Now I work in emergency psych and I love it.
Shookclays, ASN, BSN, CNA, RN
164 Posts
Congrats! This is what I'M TALKING ABOUT!! The passion that I have for caring for infants has lead me to join multiple "health care/research" based organizations specifically tailored towards children i.e. "march of dimes, make a wish foundation" as well as entering local hospitals to volunteer in the Nursery/NICU(when they allow it). It's usually a Level I.
I have a portfolio, before I even enter into clinicals and theres's FOUR(spring/fall) semesters left. So I know it will be wonderful by time 2018 rolls around.
I have NO desire to work in anything else. I love the subject of women's health, probably equal to my love for infant's health, but I couldn't work in it. Nope. Never.