Favorite place to work

I am convinced that certain personalities gravitate towards certain nursing unit types. As a maternal-child nurse I know you need to be autonomous, able to communicate with the patient's family and friends (VERY difficult sometimes) and able to exhibit caring measures frequently. Critical care nurses tend to require hardiness in their personality as they are working independently to some extent and need to think on their feet during stressful situations. Other areas have their own needs, or so I have observed. During your clinicals you might experience a comfort level with one area over another, or even with one nurse. That might be an indication. The good news is, you are not making a lifetime committment to a particular nursing unit type. You can always transfer later.

Least stressful job was at a prison. Wonderful job. Good pay, good benefits, minimum stress.

When I was in school and even before I began, I just knew that I wanted to work in trauma er. All through school, my mind went from trauma to I don't have a clue. Until I got into my last semester. We learned in detail about the cardiovascular system. I loved the heart!!! I started on a cardiac step down floor, I loved it and got bored, went to ICU. I loved the CV system, but ICU environment so.. CVICU is where I am now. Love it!!! I still want to do trauma, but trauma ICU, not trauma ER.

Moral of the story...don't be in too much of a rush to find out where to work. It will come with time and with different experiences. Took me about 5 years to figure out where I wanted to be.

Best of luck to you!!! :)

When I started school I wanted to do nothing else but OB then in my last semester I did clinicals on the OB floor and I knew I did NOT want to do it. I actually realized that I was the most comfortable in Palliative care. I just love working with the families and keeping the patients comfortable in their last days.

I have worked in multiple areas, and have found my favorite is rehab. Probably because it does fit my personality the best. I have always been involved in athletics, and still am with my own kids. Rehab to me is very similiar. Most of my patients are medically stable, and ready to work hard to regain as much as possible. I really enjoy the patients who come in trached, pegged, not moving, not speaking, not eating..... I tackle everyday with the attitude that I refuse to lose. I feel a real sense of accomplishment at discharge when they are decannulated, eating (feeding tube removed), talking, and moving. I love to see them come back for a visit, after continuing to make more gains. I go home everyday knowing that I have done my best seeing those kind of results. This area is hard physical work but so very rewarding.

In all my years of nursing, I precept ALOT of students. Most of them say, " I want to work in L&D or with the babies..." Just like I said, when I was in school. I got out, and went to work with babies. I soon realized that sick babies make me sad. VERY sad. I saw a still birth, and well babies that went along to the NICU, and I was DEPRESSED. I found that I could do adult nursing, much better, and I was good at it! I enjoyed being able to speak to my patients and hear stories from them! I wouldn't make any decisions about where to work until you got out there and did a little experiencing... :)

After working long term care, palliative care (5yrs) now med-surg 6yrs I think I have found my niche.

hello everyone! i am currently a student in new york state and was wondering if anyone knew if texas recongnizes a ny license

i am nurse student too. i worked so far as cna on icu, med-surg, and at ltc. i love icu and that is my future goal. i just love this kind of responsibility, team work, knowledge needed for that type of work and expanding my skills. my last job is icu and i am looking forward this.

i hope you find your place too, :)

I think I was meant to be a geriatric nurse. I love working with the old folks. May not be a very glamorous job, but that is what I find most satisfying.

hello everyone! i am currently a student in new york state and was wondering if anyone knew if texas recongnizes a ny license

I looked on our Texas BNE website, and sorry to say, New York is not a part of the compact. The only state around you that is part of the compact is New Jersey--but the governor just signed the papers, so it hasn't been implemented yet.

When I was in nursing school, I too went in thinking mother/baby or working with pregnant adolescents...I thought mabye public health as well...

However, while, I liked these areas in school, I found that I was really interested in working in the critical care areas...I really enjoy the heart so I work in our coronary care unit--where we take both medical and surgical cardiac patients...I love it. I like the docs and that they trust and value our opinions (most of the time anyway), I like the teamwork, and I like the autonomy that the unit has to offer.

As others have said...it is good to have a goal, but until you experience all of the different areas, keep your mind open...you may find that an area that you didn't expect excites and challenges you.