How should I proceed as a new grad?

Nurses New Nurse

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So I've always dreamed of being a nurse in the kind of position that allows me to treat my patients holistically and individually. I have a desire to provide ongoing care to patients, and prefer that over a high patient turnover such as in the hospital setting. I have a strong desire to work in a setting that allows for time to provide compassionate/emotional care and patient/family teaching. I always loved the idea of home health, home hospice, nursing homes, etc. However, based on the posts on this board, it sounds like a new nurse is unlikely to attain a job in one of these areas and that if a new nurse does, they are likely to fail and lose their license.

I already have children and getting through nursing school itself has been a huge stress on my family. I would *love* to go straight to a job like I described. Is it even a possibility or is it a pipe dream? If it weren't for my family, I would have no problem starting in the hospital environment and working my way toward my goal. However, I'm older and if there's an option out there that doesn't require this, I'm all ears. If not, then I'll accept it, but I thought it prudent to ask the question. Is it *truly* a bad idea to go straight into home health? Any options similar to home health that a new grad is capable of doing?

Can anyone shed light on my options? Thanks.

beeker

411 Posts

A hospital job is the opposite of the desired job you describe. It couldn't be any more opposite in fact. As a fairly new grad here, I can wholeheartedly say that working in home health is a bad idea. I ask my colleagues questions often. There is no way I would be competent to work alone without any assistance. In a home health setting, you have no one to help you with a hard stick if you need labs, no one to take a look at a wound for a second opinion when you think it looks worse than before, and you have no one to assist you period. ANd as a newbie you will need help and second opinions. It might be worth it to get yourself a position in a hospital for a year. Even if you can stick it out 6 months you will be leaps and bounds from where you start. Working on your own is setting yourself up for a potential disaster.

Maybe you could try working in a clinic type environment? That may let you see the same patients more and spend more time with them, but I might be way off since I have not tried that.

Specializes in Orthopedic, LTC, STR, Med-Surg, Tele.

I would try a nursing home. Lots of new grads start in the nursing home, and you will get experience caring for people on an ongoing basis and it does involve some hospice and end-of-life care. Good luck with your Job Search!

dudette10, MSN, RN

3,530 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

Some people will say that home health isn't the place for new grads and others will say why not. I did a clinical rotation with a home health nurse. It was just us, in her car, going from appointment to appointment, and I have to agree with others who say it isn't the place for a new grad. I think one year in acute care would be better before going into home health because you learn the roles of the entire healthcare team, what they can and cannot do, and how to work through the system to get your patient what they need. That's essential for a home health nurse to learn in order to be a highly effective one.

About holistic care in acute care. Yes, there is a high turnover of patients, but I've found that if you work on a floor that tries to to give nurses the same patients from shift to shift, you begin to think more holistically as you get to know your patient. You spend less time reviewing the chart, less time during assessment because you already know the baseline and past inpatient history and response to treatments, more time talking to the patient, and more time thinking about and obtaining what the patient needs, especially as they get closer to discharge. It's not unusual for me to have at least one patient for multiple shifts in a row.

emptyboxcars

191 Posts

About holistic care in acute care. Yes, there is a high turnover of patients, but I've found that if you work on a floor that tries to to give nurses the same patients from shift to shift, you begin to think more holistically as you get to know your patient. You spend less time reviewing the chart, less time during assessment because you already know the baseline and past inpatient history and response to treatments, more time talking to the patient, and more time thinking about and obtaining what the patient needs, especially as they get closer to discharge. It's not unusual for me to have at least one patient for multiple shifts in a row.

This is good to know. Thanks for sharing this viewpoint.

emptyboxcars

191 Posts

A hospital job is the opposite of the desired job you describe. It couldn't be any more opposite in fact.

Yes, I know! LOL. I must say that before I started school, I had envisioned myself doing something completely different than what I'm beginning to think a new grad should do! It's extremely frustrating and disappointing to say the least. That's why I thought I'd ask around for ideas before settling on a hospital job.

What areas of acute care are good options if I have an end goal of home health? And I'd still love to hear suggestions on where I can go that fits the description of my OP, but is "new grad friendly."

Specializes in Oncology.

I think oncology would be a great place to start. Of course, I do have to admit a bias, since I am an oncology nurse. If you get on a floor with longer term patients, you do have less patient turnover, which allows you to get to know them more. Hospice agencies really like nurses with oncology experience because such a large percentage of hospice patients have cancer. I started in oncology as a new grad, and it was a great place to learn.

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