ICU vs Oncology for new grad

[kelsn]

Hi all. I'm a new grad with an offer from ICU and one from Oncology at different hospitals. I am interested in oncology but I still have a lot to learn and am not positive if I will like it. I loved ICU during my clinical rotations, but I did not do ICU at the hospital where I have an offer. I feel like ICU offers me a better start because I think I can then transfer to other areas more easily. My long-term interests are to go into advance practice. One further note is that I have heard there are 'problems' in the ICU I'm about to enter and that they are having high turnover. Pay and benefits are similar though the ICU requires working every third weekend and on call once every 6 weeks, whereas the oncology position does not. The oncology unit offers slightly better pay and bonuses initially. Plus the offer from the hospital for the oncology unit is highly rated for nurses. Your thoughts?

[purplegal]

You should be eternally grateful you received such amazing offers. I'd give anything to have either one of them.

[Linda95]

Congratulations on surviving nursing school and getting 2 great job offers!🤗 I started on an oncology unit as a new grad and was lucky enough to work with nurses that had been there for many years. I learned so much from them, I think the oncology floor will give you good experience for the ICU job. I worked on the cancer unit for 20 years, and since then I have worked in a post op observation unit, and now a surgical Admission unit. I use the med-surg skills I learned every day. Yes, patients still need NG tubes, Foley caths and iv starts etc. 😊 Lol good luck in your new job.