IMC or ICU Preceptorship? HELP!

[RNBSN2020]

Happy Tuesday!

I am currently a senior in an ABSN program and I graduate in Spring 2020! I have to choose a senior preceptorship for my last semester of nursing school and I would love some advice from students who have already completed their preceptorship as well as from working nurses!

I am very interested in the CVICU and I was going to choose this as my first option, but lately, I've been wondering if I should choose the IMC. I would eventually like to end up working as a CVICU nurse, but I know that I want my first job as a new grad to be in the IMC and then work my way up to the ICU. I am torn on whether I should go for my ultimate dream of the CVICU or stick with the IMC. I think both units will be beneficial, but the dilemma I am having is that I think the IMC will definitely prepare me for graduation and working on an IMC floor, but I still want to choose the CVICU for the experience. I feel as if I picked IMC, I would be set up for a smoother transition into practice as a new grad nurse. The IMC will help me with my time management of 4 different patients and learning how to be an IMC nurse. Furthermore, picking the IMC, I would have more of a chance of getting hired on the unit that I do a preceptorship on or networking to get hired in a different hospital's IMC. I think during a residency program interview, it would look good that I have experience on an IMC floor and I will be more marketable. On the other hand, like I said before, CVICU is my ultimate work destination. I absolutely love cardiac patients. I would love to get this experience as I do not know when I will be blessed enough to land a job there after working in the IMC for a while. I think it would be an awesome learning experience and help me to utilize my critical thinking skills. It would even allow me to see if I even like the ICU. Currently, I am on an IMC floor for clinical and I really do like it, but we haven't had an ICU rotation. This would be like my shot, you know? I also think it will look awesome on my resume that I did a preceptorship in the ICU and make me more marketable. I just want to reach my fullest potential and be challenged to grow more as a student nurse. I'm unsure of what to do and we need to decide soon. Please impart your wisdom and advice! Thank you!