Is there a best unit for new grads?

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 5, 2009

i haven't actually started a nursing program yet, but i was wondering if there was a unit that was best for new nurses to start out in. i would like to work in a few different specialties during my nursing career (at least both er, and l&d) and wonder how difficult it is to switch specialties after a few years in one specialty. is one specialty best to start with?
thank you!

even as i say this, i know i'm going to get flamed for it, but here goes: med/surg.

you'll learn good basic assessment skills, time management, basic skills and now to be a nurse. you'll learn to talk to patients, families and physicians, and you'll learn what you actually do like and dislike about nursing, not what school has led you to think you'll like. and then if you don't love med/surg (many people do) you'll not only know what you'd like to do next, but you'll have a good, solid base of skills that you can add to when you switch to a new specialty. that will make the transition easier on both you and your new unit.

jla623 · Mar 5, 2009

I agree. If you don't have a strong sense of what you want to do, I would go with med/surg. You can always move on to something else after you figure out exactly what suits you. That way you can figure out what you like and what you don't like.

If you do know exactly what you want to do and where you want to be, then by all means, go do it.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Mar 5, 2009

The "best unit" is characterized by it's readiness to accept & develop new grads -- not by the type of patients it serves.

Best units have smart, experienced managers & supportive co-workers. They have formally trained preceptors & specific performance standards for precepting. They individualize orientation & development rather than trying to make everyone fit into the same pattern. They have regularly scheduled feedback sessions so the new grad knows exactly what is going on and how she is doing. They conduct regular evaluations of the orientation process & take action when improvements are needed.

Unfortunately, these units probably also have very low turnover. So, one of the key questions that you should ask during an interview -- "what is the turnover rate on the unit?" -- can provide you with a wealth of information.

new_mom2005 · Mar 5, 2009

Im still in school but I have several family members who are nurses and they ALL tell me that med/surg is the best place to start out

twinkerrs · Mar 5, 2009

As a soon to be new grad, I think the best place to be is a place where new grads are valued and the hospital values training you. I personally do not want to go to a hospital that does not have set guidelines for their training of new grads, with specially trained preceptors who want to teach and train new nurses.

E.R. Rookie · Mar 5, 2009

I think thats something you will need to figure out once you have been through all your clinicals. My goals have changed since two years ago.

HappyBunnyNurse · Mar 5, 2009

My goals changed drastically during nursing school. I remember telling a classmate early on that the absolute last place I would work would be NICU. But once I did clinical there I was hooked. I had thought all along I would love adult ICU but I hated that. Also I remember being very upset to do my final long clinical in oncology but I actually liked it so much I stayed and worked there a while. The great thing about nursing is the variety available to us. That said the best unit for a new grad is whatever unit makes you most comfortable.

Tom123 · Mar 6, 2009

I have been in nursing 40+ years. I must agree with the nurses who recommend a Med/Surg unit. You will learn how to manage a patient load on this unit. You will refine your basic skills, and learn more. Before going to the "high tech" units, get your feet wet and hands dirty on Med/Surg. PLEASE, do not be afraid of "getting your hands dirty." This will make you a much more valuable nurse. Remember, we go into nursing to care for patients' needs. That includes the dirty work. Empty the bedpan, Please bath the patient, be with the patient when he/she vomits, and then clean it up. You will gain the respect of all of the Aids, and the majority of your colleagues. There will be some nurses, hopefully not a lot, who believe they are to good, or to high on the ladder, to do the dirty work. That is where we learn.

StrwbryblndRN · Mar 6, 2009

I had a similar experience as happybunny. I love the exact thing I thought I would hate. Medsurg. I love it.

I thought I would want ICU or Peds or even Psych but by the time I finished school I knew what I did not want.

Since that was the case I figured a good start would be MedSug. It was the best choice for getting my experience no doubt about it. My hospital had a good orientation timeframe and supported new nurses too. Could not ask for anything better as a new grad.

I would not say that everyone should go into medsurg if there heart is some place else. But when in doubt you can't go wrong with MedSurg. So until school is finished I would not worry about what area to go to. You will find it out eventually.