Need advice/new grad....

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Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.

Hi all....

I am getting ready to sign up for my preceptorship. My preceptorship is the very last thing I do before I graduate. We get to pick the floor we would like to work on.

Im really at a loss here. I have NO idea what to pick and I have to decide within the next 2 weeks.

My advisors/professors advise me to do my preceptorship on the floor that I would like to work on after I graduate as they often hire you on if you do well. Well..I am moving right after my preceptorship is over so there isnt much chance of me getting a job on the floor where I precept.

A few girls in my class are thinking about the NICU..what do you guys think? Too much stress for a new grad?

Here are my other top choices

1. ICU (any not picky)

2. Shriners burn hospital (however there is not a hosptial like this where I am moving, but I think it would be quite an experience)

3.NICU

4. Good ol med surg

5. Childrens med/surg

any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Oh and any pros and cons about the above choices are also greatlly appreciated.

If I pick ICU or NICU I have to be evaluated by the staff in my program and by my past clincial instructors, so if I werent competant than I would not have been approved. My past clincial instructors and present profs. dont think i'd have any issues and my skills are good.

So what do you guys think?? Help, i'm running out of time!

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Ooooh!!! Ooooh!!! go for ER!!!!:) Other than that I would pick SICU.

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Depends on how specific you want to get on your experience. I went for Med-Surg and had a great time. Otherwise I would've gone for ICU (if it had been available..). Best of luck!

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Specializes in Med/Surge.

I went with ED to hone up on my skills such as IV starts, f/c, and NGT the next choice I would have made would have been would have been Med/Surge.

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Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.

SICU? surgical ICU....thats what that stands for right?

That would be an awesome floor to work on...I wonder if I can choose that....

Thanks for the ideas guys:) ER would be interesting too...

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I precepted at a surgery center and absolutely loved it. I got to do the pre-op stuff, follow them in and actually watch the surgeries (which is great b/c I could undertstand their pain more and see what was going on inside of them), then I followed them into Phase I recovery, which I couldn't do much b/c it was mainly IV push meds, but I got to draw them up and wake up the patients and listen to them talk while they're still loopy from the meds, then I would follow them to Phase II, where we had them for 1/2 hour to an hour. Lots of patient teaching b/c everyone leaves that day. I would have loved to work there, but it's hard to get in b/c with no weekends or holidays, and out of there by 7 at the latest, nurses just don't give those jobs up.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

if the shriner's burn hospital interests you, go for it! there may not be one where you're moving next, but you never know. at least you'll find out what it's all about, and if you love it, it may be worth figuring out how you can work somewhere similar. if you don't love it, at least you'll know -- you won't always be wondering!

ruby

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

ED! Good place to learn things, and good place to hone in those emergency skills...especially if you haven't seen or been involved in any codes! I had a blast doing my preceptorship in a small rural ED...and got to put in a NG tube, assist a birth, IV's, three codes (two cardiac and one respiratory), caths, assist with a conscious sedation for sutures in a child, clean some interesting wounds, suction, shots, and really see how things work from the time a patient gets in the hospital! (valuable knowledge).

Not to mention the MD's were hillarious, saw lots of interesting and sometimes funny cases (my journals are actually part of my colleges teaching now...which is good since I lost mine..LOL!), learned a lot about ethical delemas, overcame my fear of acute emergency situations, and learned a ton about patients as a whole!

It was fun, I learned so much, got to know lots of MD's, RN, paramedics, RT, etc., and got to practice skills that I rarely get to do much of! I had a blast!

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