Need Advice as a New Nurse

[gradnurse720]

Hi! I am a recent grad and have been looking for jobs for a few months. The Children's Hosptial in my area is brand new and it is kind of tough to get jobs there right now as a new grad. I have been offered two jobs and can't decide which one would help me achieve my dream job of NICU or PICU. The two jobs are a Trauma step down unit in a level I trauma hospital and a 26 bed labor and delivery position (not postpartum). I don't know which one would give me better experience. The interview for l&d made it seem like those nurses DO NOT leave and are "lifers." While I think I would like this initially more than the trauma step down (because of the babies) I don't know which job would look better on my resume for a PICU or NICU job in the future. There is also a possiblilty of moving out of state in a year or two as well. The schedule for the trauma step down is self schedule and everyone seemed great when I shadowed. Everybody had unique things and tons of drains and drips that I think would give me good rounded experience, but I just love the babies and like the fast paced feeling of l&d (even though the scheduling there is every other weekend, every other holiday). Does anybody have any advice on which one will be best for me in the long run? Thanks!

[A&OxNone, MSN, RN]

Trauma. Hands down. It will look good for either position, and it will be critical care experience.

Not saying anything bad about L&D nurses. They stay there because they love it and have found their calling and usually, dont have plans of doing anything else. But if your goal is to go somewhere else, the L&D job doesn't really set you up for that, but the trauma does.

The critical care experience will make you very appealing in the future.

[gradnurse720]

Thank you! That is the job I ended up accepting. I talked to the person in charge of hiring for Children's and they said this as well!