Need expertise: where to focus practice?

[Nurse Man-ingitis]

i posted this in the nicu forum, but want to get the expertise of those of you who specialize in picu.

i am trying to determine where i might focus my career after my bsn. i am interested in cardiology, but recently i have thought about nicu/picu. i need some assistance in order to determine if i am on the right track.

first, would general cardiovascular nursing provide more advancement opportunites than pediatric and neonatal critical care with specialty in cardiovascular?

as an np, i want to be able to work in a clinic setting in order to do patient assessment and also follow them in the hospital setting for pre/post surgical and medical procedures. do any of you work in both nicu/picu? thanks in advance for any assistance.

[PICNICRN, BSN, RN]

I've worked only PICU and NICU since I graduated nursing school 13 years ago. I, too, was very interested in cardiovascular nursing in school- which is why I think I love the PICU so much. My favorite PICU patients are CV surg pts- very challenging/very interesting defects/always improving procedures! In the 3 hospitals I have worked, the NICU keeps the babies pre op and then post-op they came to PICU (seemed to be the preference of the surgeons) I don't know if this is the case for all NICUs in general.

I've worked with some FABULOUS NPs that worked for the CV surgeons! They were PICU nurses before they went back for their masters- they worked in the clinic with the docs and did the follow up visits, helped manage meds, and did TONS of teaching with the families. At the hospital, they rounded with the docs and covered the PICU kids while the docs were in the OR. They were also in and out of the OR communicating with the families and PICU RN on the case and how things were progressing. They were WONDERFUL!

As for the adult population, I cannot offer any guidance. But, IMHO... I'd try a PICU- many hospitals are now breaking off Peds CVICUs, then you get the best of both worlds:twocents: Can you try to get an externship or clinical rotation in one of the units you are interested in?

[Nurse Man-ingitis]

thank you very much picnicrn! i truly appreciate your expertise. this is exactly what i invision doing. thanks again.