New grad - best place to start?

[Rionoir]

I'm graduating in a few weeks and am interested in working towards being a psychiatric NP. Most of the hospitals behavioral health nursing positions seem to require at least a year of "clinical experience". There is a behavioral health hospital that does hire new grads though, and I have an interview with them next week for a residential adolescent OCD/Anxiety program. I am already a nurse extern at a hospital on a med-tele floor and they are more than willing to hire me on when I graduate.

My question: Is there any reason to do a year of med-surg (or some other medical type experience) before going into behavioral health? Also is the adolescent OCD/Anxiety program too specific of a place to be starting out?

[xwill327, ASN, BSN, RN]

I agree that starting with psychiatry is the way to go. But you can never be too knowledgeable so going with tele where you will learn a lot and have a foot in the door isn’t a bad idea. You can do 6 months to a year and just transfer. As for the psych unit, I say an adult psych unit that accepts all kinds of patients is the experience you want. The more acute the better. I believe it gets you ready for whatever may come your way within psychiatry. Eventually specializing in a specific psych field would be a great move to make in the future when you become an NP. Best of luck. Hope I was helpful!