New grad jobs/safe nursing

[Morgansamantha]

I recently graduated from a LPN program and I am waiting to take my boards. My long term goal is to go back to school to get my bachelors and become a NICU nurse.

I happened upon a job that I feel I could love but also makes me extremely nervous as a new graduate. Its with pediatric home health and hospice. I interviewed with them and they told me once I have a testing date they will hire me. I am nervous for several reasons.

1. I have never worked with ill children.

2. This would be my first job out of nursing school.

3. Being alone on the job as a new graduate.

I also feel like this is a great opportunity for me to prepare me to work in my dream job in NICU.

I guess I am just wanting opinions on whether or not this would be a safe position for all involved or if as a new graduate I should just go to a skilled nursing facility to develop my skills before expanding my patient demographic.

Any input is appreciated!

Thanks

[Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B]

Please look through the private duty specially forums. There are a bunch of threads about this.

New grads in a speciality with little supervision and sometimes pretty sick kids and even sicker family situations can be a recipe for trouble. If the agency is willing to provide extended orientation on established cases that are stable and predictable with at least decent family situations it can be done. If they are planning to put you out and see if you sink or swim it's not good for you or the client.

If you move forward with private duty use extreme caution. The agency's are not there for anyone's benefit other than themselves. Make sure you are a good advocate for yourself and your clients. Remember most large national agency's will not take anyone without a year of experience, if a smaller agency is taking that kind of risk ask why.

Honestly. I didn't care for my time in LTC but I took away a lot of confidence and skills from it.