New grad would like to pursue peds, but competitive :(

Specialties Pediatric

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I will be graduating in August with my BSN and have always wanted to work in pediatrics. I have enjoyed each clinical opportunity I've had with children and their families and I hope to one day pursue a graduate degree focusing on pediatrics. However, one of my other passions is public health. I would like to see myself working for a local or state health organization and being involved in health promotion and prevention programs for children. Does this type of job position exist?! It just has to!

Anyway, if this is possible, what route of education would you suggest after I graduate? Public health or specifically pediatrics? And what type of experience do I need to be competitive (children's hospital, pediatric clinic nursing, etc.)? I will graduate with honors in August, but I just keep hearing that no matter what, getting into pediatrics is competitive and tough as a new grad. However, in order to get into graduate pediatric programs you need experience!

HELP! Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated :) Thank you for reading/replying in advance!

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Congatulations in advance! It sounds like you know what you want! I am in Pa and work in Peds Home Care and love it. Not visits but private duty. I've been an RN for 34.years and I've paid my dues in the hospital startingin onocology then to a peds floor then to peds onocology infusion/ chemo in the home. After having my kids, I tools break to stay at home for 8 years working a 12 hour shift maybe twice a week in the hospital and kept my license current. I went back to ped home care with Bayada. I m full time with 2 constistent kids for the last 4 years.

This is the part that might interest you to get your experience. Bayada has started a Nurse Residency Program that hires and puts new grads to work to get the experience you need to get started in your career. You go out on a case with another nurse to orient and will train you in trach/vent care if you want. then you can do shifts for that case solo once you feel comfortable. Now..of course the main.objective is for Bayada to have you fall in love w ped home care and keep you!!.

They Always are looking for nurses. I do 6 shifts a week the OT really raises my weekly take home and often I'll do 7 if they beg me to do a.call out. I m lucky..my little girl I care for lives in the next neighborhood 5 min away so I have no travel time.

I like home care because I'm 54 and the pace suits me now.. it is true primary nursing and there are no office politics, catty cliquey behavior from coworkers, no running around 24 bed unit, and.staying late to finish your notes, lunch breaks are garaunteed and potty breaks too. The autonomy suits me and I like being the expert in the home. Also the families are generally nice and very grateful in my experience.

Forgot to tell you..on my day shifts I take her to her special school..we ride the bus and get to interact and know the teachers and therapists that work with her. This I value because home care can be a very isolating job.

So that's my experience. I'm not as ambitious as you seem to be... Never had it in me to go back school. I made 93000 last year(. a lot of OT) and feel I can do this kind of nursing till I am 80 !! Hope some of this was helpful.

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Inpatient pediatrics is very competitive in all markets. If you can find a hospital that is willing to take a chance on you as a new grad, you would probably be more likely to find a position in pediatric intensive care. A pediatric clinic would probably be easier to find a position in but the pay will be significantly less. It sounds like home health or health dept nursing would be up your ally. But again...the pay is less. If you are in the Chicagoland area, check out Rush.edu. I know they are hiring PICU/NICU nurses.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Look into residency programs. Public health is a good goal, but they usually want some acute experience.

Getting on to a peds floor as a new grad usually will only happen through some type of residency program. And those are hard to get into. My hospital had only 1 peds position our last residency rotation and none this cycle

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Specializes in Mental Health/Substance Abuse.

What area are in you in? I started out in a small town hospital in med/surg/tele adult and peds. Maybe you could start that way?

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