new grad needs suggestions

[adelorme]

I am a soon to be new grad and would love to get in to a pediatrics field. It seems most pediatric units require previous experience. My question is, if I can't get a PEDS position first thing then where would be a good department that would make for a rather smooth transition to a PEDS position in the future? Any sugestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance.

[Glenda.snyder]

You need to start on a med -surg floor. You can gain a lot of real world training that you will need for peds so that you have an idea of what is going. It will be hard the first year but it will get better.

[sbyramRN]

I was hired out of nursing school into a pediatric ER. If you want Peds, then go for peds. Adult med surg and pedi are two totally different things.

[ittybabyRN, RN]

I was also hired out of school into a Level IIIc NICU...you may have to do some serious digging around but if peds is what you want it is possible

[adelorme]

I was also hired out of school into a Level IIIc NICU...you may have to do some serious digging around but if peds is what you want it is possible

Level III?!? Doesn't a position like that require previous experience? As in more than just clinical?

[ittybabyRN, RN]

Not everywhere, my hospital had an intensive 6 month orientation for new grads, definitely something I recommend you look in to, its a childrens hospital and they had new grad programs in all their departments, floor units, hem/onc, picu, nicu, cicu and er, you can find many posts around here about different new grad programs across the country, they definitely require early applications and are very competive but mine was a great experience, I've been off orientation now about 4 months and have taken care of all sorts of critical babies, wouldn't trade it for anything!