New Grad Nurse. Which department is best for me?

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I'm graduating my BSN program in May and already having hospital recruiters coming to my campus to do onsite present their job offers for the new grad nurses. The problem is, I don't know where to start! My heart says start in the emergency department, but my gut says start off in MedSurg or Tele. ICU offers are pretty much off the table because those job offers get taken quick. (But I am interested in transferring to ICU later in my career). Please help me. Which area do you feel is best for new grads?

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Specializes in Stepdown . Telemetry.

Tele experience is a good place to start if you have thoughts of future transfers to icu or ed. Depending on the facility, tele can often be a route to these units. Ed is more specialized in the sense that its another world from the floor, and you might love it or hate it. So go for it if the opportunity presents and you feel pulled towards it, however as mentioned, if you want that floor experience i would choose tele.

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Tele experience is a good place to start if you have thoughts of future transfers to icu or ed. Depending on the facility, tele can often be a route to these units. Ed is more specialized in the sense that its another world from the floor, and you might love it or hate it. So go for it if the opportunity presents and you feel pulled towards it, however as mentioned, if you want that floor experience i would choose tele.

Funny enough, there are a ton of ER positions open in my area for new grads. Jobs in Med/Surg or Tele are not hard to find either. I live in the South Texas area (right on the border to Mexico). ICU positions are the positions that are extremely hard to come by for new grads. They get taken quickly.

I'm in between two hospitals. Hospital A has the StaRN residency program for the ED with 10 weeks didactic courses and 7 weeks of preceptorship. Hospital B has a level III trauma ER. They have a residency program, but I am unsure of how long it is. Hospital B has a better reputation overall, but Hospital A offers a great residency program. Hospital A has a bad reputation for management, however.

What I'm scared of is not meeting the expectations and being set up for failure. I want to thrive in my new job. As much as I love the idea of working in the ED, I'm scared I'm not ready. I'm fine with taking the MedSurg or Tele position before going in, but I cannot stop thinking about wanting to be in the ED. I guess I need to really soul-search before I start anywhere.

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Specializes in NICU.
Which area do you feel is best for new grads?

The one that gives you a job and allows you to pay your bills.

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The one that gives you a job and allows you to pay your bills.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

(Or, my fingers!)

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.

go with the ED...I think one of the best times to enter into that job is as a new grad if you get that opportunity. The department has no expectations of you and realize you will be starting from scratch.

I will remind you...as you probably already know why...in that location you'll be very busy.

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go with the ED...I think one of the best times to enter into that job is as a new grad if you get that opportunity. The department has no expectations of you and realize you will be starting from scratch.

I will remind you...as you probably already know why...in that location you'll be very busy.

So. OldDude, why would you say this is a better choice for me than MedSurg or Tele?

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
So. OldDude, why would you say this is a better choice for me than MedSurg or Tele?

You won't get a lot of ED type experience on the floor but you will get a lot of nursing experience. If you transfer to the ED from one of these positions there will be a certain level of nursing proficiency the ED will expect from you since you are an "experienced" nurse - experience which may or may not help you in learning the ins and outs of the ED. I think if you get the chance to start in the ED as a "brand spanking new nurse" you will feel less pressure since the department knows you don't know anything about anything. I started as a GN in a busy pedi ER in south Texas. That experience gave me the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and grow into an independent and confident nurse, which certainly carried me forward in my nursing career.

Best of luck!

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Specializes in ICU.

I beg to differ; I think a nurse in a busy ER should be able to perform skills well and quickly, such as start IV's. You never know what is coming thru that door and you will be the nurse handling it. But, that's just me.

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Specializes in ED, med-surg, peri op.

The job for you is who ever is willing to hire you. Getting a job as a new grad isn't that easy. Any experience you get will be good.

Nursing school always tell you just get this experience as a new grad to be successful. But in reality you will change jobs many times. There no right or wrong job to start with.

what you think your dream job is now, there's a good chance that you not going to spend you whole career in that one area or even like it for that matter.

Apply for everything. You have plenty of time to try different specialities in your career. Don't get caught up on thinking you must do med surg or start in your 'dream' job.

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