New Grad, where to start career?

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Recently offered a new grad academies on Psych & ICU. Interested in different perspectives on both. I wouldn't mind working on either and salary is not a issue. One is literally right down the street the other 30 to 45 minutes. One has great benefits the other not so much. They both are at great facilities. The major difference is one no weekends the other I would have start my orientation on the weekend, which not be an issue except the orientation is rather lengthy (5 months) I have a family 4 kids and I think it would be hard for them. Anyhow this has turned into a rant, all comments and/or advice is welcome.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

1. If not working weekends to be with your family is the most important thing for you, then choose the one with no weekends.

2. Or if you'd rather have the 5 minute commute as opposed to spending 90 minutes in a car, choose the closer one.

3. And if neither one of those are main issues, choose whichever one you're more interested in. Both are specialized areas. It could be easier to transfer to other areas of medical nursing if you start in ICU. On the other hand, ICU has a steep learning curve so you better have a solid orientation if you hope to survive.

At the same time, you will find psych patients everywhere, so starting in psych could give you a strong background that you can transfer to any speciality. Psych also has a learning curve and you need a good orientation there as well, else the Axis II patients will eat you alive.

Best of luck whatever you decide!

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Specializes in Dialysis.

At the same time, you will find psych patients everywhere, so starting in psych could give you a strong background that you can transfer to any speciality. Psych also has a learning curve and you need a good orientation there as well, else the Axis II patients will eat you alive./QUOTE]

I have heard that before about psych patients being everywhere, thank you for taking time to comment, it is greatly appreciated

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Specializes in CMSRN.
Recently offered a new grad academies on Psych & ICU. Interested in different perspectives on both. I wouldn't mind working on either and salary is not a issue. One is literally right down the street the other 30 to 45 minutes. One has great benefits the other not so much. They both are at great facilities. The major difference is one no weekends the other I would have start my orientation on the weekend which not be an issue except the orientation is rather lengthy (5 months) I have a family 4 kids and I think it would be hard for them. Anyhow this has turned into a rant, all comments and/or advice is welcome.[/quote']

It's hard to say which one you should go with but you have a great pro's & con's list. I know for me, weekends would be rough but my husband would be there and it would mean more time during the week with my kiddos. I would also love the 5 min commute, over wasted time in the car. Now, benefits would be a huge issue for me. We've been without benefits for a while since I lost my job almost 2 years ago. Getting good, affordable insurance would be a big deciding factor for me.

Also, getting in to the ICU would be a great place to get experience and open doors in the future.

Hopefully talking it over and gong over the pro's and con's will help you decide what's best for you. Good luck!

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Specializes in Cardiology.

Just be thrilled you have 2 offers because most new grads have 0!

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Specializes in CMSRN.
Just be thrilled you have 2 offers because most new grads have 0!

Yes, I would love two offers at this point...

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

The path to all the best jobs in nursing runs through the ICU.

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Worked both areas. Psych will likely limit you to that area for a long-long time. You need to develop strong med-surg skills first and foremost if you don't want to end up in psych. An ICU nurse can pretty much call her shots.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
The path to all the best jobs in nursing runs through the ICU.

Your bias is showing. ;)

Although I will concede that many of them do.

Signed,

An OB Nurse :)

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Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.

I went straight from nursing school into mental health, and it cost me big time down the road. There is a stigma applied by many to mental health nurses, and once you are in that field some people believe that you can't do anything else. I worked for a free-standing mental health facility that was closed by our parent company. By this time I had five years experience as an RN, almost all of it supervisory. I couldn't buy an interview. I went from making an RN salary to three months of drawing unemployment compensation before I finally found something - at a lower salary than I was making in mental health.

If I had your options, I would grab the ICU position in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, when I finished nursing school there wasn't much of a job market, and I took what I could get. I'm glad that you have choices.

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I would go with ICU nursing, unless you are extremely interested in psych. Both areas are tough, but ICU will give you a broader base of knowledge that can be applied to any other department (although I can't deny that psych is present everywhere). ICU experience will get your foot in the door almost anywhere if you decide the unit is not for you or you want to try something different. I think psych is valuable and I respect the nurses that are able to do it, but I agree with other posts, that there is a bit of a stigma if that's all you've done.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Your bias is showing. ;)

Although I will concede that many of them do.

Signed,

An OB Nurse :)

*** Our OB department LOVES to hire ICU nurses and, everything else being equal, will hire them over med-surg nurses or new grads. The like nurses who have a proven track record of prefromance in emergent and high stress situations.

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