New grad who wanted ICU, got med surg, advice?

[meagenreason]

Hi everyone, I am a new grad nurse who recently applied for a "residency"-type program for new grads at a local hospital. I wanted ICU as I did my preceptorship there in that hospital and throughout school I KNEW this was my passion, but unforunately they filled all the slots for this program with internal employees and I was offered a med surg position. I accepted and I am scheduled to start next month. My dilemma is that I was also offered a position in an ICU at a hospital that's an hour away. But this hospital does no type of orientation-mentor program for new grads and has recently come under some legal issues for patient safety, basically just has a bad rep. I know the obvious better choice is the med surg position and I have heard that it is good to get at least a year of med surg experience before going into critical care, but it was never my intention to do so, and I'm terrified that once I get there I'll hate it. Sorry for being long winded but my question is basically whether anyone here was stuck** on med surg before they got to pursue your real passion and how you handled it/felt about it.

**I hate using that term because I don't want to shed bad light on med surg nurses at all so please forgive me.

[PatMac10,RN, RN]

When your going into such a critical area as the ICU I think it's important to go to a place that has a very well structured new graduate orientation system/program.

If it were me I wouldn't feel safe going into an ICU with no well defined new grad orientation and that has come under significant legal scrutiny.

I am a new grad as well. I will be working in a CVICU and was given an outline for a 22 week orientation plan. I did my preceptorship at this CVICU and worked in the float pool as a CNA for the same hospital for 2.5 years (although I never really got to work in the CVICU).

[BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN]

I would never commute an hour for any job without a chauffeur! Under no circumstances would I consider the ICU position you described.

[MissM.RN, BSN, RN]

Megan - consider yourself the luckiest new grad EVER! No dilemma here. You will thank yourself for the rest of your career, that you got good experience in med-surg before moving to ICU. I truly believe that no one should start in ICU as a fresh new grad, much less without a supportive, mentored residency. You should really know how to function as a professional nurse before learning the ICU side of things. I'm so thankful that I accepted recruitment into a new-grad residency for ICU step-down care, rather than a MICU or PICU. Good luck! You will be fine.

[JRich]

Go the med surg route all the way. I hated med/surg and didn't even apply to anything like that. I ended up getting a job in a chest pain unit, which really gives a person no experience. After 7 months I was able to transfer to a NICU level 2 position. I am in love with my job now. Also, if you worked for the hospital with the bad rap when you try to leave other hospitals may see that hospital and not want to hire you for fear of poor training.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

RNsArewe,

Nursing is a profession of life long learning. New grad or not, there is always SOMETHING you've never done. I don't believe in berating anyone for asking. Think of the consequences of not asking... Much worse.

She wasn't berating the ICU nurse for asking! She was simply saying that if the ICU nurse had been in m/s first, the ICU nurse probably would have known how to do this herself, hence lending credibility to the OP's situation (going m/s before going untrained into the ICU).

[PRNketamine]

My point is there is always going to be something someone has never done before. I disagree that working in a med surg floor would have given that nurse the opportunity to have a patient with a CBI. It all depends on the type of unit, the hospital, ext...

[PatMac10,RN, RN]

My point is there is always going to be something someone has never done before. I disagree that working in a med surg floor would have given that nurse the opportunity to have a patient with a CBI. It all depends on the type of unit the hospital, ext...[/quote']

I agree.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

RNsArewe,

Nursing is a profession of life long learning. New grad or not, there is always SOMETHING you've never done. I don't believe in berating anyone for asking. Think of the consequences of not asking... Much worse.

How on earth did you take what I wrote as "berating"? I gave a constructive opinion, explained why I felt that the ICU job she outlined was a poor choice, and how she would have opportunities to learn so many things that would be beneficial to her/him later on--ICU or anywhere else.

Of COURSE there is always something else to learn, you completely missed my point. My POINT was that something that IS commonly learned on many med-surg floors may be very useful to know once in ICU. Using my own experience to draw from--I DID say it was my OWN experience--I know that if the ICU nurse in question HAD been on any of my hospital's med-surg floors, she WOULD have learned about a CBI. And in my hospital's ICU (the one she was calling me from), she WOULD have had the knowledge necessary. Can't speak for everyone everywhere, which is why I spoke as I did.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

My point is there is always going to be something someone has never done before. I disagree that working in a med surg floor would have given that nurse the opportunity to have a patient with a CBI. It all depends on the type of unit, the hospital, ext...

Yeah, got your point, however you missed mine by a mile.

Maybe next time.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Thanks guys, I've just had friends/family of mine (not in nursing) who keep questioning why I accepted the med surg instead of ICU like I had hoped for who were making me doubt myself. You guys have helped reassure me that I was making the right decision!

And this tells us that the OP chose wisely, and well.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Hi everyone, I am a new grad nurse who recently applied for a "residency"-type program for new grads at a local hospital. I wanted ICU as I did my preceptorship there in that hospital and throughout school I KNEW this was my passion, but unforunately they filled all the slots for this program with internal employees and I was offered a med surg position. I accepted and I am scheduled to start next month. My dilemma is that I was also offered a position in an ICU at a hospital that's an hour away. But this hospital does no type of orientation-mentor program for new grads and has recently come under some legal issues for patient safety, basically just has a bad rep. I know the obvious better choice is the med surg position and I have heard that it is good to get at least a year of med surg experience before going into critical care, but it was never my intention to do so, and I'm terrified that once I get there I'll hate it. Sorry for being long winded but my question is basically whether anyone here was stuck** on med surg before they got to pursue your real passion and how you handled it/felt about it.

**I hate using that term because I don't want to shed bad light on med surg nurses at all so please forgive me.

There is a world of difference between taking an ICU position as a new grad in a facility that is going to give extensive and supportive orientation versus being basically thrown to the wolves to fend for yourself.

The first rule is CYA and protect that license you worked so hard to obtain.

It sounds like the place that offered you the ICU spot is a hot mess and you should run fast and far. Take the med/surg position, get the basics down and build up your skills. When the time is right you will be one of those internal transfers into a critical care unit that hopefully is run much better than the one you are currently considering.

Good job on landing your first gig after graduation!

[JBudd, MSN]

The previous poster who spoke about attitude hit it dead on. Go in with an open mind, I really liked medsurg, in several different hospitals. Some are better than others, and in some hospitals you would think you are in ICU! Look at it as a challenge, and "expect" to have a good time.

John Maxwell once said, "you choose your attitude. I want to say to people who excuse themselves with 'I just got out of the wrong side of the bed' with 'well go back to bed and get out the other side!' ".

Not saying to look at everything with rose colored glasses, but you can't find the good/best of things if you aren't looking for it.