newby with a quick questions

1) no I did not know what type of nurse that I wanted to be before entering school. I had one area of interest (pediatrics) but I didn't pursue it right away, instead I pursued another area that felt right at the time

2) when you know the area that you want to work in, could you check at some of the hospitals to find out what they require of you?

Good luck to you

I KNEW I want to work with kids when I first started my training, only did my general training as the wait list for kids training was over 4 years.

Boy was someone looking out for me................

I hated the kids ward when I had a placement there, ran out at the end of each shift.

Loved cardiology and although I didn't get a job there straight away have ended up there.

Just approach each placement with an open mind you might be surprised what ends up 'calling' to you

1) Thought I wanted to work pediatrics until I did my rotation in school and realized I didn't like it. I now am orientating on an oncology floor and really like it.

2) It depends on the hospital. Your best bet is to talk to the ones in your area.

You may want to try to work as a CNA on a Labor and Delivery or Postpartum unit while you're in school. This will help increase your chances of getting into that unit after graduation. In my area the hospitals offer externships where the student nurse works under a preceptor to get unit specific experience. My friend has an externship in L&D and has a job lined up on that unit when we graduate in December.

Good Luck!

1) Yes, I knew I wanted to work in the ER. I didn't pursue that however because I was roped into believing I needed X amount of years of experience to be a good ER nurse. I quit my 1st job after 2 months and went to the ER because I was miserable.

2) Sure, I don't see why you can't go in L&D or a PP floor (the hospitals around here are all LDRP rooms, so 1 nurse(s) does it all for mom and the baby). My suggestion is, if that is what is up your alley as far as nursing, go for it. Start researching now, contacting facilities and see what you need to do to get started. Call HR and see if they have any positions open in the L&D unit and apply for anything that you might be qualified for while you are still in school. Our L&D unit only hires "floor care managers" which is the equilivant of housekeeping and unit clerks - but it's a way in the door!!!

Good luck to you!!!

You may want to try to work as a CNA on a Labor and Delivery or Postpartum unit while you're in school. This will help increase your chances of getting into that unit after graduation. In my area the hospitals offer externships where the student nurse works under a preceptor to get unit specific experience. My friend has an externship in L&D and has a job lined up on that unit when we graduate in December.

Good Luck!

that is a great idea

I started nursing school wanting to work in L&D. Knew that was what I wanted to do. Then when we did that rotation, I hated it! Then did not know what I wanted to do. I hated geriatrics et said that I would not work it that field. Then I started working in a LTC facility as a NA just until I graduated. 4 1/2 years later, I am still there. Worked the skilled unit for four years et then went to being MDS nurse. I love where I work.

Leslie

When I was in school I always said I wanted to work on a cardiac unit...mainly ICU...transplants, CABG...etc. I had a job on a cardiac stepdown unit that I was supposed to start right after graduation but my husband (military) is getting reassigned in a couple of weeks so I didn't start. I will start a job on a NICU in Texas here in about two weeks. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be working with babies. A good friend of mine went right into L&D after graduation. If postpartum is what you want to do then I say go for it. Good luck to you in what ever you decide.

I had no clue what type of nursing I wanted to do. I initially thought maybe pediatrics, but I ended up hating it when I did my rotation there. You will find out more about what you want to do in nursing school, since you'll have a rotation in most areas. It's common for nurses to end up in another area than they thought. You don't know what it's like until you're there. And, the preceptor you have, as well as how the other nurses treat you is a big factor. The people you work with can make or break your experience. I stayed in my first job for 7 months - I liked the pts, but hated the other nurses and my preceptors. That was enough to make me leave. I'm in a new area and I love it now. Great people make all the difference. Just keep your mind and options open. You might surprise yourself.

It depends on the hospital as to whether or not they hire new grads into certain positions. It's becomming more common for most areas to accept new grads. Just know that you don't have to do the coveted "2 years in med/surg" before you do anything else. You can start anywhere they'll take you.

I didn't know at the start but decided on OR after being confronted with suffering of children and it made me just not want to get close to patients.

I went to the OR upon graduation and am sorry I ever left it.

You do NOT need to start in another area if your true love is, in your case, mother-baby. I think the advice to try to work a few hours each week as an aide is right on. You might have to wait until you know how to do vital signs, feed and turn people, and perfom other little basic bedside care procedures, like bathing, helping someone to the restroom, and charting. We had to have a semester under our belts before we could work for pay as student aides (undergraduates, we were called).

I'm very excited for you and pray God will open doors for you and get you just where He needs you to be. I think you'll be a wonderful nurse and your patients will be blessed to have you. Just go slowly, follow the rules, and be safe. Often when you don't know what to do, do vital signs.

Went into nursing to become a L&D nurse, had my rotation- hated it; would never consider doing it. Didn't find my true love until last semester of nursing school when we rotated through ER...started there right out of school and been there ever since.

Hello everyone!

I am new here, but I have just been accepted to Nursing school in VA. I have a few quick questions.

1) How many of you knew what type of Nurse you wanted to be before entering school? And secondly, how many of you actually stayed true to that path after graduation? (for example, was your first job dictated by a change of heart while in school or simply available employment?)

2) How likely is it to actually work in your desired area straight after school?I am not exactly sure what the title would be, but I want desperately to work on the women's labor and delivery unit as the nurse who helps care for the mother after delivery. Is that realistic for me to imagine actually being able to land that job straight out of school (as an RN)?

Thanks so much!

christine

I would say that it was a combination of both. My job (I worked in a clinic in the hospital) allowed me to take a leave of absence with pay and paid my tuition to become an LPN. I always preferred to be a clinic nurse, but also wanted to maintain basic skills such as IV meds, dressings, suctioning, etc. I was under the assumption that after paying my way, that they would have automatically placed me in med-surg, where they begin most new nurses, working weekends and holidays, in order to 'pay my dues' as a new grad. I also do not really like working with pediatric patients.

WHen I got my license, I was (pleasently) surprized that they brought me back to the clinic I previously worked in after a six week stint in med-surg-which I hated, anyway. However, I was a bit disappointed with the pay, but am under contract to remain with them for a few years. I decided to work for an outside agency where they offered me an assignment to work with a pediatric patient with a trach. The client lives quite close to me, thus, this is why I took the assignment after visiting to see if I can handle the case safely. I grew to really love this little girl and her family, but if the case goes away (they plan to remove the trach in April of this year, hopefully), I would probably not bother with another pediatric case. What made me take the case is that I made it clear that I am a new nurse with no experience. The mother is very savvy and didn't mind teaching me, so, I did learn a great deal. So, I did get what I wanted, but I was also guided by money and convienance.