newby with a quick questions

pagandeva2000, LPN · Mar 1, 2007

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.