NICU vs. Med-Surg

Gompers, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2006

You can start in the NICU as a new grad.

However, if you are at all interested in doing other areas of nursing later on in your career, I'd start out with adults. You will lose a lot of the skills and knowledge you learned in nursing school if you go straight into the NICU. I did that eight years ago and there is no way I would feel comfortable going into adult nursing at this point. I don't want to, but if I did, I'd be at a loss. Adult ICU might be an option if I wanted that, but med-surg floor nursing would be very very hard if that was something I wanted.

So yeah, if you had a lot of interests in nursing school, I'd do some adult nursing first so you don't limit yourself.

If you're like me, and you never wanted to work anyplace but NICU and are sure of that, then starting as a new grad is fine. But I worked in the NICU as a nursing assistant while in school and then did my senior preceptorship in the NICU so I had some real exposure prior to taking my first job. A few days of NICU observation here and there isn't enough, IMHO, to decide.

kmftiko · Jul 18, 2006

Thanks so much for the advice!

fergus51 · Jul 19, 2006

I don't think med-surg is useful in nicu much at all. I don't even think it's particularly important even if NICU isn't what you want to do forever. I know NICU nurses who have gone into L&D, adult ICU, OR, etc. The key was finding a good orientation in their new specialty.

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2006

Skip the med-surg

prmenrs, RN · Jul 19, 2006

ditto.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2006

While I agree that med-surg experience is USELESS when starting in the NICU, I just wanted to point out that the original poster liked many other areas of nursing besides NICU.

If it was someone (like many of us) who would never dream of going anyplace but NICU, I'd say go for it. I just precepted a senior nursing student and encouraged her to get a job starting as a new grad in a NICU, which she did.

But this poster has other interests. I'd hate to see her get stuck.

jack4408 · Jul 19, 2006

I graduated last June and went straight to NICU and have doen fine without Med-Surg. I don't really think it's related, but like a previous post said, if you ever have any interest in working with adults, then you should do med-surg. It's a completely different world.

prmenrs, RN · Jul 19, 2006

You raise a good point, Gompers. However, anyone that's ever done both would wonder why anyone would want to go to med-surg for any reason whatsoever. They make bigger, smellier messes up there.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Jul 19, 2006

You raise a good point, Gompers. However, anyone that's ever done both would wonder why anyone would want to go to med-surg for any reason whatsoever. They make bigger, smellier messes up there.

Well, yeah! That's part of the reason I'm suggesting med-surg first. Because after you start in the NICU, it's very very hard to ever WANT to leave. In a certain way, we "ruin" nurses in the NICU. Most of us have no CLUE how anyone could EVER want to work with "big" patients. I certainly don't! I did my time as a CNA in med-surg and decided I filled my adult nursing quota for life. :barf01:

kmftiko · Jul 19, 2006

Everyone's comments are very informative and interesting. I guess it just comes down to what's really important to me :) If I can get in, than I will take the position...but I have been reading previous posts and it has often been suggested to go into the well baby area first before NICU. I think I would like that :) You all are so great! I am truly inspired!!!!!!!!