So, a friend and I were discussing our plans after we graduate. I feel that I would like to enter Specialty nursing (CCU/ICU) She says that all new grad should do at least a year on the floor before specializing. I think that is insane! I have absolutly no desire for floor nursing. My feeling is if you work the floor for a year and learn the "floor way of nursing", you have to learn specialty nusing all over. My point is,people say you have to learn how to prioritize, but isnt any type of nursing you enter ABOUT prioritizing? I dont understand why people insist that you must start off on the floor?
I am a senior nursing student and had the same view as you did (about a 7-10 pt assignment and the stress in clinicals) I felt this way about "floor nursing" until I precepted on a surgical floor where we had 6 pts on each assignment. I spent 410 hours working on that floor as an RN, and halfway through was pretty indepent (patient care wise) and felt very confident. I think its a wonderful idea to start on a med/surg floor out of school. Think about it, you can take that knowledge and use it ANYWHERE. For my externship I signed up for L&D and was soooo disappointed at the time for not getting that spot. But looking back I am sooooo grateful that I was put on a surgical floor. The information learned and reinforced is invaluable, and its not so bad when you have some eye candy (surgical residents) to look at!!!! LOL I felt just like you in clinical, geez I can hardly handle 2 pts let alone a whole team. But when you don't have an instructor breathing down your back and you are indepently caring for your pts, 7-10 pts, believe it or not, is manageable!!!! Good luck!!
The "reccommendation" that you get a year of M/S before specializing is just that--a reccommendation. When I graduated, I went straight into Coronary Care, loved it, and never felt left back. After 6 years, I moved, and took a job at a small hospital working M/S, ICU, wherever they needed me. Yes it was an adjustment--but I did fine.
We are all individuals, and everyone is different--some new grads can fit right into critical care--others need to sharpen their assessment, organizational, or other skills for a year before taking the plunge.
I just finished my very first week as a new grad in the ICU. I absolutely love it so far. That's not to say that I'm not a little bit scared and overwhelmed at the moment!! But I decided to work there because I knew I would get a really good orientation. Also, my hospital only floats critical care nurses to other critical care areas-- so while I can be pulled to tele, I will not be pulled to a regular med/surg floor with 8 patients.
Thanks for the input, gang! Especially from the new grads! I think Med/surge RNs are wonderful! I tell the nurses i work with during clinicals how I am in awe of them!
The thing I like most about ICU is the technology. I like to think of myself as a tech-geek, lol. I had the opportunity to work on tele and I was hooked on all the heart monitoring gadgets!
I have NOTHING against Med-surg RNs, at all. It takes a wonderfully skilled and organized person to do it. I feel that I dont need to torture myself for a year because "its the RIGHT thing to do" or "you wont be a GOOD nurse without it". I think Im lucky because I KNOW what I want to do. Its a great feeling!
I think the best combination is a great critical care training program with both classroom and bedside included and a very bright motivated new grad.
If both are present the new grad has a greater chance of success. If only one are present the odds are not in your favor of making in ICU as a new grad. If both are missing forget it.
Some hospitals may hire new grads into ICU but not have the proper training for them, avoid these. They are like someone has said before just filling a vacancy and hoping it will work out.
I have worked med-surg for 16 yrs thought I might head down the ICU road one day but never did. I enjoy what I do, now I only do it 2 evenings a week, maybe that is why I never got burned out.
Long story short, as a student I did a preceptorship in OB/L&D. I loved it and it totally reinforced my desire to do L&D. I also have an interest in NICU having seen a couple of babies going downhill. I got hired to this OB unit because the director saw something in me. (She also loves new nurses and loves students). Well, since my hire date, the unit has undergone a lull and are overstaffed. I was asked to transfer out since I was the most recent hire. I got into med-surg.
I think it is a blessing in disguise. I do enjoy it on most nights and I have learned a TON in the short amount of time I have been on med-surg. And I DO still want to continue to pursue L&D.
That said...If I wasn't asked to transfer out, I would still be in OB. I do think med-surg is a great way to start out, but I also think it is completely OK to start out specialty.
Do what you want. Med-surg is definitely an asset , but not a mandatory requirement for doing L/D or many other specialties. I f you feel like you need lot of the "basics", then go for med-surg first. Many nursing programs are quite sporifice in terms of clinical time and diversity of experience. If you feel like you are pretty strong in terms of things like prioritizing and organizing, then go for your specialty. (esp. if you worked as a tech or LPN w/ a number of pt's you had responsibility for). As for the hospitals wanting "bodies" on specialty units, believe me they are in at least or even more need of "bodies" on med-surg units. Med-surg is totally grueling these days. My hat is off to those of you who do it. I know I could not. IMHO, med-surg needs to be re-vamped because we are burning out our nurses on med-surg w/ the outrageous conditions under which they are forced to function. Whatever you choose, best of luck. There are so many jobs out there today that if one thing doesn't work for you after 6 months or a year, you can go for something else.
Chrislynn2003
285 Posts
I started in the OR as a new grad- med-surg was definitely not for me!