Opinions needed!

[JahbingRN]

I am a new nurse graduate who have taken boards and passed. My ultimate goal is to obatin a position on a CCU. At this time I don't feel I am ready to a take that Plunge, so I have accepted a position in a pre and post procedure unit, where I did my praticum. This unit primarily deals with patients who are post cardiac cath, angiogram, liver biopsy, parancetesis and so on. The floor is also an overflow unit, they accept patients from ICU and ER who are not quite ready for the floor (step down).The orientaion and training will be the same as CCU's. I will be ACLS certified upon completion. I am very nervous and anxious about this position, mostly becasue of what I have read from experinced nurses on this website, they all seem to say the same thing, "DO 1 YEAR OF MED-SURG FIRST". I worked part-time as a PCT on a ortho/neuro medsurg floor, my last year in nursing school and I loved the floor, but I really wanted to specialize in cardiac nursing.......... So my question is, "do you think I am making the right decision to work on this unit instead of completing med-surg first for 1 year?"

[pricklypear]

People go into ICU with all kinds of different experiences. Personally, I don't think it has to be med-surg. I felt like you do when I graduated. I was offered an ICU postition, but I though - I don't know jack yet! I wasn't comfortable at all going right into that area. I liked cardiac too, so I started on a cardiac/surgical tele floor. Stayed there almost 3 years, and have been in ICU for just about 3. One very important thing to be comfortable with is cardiac rhythms in ICU, and it sounds like you will get experience with that on the pre/post patients and step-down pts.

Good luck - it sounds like a good start!!:)

[Wren]

Follow your own path... Not every nurse needs to do the year of med surg to be successful. Good luck!