Passed NCLEX, not sure where I should start my first job.

[JuliusSeizure]

I really enjoyed psychiatric nursing, but I feel like going straight into psych I will end up losing the skills that I learned in nursing school.

I also enjoyed the ER rotation, but I don't know if I should apply to an ER position without the Med-Surg experience of 1 year.

My question being, how vital is the experience of working as Med-Surg for at least 1 year to other nursing positions?

I understand if my ultimate goal is psych nursing, I really won't be able to carry much from Med-Surg. But I also know that having at least 1 experience of Med-Surg is crucial for an ER nurse.

Last but not least, I sorta like the ICU (I say sorta because it makes me extremely sad to see how sick these people are and that they may end up dying any moment), and of my instructors told me I would be an excellent ICU nurse due me being a constant patient advocate and having the ability to think outside the box (she said I'm very critical and observant)

What do I do?

[heatherisbetter, BSN]

do you have a job offer? I would just apply at places that work for you... there are limitless jobs in nursing and you may not know what you really want until you try it! Good luck and congrats on passing NCLEX!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

In the region where I reside, newer nurses who hope to work in acute care (ER, med/surg, ICU) are expected to apply to these positions at least three months prior to graduation. Waiting until passing NCLEX is slightly frowned down upon because new grad training programs and/or internships are the only routes to these positions. However, I realize regional differences exist in regards to hiring practices.

In many employment markets, the first job you should get is the first one that extends you an offer. Acute specialties such as ER and critical care (ICU) are coveted, which means lots of competition with other new grads.

Good luck to you!

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

I have to say I love your screen name, lol. Brilliant.

I'm biased towards ICU. If it's too late to get into a new grad critical care residency, give med-surg a try and see if you can transition into ICU later.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

[Kristenlaurenw]

Med surg will give you a good basis for anything, including psych. Psych patients have their share of medical issues, too!