Pediatric Preceptor

[madisand]

Hi there,

I am in my second year of nursing school and we are choosing our preceptorships for next year. I love pediatrics over anything else and chose it for preceptor but I've heard many people saying not to specialize when you first start out. I know jobs are scarce so I am wondering if I precept in pediatrics, cannot find a job in this field and apply to hospitals for adult med/surg will preceptoring in a specialty count against me when I'm hired? I currently work as a CNA in a regular hospital right now that hires many new grads and I have second job as a health aide with special needs children so hoping these will help me get hired...anyways I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks:)

[oceanblue52]

I haven't graduated yet, but I am a firm believer in following your heart. Many students in my program chose to specialize in things like ED, ICU, Peds, hospice etc. for their preceptorship. Our program encourages this and over 90% of our graduates have jobs within 6 months (in a competitive region). Only about half end up doing their preceptorship on an Adult Med-Surg floor. You sound like you have good networking from your other jobs so I would branch out into the field you are most passionate about.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Hi there,

I am in my second year of nursing school and we are choosing our preceptorships for next year. I love pediatrics over anything else and chose it for preceptor but I've heard many people saying not to specialize when you first start out. I know jobs are scarce so I am wondering if I precept in pediatrics, cannot find a job in this field and apply to hospitals for adult med/surg will preceptoring in a specialty count against me when I'm hired? I currently work as a CNA in a regular hospital right now that hires many new grads and I have second job as a health aide with special needs children so hoping these will help me get hired...anyways I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks:)

I could not possibly disagree with this statement more. You don't need Med-Surg experience to be a pediatric nurse. I have been a nurse for 9 years. Every job I've held has been in pediatrics. I never intend on working with adults. I have been an acute care staff RN on a pediatric neuro unit, a home care RN/manager for pediatrics with a focus on oncology, a per diem nurse at a boarding high school and am currently an infusion liaison at a pediatric hospital. Precept in pediatrics, do a great job and get hired on that unit. That's how I got my original job.

[madisand]

Thank you for the advice. That's very encouraging because I don't enjoy working with adults as much as children. Hopefully I can make a good impression at the hospital I precept at.