what position should I start with

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I am a new grad of AASN, at a age of 50+, and with backgroud of some years of Nurse Aid experience. Now leaving school, I am going to try a position in med/surg as advised by every nurse and professor I know.

I imagine it could hard for me as most new grads are young. I really need help for starting my career. Do nurse managers consider older age as a disadvantage? Do I have to start with med/surg? What is the other options?:uhoh3:

Thank you in advence for your help.:icon_hug:

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

Hi and welcome,

We need all the good nurses there are! Don't worry about the age thing - the average age of a working RN is 45 - so you are in good company. besides any nurse manager worth their weight would relish the chance to have a more mature employee, with previous life experience - they tend to be more stable.

What area did you like best during your clinicals? Why? I personally went straight into a North Philadelphia ER - I had worked as an aide through school in an ER and loved it.

Despite what your teachers advised there really aren't any rules. No you don't have to start on med-surg, unless that just happens to be the hospital's policy.

I don't see any advantage of working on med surg if your heart is in the OR or in working with women and children, for example.

I've known many nurses that hired directly onto step down units, or even occasionally into the ICUs. But most hospitals prefer a bit of experience working on the step down - these patients can still be very sick and it's a great experience for new nurses.

Just take a moment to think about the areas your were interested in school and then make appropriate inquires.

Goodluck and let me know if you have any additional questions.

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Thank you so much Janet! New nurse born in 50's really sounds old. The fact of everage age of nursing force makes me relexed a bit. You are really cheering me up. I hope nurse managers are as nice as you.I function best in routin settings. I am always thinking ambulatory care or primary care will be my final landing. In this case, my additional questions are what experience requirment usually hospitals' ask, will med/surg banifits me a whole lot or not really? Luce

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
.I function best in routin settings. I am always thinking ambulatory care or primary care will be my final landing.

It's important to recognize that sort of thing about yourself and use that information to help you select a field. I have worked with several "more mature" new grads who had the same characteristic. They didn't do well in fast paced, rapidly changing, high stress environments -- but they thought that working in a busy ICU or ED would be exciting. When faced with the realization that they were not well-suited for such environments, they were very disapointed and had to re-think think their careers as their first jobs as nurses "did not work out."

In reality, they had set themselves up for failure by letting their fantasies of "starting new professional lives" cloud their judgment about their personal abilities and preferences. It's good that you are assessing yourself and taking those things into consideration.

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Thank you llg, very much. You are right about individual trait makes huge impact on our perfomance, and the avoidable failure.I hope I am on right track of field consideration.I am really moved by you and all the experienced nurses out there helping New Grads. Luce

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i started this year at age 57--you are not alone! i wanted OR, ED, Special Procedures, NOT med/surg. The only position i could find: med/surg. It is difficult but i'm making the most of it and see it as my dues. And i'm learning a variety, great variety of stuff. Just know that wherever you go, it may be overwhelming right out of school. Personally, i think school should set you up to do the job on the first day--but the rest of the world does not agree.

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Thanks a lot my Brother. Congratulation that you made it and you are here helping me, the New One. What a soothing information you sent me. I am not alone!!! I have heard about the first position stories-not many departments want you but med/surg, and then med/surg say not new grads this time. It is hard. Hope I can actually find my first position, manage it and have chance to pay my due.Thanks again Brother.Luce

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

Luce

One thing to also consider is not the floor but the facility. For example, a larger hospital will offer many different opportunities without having to give up your seniority and retirement (these things are very important as we age). So pick a good facility to work at and even if the floor you enter in on isn't your dream job at least you know you can work toward it - ie outpatient or ambulatory care.

Yes I agree that ERs are not only very fast paced they can also be

very cut throat places (yes the staff) - I think they attract certain personalities (young and aggressive and or adrenline junkies) - ie people who are interested in the action without the long term commitment to the patient. I have grown to prefer ICUs - you get the fast pace, but its a controlled chaos if you know what I mean, you get the high tech, but also get to practice primary nursing. You learn a lot and get respect from the docs, and most of the time you only have two patients.

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:redpinkheThanks Janet. Once I asked a nurse why she like ICU. She said that she uauslly had one to two patients, had the control over cases (orgnized in her way) , know what was she doing, had everything she needed, one to two patients, and there was always a doctor on the floor. Very reasonable. I think this really needs good ground to start with. And thanks for the tips of floor vs facility.

Luce

One thing to also consider is not the floor but the facility. For example, a larger hospital will offer many different opportunities without having to give up your seniority and retirement (these things are very important as we age). So pick a good facility to work at and even if the floor you enter in on isn't your dream job at least you know you can work toward it - ie outpatient or ambulatory care.

Yes I agree that ERs are not only very fast paced they can also be

very cut throat places (yes the staff) - I think they attract certain personalities (young and aggressive and or adrenline junkies) - ie people who are interested in the action without the long term commitment to the patient. I have grown to prefer ICUs - you get the fast pace, but its a controlled chaos if you know what I mean, you get the high tech, but also get to practice primary nursing. You learn a lot and get respect from the docs, and most of the time you only have two patients.

__________________

Janet

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

You're welcome and good luck!

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