Preceptor

[Seagate]

I am in nursing school and just received a preceptor request form. I have really no idea what area I want work in.

What would be some good areas to have my preceptorship in?

Here are my options:

critical care/telemetry

ER department

med/surg

NICU

PICU

Oncology

peds

rehab

psychiatric

I was thinking of becoming a travel nurse after I graduate, what areas does one have to work in to be qualified for that?

I'm having trouble picking which area I want to do the preceptorship in because I don't want an area where I will not learn as much as I would in a different area.

But I also feel like I know NOTHING to work in critical care/telemetry.

I had a clinical in med/surg and I did fine in that, I actually liked it more than my peds and ob clinical, but I also understand that there is a huge difference between being a nursing student and being a nurse on a med/surg floor.

Any advice? :)

[Flightline, BSN, RN]

As a former travel nurse, I can tell you that you can't travel as a nurse right after graduation. You typically need a year's experience and ACLS certification. That being said, if you are going to travel, you would do well to become experienced in ICU and or Med/Surg. Those are the largest areas of demand in the travel sector. I recommend you precept in the ICU.

[nurseeB]

I would recommend med/surg or ICU. Right now in the job market you would have no problem finding a critical care travel assignment, but med/surg positions are not as numerous as they used to be. Just make sure before you even think about traveling you are comfortable with your nursing skills. When you start an assignment you get 1 maybe 2 shifts as orientation and you are on your own.

[Blee O'Myacin, BSN, RN]

I agree with the others, go with critical care/ICU. The patient ratio is lower so you will be able to concentrate on the one patient, get to know them from head to toe, down to the last cc of urine put out that hour. I found my time in the ICU to be beneficial in learning the disease processes in detail and have been able to apply that to working in the ED. No RN preceptor would expect you to know anything when you start - not even if you had already graduated from nursing school. Go to the ICU - if you learn how to care for the sickest of the sick you will be able to apply that to med-surg, tele or any other area.

Good luck!

Blee