Preceptorship Experience

[Cmarie3838]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post. I am a third semester nursing student, and we are to choose our preceptorship experience at this time. I am interested in three specialties L&D, ER, and Surgical nursing. I am planning to start on a med-surg unit after school to gain the necessary experience, and all of my clinical experiences have been on med-surg. I am passionate about L&D, but I also don't want to put myself in a box. I want my preceptorship to give me the best experience to prepare me for working as a registered nurse. Any opinions on what would be the best choice? I am aware that we may not even get the preceptorship we choose.

Thank you!

[llg, PhD, RN]

In most regions, new grad nursing jobs can be difficult to get. My advice is to do your preceptorship on the unit you hope to work on after graduation. That will help you get your first job -- and it will help you succeed in that job. That is what is most important at this time. You can worry about subsequent jobs later. Get the first one secured first.

It's like playing football. You have to catch the ball securely before you can safely run with it. If you try to run before you have the ball securely in your hands, you are more likely to fumble.

If your focus is on getting experience in jobs you might want in a few years instead of on the immediate future ... you might end up having a hard time getting a decent first job ... and getting your career off to a bad start.