Preceptorship/ new grad job applications

[Hem0043, CNA]

Hello, I’m in my fourth semester out of five at an ADN program, and I have to request an assignment soon for my preceptorship. I am debating back and forth between the ED and the ICU, and I was hoping to get some feedback about which might be best to start out in as a new grad. 

A little about my interests and goals for nursing- After working for a few years, I want to get certified as a forensic RN/ SANE. I am also interested in becoming a FNP down the road. I enjoy doing assessments and gathering patient histories in the ED, but I also like the small patient ratio in the ICU. I have had a lot of work experience with memory care/ private duty home care, so I am very familiar with comfort care/ the dying process. Hospice is another route that I have thought about; however, I really want to start out in a field where I am learning as much as I can about medicine / anatomy/ patho/ emergency response/ etc. It sounds like the ICU allows for more time to research patient conditions and gain more knowledge about patho, but I am also interested in the ED to prepare for forensic nursing. 

Is there anyone who has done ED and ICU that would recommend one versus the other for a new grad? Would one of these fields be more useful before becoming a SANE and/or FNP? Thanks! 

[FiremedicMike, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

I can only speak for ED, but the varied acuity will likely set you you up better for FNP than ICU.  You will literally see a bit of everything from “my pants are too tight” (yes, really), to uncontrolled hypertension, poorly managed diabetes, cardiac arrest, STEMI, stroke, foot pain.. you get the idea.. 

If you were going for ACNP or in hospital medicine, I’d say ICU. 

FYI, both positions can be a bit more difficult to land as a new grad, fair warning..

[Lust4life, BSN]

I learned so much starting in the trauma ICU. It's challenging, but if you like a challenge and codes are your adrenaline fix....it's for you! The ED would be awesome too, especially for forensics...so I'd say ED for that. I was going to pursue CRNA school and they required one year in an acute intensive care unit...maybe the same for FNP. Check the prerequisites for admission to program first. Best wishes! So exciting!

[Hem0043, CNA]

Thanks so much @FiremedicMike and @Lust4life! 

[mmarlene93]

I think that having ICU experience will help you once you are ready to apply to graduate level programs as you are required to understand in-depth the pathophysiology, patient history, and how that interconnects to account for the nuances in treatment that will be provided which is usually individualized.