ana97

Hello, I just graduated nursing school with my BSN in December and I will be taking my boards at the end of January. In my area, nurse residency positions are very competitive, and I only wanted to work for a certain healthcare system and my only interests were med-surg and NICU. I applied to both under the system I wanted, I did not get the NICU, but I did get offered the med-surg position and I accepted it because I think it will be a good place to start the foundation and my best friend from nursing school also got offered a position on that floor and at nights as well. The NICU was my first choice, and I was disappointed that I did not get it. I thought about applying to other NICU's in my area, but honestly I feel like I'm not too sure what I really want to do. I did my senior preceptorship in the NICU and there were some things about it that really intimidated me. I feel like I'm not really sure what kind of nurse I want to be. I am excited to work as a nurse, but I am also scared, nervous, and wondering if I even have what it takes to be a good nurse. I hear med-surg can be stressful, but I feel like I need to build on my skills before I go into a specialty. I know no one can make the choice for me as to where to start. I am just feeling very confused, scared, anxious, and worried as I prepare to enter the nursing profession. I just want to be a good nurse for my patients and I feel like I don't know anything. Is it normal to feel this way? Thank you to anyone who reads this.

Hello, I am a 22 year old RN BSN student in Texas and I'm about to graduate in December. Throughout my clinical rotations I have discovered that I love NICU nursing and I feel like it will be a great fit for me. I do not have much hands on experience with infants besides what I've done in my clinical rotations. When I was younger I used to volunteer at a nursery, but it was nothing too complicated. However, I do work as a milk technician/unit clerk in a Level IV NICU, but I am not allowed to do any hands on care on the infants. At my job I make the prolacta feedings for a 24 hour period, stock the formula room with supplies, run samples down to the lab, and I also sit as a unit clerk sometimes so I have experience talking to doctors, nurses, RT, pharmacy, radiology, nutrition, etc. I am praying that I get hired on to the unit as a RN when I graduate. I know that NICU is a very competitive area to get hired on to as new graduate RN but I am willing to do whatever I can to get hired. What are my chances and what else can I do to increase my chances?