Question...

Hi Trish ... congratulations on your choice of nursing as a career path. Nursing offers a wide variety of opportunities for new graduates to choose from. At the time you graduate, you will be able to practice in any number of areas within the profession of nursing.

In relationship to your question, you are entering your basic program. Upon graduation (you did not mention if you were in an ADN or BSN program), you can work in a speciality area. Often, employers are hiring new graduates into these areas and providing them with training. You might want to wait to take any additional courses until after you graduate. The courses you will be studying throughout your nursing education are very intense and require a lot of focus. Taking anything more than is required during this time would probably not be wise.

A couple of months prior to graduation, you might want to consider taking ACLS and some other advanced certifications. This will help you in securing a position.

What areas are you interested in working in after you graduate?

Good luck.

During your nursing education you will doing clinicals in a local hospital. My school allowed you to have clinicals on one floor per semester which allows you to "try" up to 5 different areas(for an ADN program). You may fall in love with a specific topic in school or you may just figure out what you do not want to do. Give it time and keep your mind open for anything!

For me and most of my fellow classmates our clinicals steered us towards our specialties. I thought I made the biggest mistake with nursing, I was miserable my first year, but I stuck it out and then I found pediatrics. My instructor took me aside and said I truly found my niche and have become a nurse. This after another instructor (and myself) questioned my nursing abilities. You'll know what feels right and what doesn't.

Use your clinicals as guides. If there is something that you find interesting, let your instructor know. They are always on the look out for good clinical experiences. Also let the nurses you're working with know that you are interested in something. They may know of another patient with a procedure that you can watch. And don't be afraid to do what scares you. Psych scared the heck out of me so I asked my instructor to put me in the ICU (lockdown unit) first. I found out that I am not a good psych nurse, I tend make the patients more agitated. But I learned respect for the nurses and patients.

The best thing about nursing is if you aren't really sure, there is so much to do. Some of my friends graduated with plans to do a little of this and a little of that because they found everything so interesting.

Good luck and I hope you find your nursing niche.

I am going thru the ADN Program. I am not sure what area I will be interested in yet since I am just waiting to take my Assessment Test next Friday. I am so excited to get started and I want to learn all I can from everyone else.

Thanks for all the replies!!!!!

Trish

Future ADN

I am currently a 4th level BSN nursing student. I spent my whole last semester in OB/GYN. I was miserable. But i am a guy and i guess that is to be expected. Anyways, this semester i got my wish and was placed in the CCU. I love it so far and have learned so much the past week. At one point I thought my head was going to explode. Hope you have the same luck and find something that you enjoy along the way.

What is a level 4 BSN student?

Also, I am figuring that after ADN then BSN is next, can someone tell me what this is or what you would do with this degree?

Trish

:roll

The school that I attend consists of 5 semesters once you are accepted into the nursing program. Each semester you take is considered a "level". Each level is different such as one might be geriatrics, another med-surg, another ob-gyn/pediatrics and so on....I guess that each school is different. I even read a post on here once that said there was 6 semesters of clinicals at this one school. anyways....ttyl