Senior Practicum Decision!

studystudy · Jun 1, 2011

Congratulations on being in your final semester! :)

My school wouldn't allow us to precept in anything but med-surg, ER, IMC, or ICU. Their reasoning was that students that precepted in specialties were good students, but usually didn't pass NCLEX because they didn't have enough med-surg experience. I guess I can see where they were coming from, but NCLEX is all textbook nursing anyway, not the shortcuts you learn from other nurses.

If I had been given the chance, I definitely would have precepted in the specialty that I really wanted! So I would say go for it, work hard, be eager to learn, and make nice with the floor nurses and unit manager, and give her your resume at the end of your preceptorship!

RNHeatherLA · Jun 2, 2011

Hi there,

If you have a chance to do your preceptorship in OB, do it!!! If that's where you really want to work, the best chance you have at starting there right after graduation is to have your preceptorship in OB. I've been applying to tons of jobs after graduating in December and really want to start in peds or NICU and I think having my preceptorship in peds puts me ahead of other new grads wanting to start out in a peds specialty. Some new grad applications even say, preceptorship in NICU/L&D, whatever, preferred. So go for it! :)

BNstudent · Jun 2, 2011

Thanks you guys!! Really helps. You don't think I will lose out on the basic skills the you would get in medsurg? Like obviously you would get lots of IVs and probably some catheters. I just don't wanna lose out on the most experience I can!!!

Littleguccipiggy · Jun 2, 2011

I would say go with a unit that you really love. If you're going to precept in med/surg and your heart is not into it, it will be to most painful rotation of your life. My school pushed the med/surg rotation for preceptorship also. I was lucky and got the one spot in pediactric hemoatology/oncology which is highly specialized. But I loved every minute of it. I'm fine with losing out on basic skills like IVs and foleys because I have more experience in central line management, which is more important in where I want to find a job.

studystudy · Jun 2, 2011

You don't think I will lose out on the basic skills the you would get in medsurg? Like obviously you would get lots of IVs and probably some catheters. I just don't wanna lose out on the most experience I can!!!

I think of it this way: skills can always be learned and improved on at any time. And for NCLEX purposes, like I said, you'll be studying "textbook" nursing, so the shortcuts other nurses teach you could do more harm than good in that sense!! Go for OB, it's a great chance to network in the area you really want to be in, and we all know that in this economy, networking is practically essential to landing your first job. Good luck! :)

jelly221,RN · Jun 2, 2011

Go with OB. With the scarce amount of jobs that are available, you'll have a HUGE leg up on other applicants by having had a one-on-one preceptorship in OB. Good luck with those babies!

Always_Learning, BSN, RN · Jun 3, 2011

Go for the unit you want to work on. I got hired on the unit I precepted in; the time spent there getting to know the nurses, getting a feel for the unit, and learning how things worked was invaluable. (Also, if you spend time there and DON'T like it, well, you just saved yourself some heartache!)

Never underestimate the importance of networking; it really works! So I say go for OB (although giving advice isn't very therapeutic...so, "How do YOU feel about that?" LOL!) :lol2: