Soon to be new grad looking for advice

[Jdknittle]

Hello allnurses I am new to this website and wanted to ask something. I am finishing up my nursing school and will begin to start studying for my nclex but I have run into a problem. I did not have a good experience in preceptorship and have determined working as a CNA and as a Nursing student that bedside nursing in the hospital is not for me. The experiences I've had working with staff in the hospital and the work you do as a nurse is not what I invisioned coming in. What I've noticed looking at jobs is if you want to work outside the hospital you need 1-2 years of experience in medsurg or telemetry first and I was wondering if there is a non traditional way for new grads to get experience as a RN without doing one of those floors. Thank you Jacob

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

Doubtful. They want the experience there for a reason. You can try a different med/surg specialty like ortho or urology. I did both (stayed an ortho nurse). I found it easier than a broad med/surg setting.

[Kallie3006, ADN]

In all fairness working as a CNA or doing school clinicals is not the same as working as a nurse on the floor. Do you mind elaborating on what it is that gave you a bad taste while working as a CNA or your clinical rotations?

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

It's theoretically possible but it will be difficult and it will limit your future prospects if you have no acute care experience.

[Chrispy11, ASN, RN]

Look for jobs that state "New Graduates Welcome" and read the duties to see what is to your liking. I did thus when I passed the NCLEX earlier this year. For me the vast majority of jobs were not in a hospital.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Try dialysis or corrections. Please don't try home health, no matter who says it's ok. Requires much independent thinking and usually not much orientation, puts the pts and your license at risk

[RNperdiem, RN]

If you can find another hospital department willing and able to train a new graduate, you can try a hospital inpatient care that is not med-surg. My ICU takes a couple of new grads a year, and I have known new grads to start in step-down units and the ED.

The trouble is with nursing school, is it gives you a mostly theoretical education. To actually learn to be a nurse, you need to work full out doing the job. Think of your first year of nursing as your last year of all-clinical nursing school.

Non-traditional nursing jobs often need experience for a reason. Also there is a lot of competition for any of those jobs, and it helps to have connections.

[DextersDisciple, BSN, RN]

The first job I was able to land as a new grad (without experience because that's what all hospital wanted!) was in a rather coveted outpatient specialty. I didn't know it was a highly sought after position but it made sense since I was the youngest nurse and all the rest had "paid their dues". The Pay was low but it was a private office. In my experience Hospital based clinic nurses make the same as bedside nurses (in the same hospital system).

If you know someone it's possible but other than that I wouldn't count on it.