Specializing as a fresh nurse?

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Specializes in OB.

I have heard two different pieces of advise given to me as I get ready to join the nursing world: 1)It is better to work on the Med/Surg floor for at least a year before specializing; 2) If you have the opportunity to jump into a nursing specialty of your choice, do it before you lose your chance and may never get it again.

So what should I do? I have an opportunity to be in a special area of practice that I have wanted to be in for as long as I can remember wanting to be a nurse and yet I have people nagging me to become "well-rounded" and work on the Med/Surg floor to gain that experience.

Just looking for some other advice.

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Depends on the specialty. I say - follow your heart, but only after thinking it through.

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I say do what you have always wanted to do. I was told the same thing about going into med/surg first and I'm soooo glad I didn't. I know that I wouldn't have been happy in that field since I've always wanted to do ER in a big hospital. I am living my dream after just graduating in May from bridging from LVN/RN. I have a great respect for nurses who work the med/surg floor because it isn't easy but it isn't for everyone. I feel a person is a much better nurse if they are in the field they love. So, get out there and grab that bull by the horns. You can always find a med/surg job if you change your mind but specialty fields can be few and far between. Good luck!!

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Specializes in ER.

To answer your question, I don't think that starting in med/surg means you will ruin your chances at specializing later. As to the other part, I went from nursing school to er and my spouse from school to icu. In our humble opinions, people who start in specialties do better than those who transfer from med/surg because they have fewer "bad" habits (like assuming the patient is stable and missing subtle changes in patient condition) but that's not to say it's true for everyone. Call with your heart the thing you want most and it will likely come to you.

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Specializes in Hospital nursing.

If you have the chance to go into your "dream field", take it! For one thing, you state it's what you have wanted to do since you can remember, and for another thing, in this economy, being offered a job in a field you are interested in is a wonderful thing! Many new grad nurses find they are taking jobs in areas they swore they would never go into, because the economy sucks right now.

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Specializes in PACU, OR.

A lot depends on the speciality; first of all, are you sure you'll enjoy it once you're actually doing it? Many fields look interesting, even glamorous, from the outside looking in, and end up being anything but. Also, is it one of those fields regarded as "scarce skills"? Of course, I'm not sure if you have any such fields in your country, as I read so many posts about the job shortage, but be careful about getting into a specialized area of nursing where there is either little demand for nurses with that speciality, or where there is already a glut of them on the market.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

It depends on you and your knowledge, ability and personality, especially if the specialty is ICU, ER high stress, critical care. Do you feel up to the challenge? Do you have confidence? Most importantly that you don't have problems with anxiety and performance anxiety because if you do then being in a high stress critical care environment will feel like hell!

It really is about you and the skills, personality and temperament you bring to the table. If you've got the right mix of skills and personality then go for the specialty!

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Specializes in CICU.

I decided to specialize in the first specialty that offered me a job :D. Luckily, it has worked out well and i think I found my niche.

If I had had a choice, I would have gone with the job I most wanted.

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If it was me, I would jump right into it. A nurse that has 1 med surg is going to start all over when she/he jumps into a specialty. Go for it and good luck. I started right out of school as a Peds trach and vent nurse.

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Go into the specialty. The med/surg nurses don't need the bother of training someone else just "doing their time."

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Specializes in NICU.

You have a job offer!

For an area you are interested in!

TAKE IT!

May your dreams come true! (I never worked Med-Surg.)

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Specializes in Rehab, critical care.

If you have the opportunity, take it! But only if it feels right. If you don't feel ready for the area, then maybe it's best to wait. What's the area by the way?

Anyway, I pretty much went directly into the ICU, and I have not regretted it. (although there are nights when I think: what did I get myself into? lol) There are nights where I feel: "Man, I suck." And others where: "Man, I caught that. Awesome." lol, but that's all part of being not only a new nurse, but new to a stressful area. Best of luck to you, and congrats on the job offer! I will say: no matter what you choose, it won't be easy. I am working my tail off to make this work, and you will really need to be motivated and study on your own time. It's pretty hard to ask a physician for what you need if you don't know what to ask for lol. You just need to recognize that you're a work in progress, and that can be an ego buster at times.

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