Specialties for New Grads

[lisianthus93]

Hi everyone!

I have heard my share of every new nurse needing to do rounds on a med surg floor immediately post-graduation, and this makes sense to me (to learn and practice nursing skills that are needed across the board). Also, I believe people say that it's easier to get a job in a med surg floor.

Would it be disadvantageous to begin one's nursing career within a different specialty, such as ICU or psych, if one could land a job on a floor?

[anh06005, MSN, APRN, NP]

If there is an area you really enjoy I think anyone (even new grads) should just go for it. When you really think about it nurses are trained as generalists. If you work a specialty yes you may forget some of the things you were taught in other areas. The same thing happens if you work med-surg, though. I have worked with adults in a cardiac stepdown and now home health. I would be petrified to take care of a child. I was always nervous being pulled to the L&D unit even though I wound up with the easy postpartum moms. Heck I even felt nervous being pulled to the post op floor because I just didn't handle that on a regular basis.

Anywhere you work you will "lose" some of what you were taught because you just won't use it.

Go for a job you think you will enjoy or you may regret it later.

[RunBabyRN]

Depends on your location, too. For example, here in CA, you take what you can get, and hope for the best later.

Otherwise, I agree with everything anh06005 said. Do what you enjoy. Regardless of where you end up, you'll lose some skills, but you can work toward regaining them later if you switch specialties, as people do.

[Racer15, BSN, RN]

I started in the ED as a new nurse, only home I've ever known. Zero regrets.

[emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

I started in the ED as a new nurse, only home I've ever known. Zero regrets.

Me too.

[Kuriin, BSN, RN]

If you have the opportunity to land a job in a specialized unit and want to work in that specific unit, take it. If you're in California, though, you will most likely work on a MedSurg unit -- which isn't a bad thing as it provides a "foundation" prior to stepping into a specialized unit.

[dexm]

I was told that over and over in nursing school, and I think it's bologna. If you want to do med surg, start in medsurg, but if you are interested in ICU, ER, L&D, etc. then apply for those jobs. I think it would be disadvantageous to start your career on a unit/specialty you aren't interested in because someone told you to start there. I started in ICU as a new grad, and a majority of the people in my unit also started as new grads. Everyone is different.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

The short answer is "it depends". While it's true experience in med-surg isn't always a requirement for other areas of nursing, it frequently is. If a unit isn't requiring that you have a good background in med-surg first, and is willing to train in everything they need, then that's a good thing. Just don't be surprised or upset if you find that the unit you want DOES want you to have the kind of 'full service' skills you'd learn in med-surg.

I have personally known ICU, OB and ED units that would NEVER consider a new grad at all, period. And I have heard of others that will take them on, no problem.

So....."it depends" :)

Good luck!

[rubato, ASN, RN]

I wanted to end up in oncology. I pursued oncology, got a job, and regret nothing. On rare occasions, we get a med surg overflow patient. I may not be completely up on everything but I can cover a shift for someone. I struggle with the occasional psych overflow patient because I'm just sucky at it. But, again, I just do the best I can.