where to start out?...anyone switched from adult?

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Specializes in NICU & OB/GYN.

I was fortunate to get 2 rotations with school in PEDS (surgery & acute medicine). Typically you're lucky to get even one..so I have heard. I never had given this area a second thought before this but out of all my rotations, I must say I rather enjoyed working with this population (Sometimes adults are the bigger babies). Anywho, my question is..is there a particular area that would be best to start out? I enjoyed both rotations the same but haven't been exposed to any others. I also have some friends who warn me that PEDS will limite my scope (however I think it would actually widen it), they suggest getting a good baseline set skiils in adults first. I appreciate any thoughts form those who actually are PEDS nurses...thx!

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I've been a peds nurse for 2 years and went into peds right out of school. I love the variety of pts I see, with all pts of the age spectrum and a variety of medical and surgical diagnosises. I do feel that if I ever went to adult nursing that it wouldn't be too difficult of a transition do to the fact for the first year of my peds career I worked on an adolescent floor, where many of my pts were "adults" anyway. I had debated back and forth if I wanted adult experience before entering peds, and I am glad that I went straight to peds instead of doing something my heart wouldn't have been for the "experience."

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Specializes in NICU & OB/GYN.

"I've been a peds nurse for 2 years and went into peds right out of school. I love the variety of pts I see, with all pts of the age spectrum and a variety of medical and surgical diagnosises."

Thx for the reply! You're so right, I think that is one of the main reasons I enjoyed PEDS, not only variety in age but with their illnesses. On adults each week dealt with the same few common illnesses but PEDS I never knew what I was going to get..GI/resp/metabolic etc..etc. and maybe it was 2 week old or maybe a 16 y/o. Lots of learning! Love it.

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Specializes in Pediatric Cardiology.

I agree 100 percent, I love the variety of pediatrics! I also find their diagnoses much more interesting.

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.

I"ve been in peds for the last 25 years(out of 34!) and I have to say it has not limited my practice whatsoever. Peds is a whole nother planet, nothing like adults. It is truly a specialty. I started out in OB/Mother-Baby (and some other stuff) but eventually made my way to newborn nursery. That led to the NICU,where I stayed for about 12 years. I also picked up some time in PICU, peds telephone triage, and now I'm a school nurse. Everything I ever learned about peds comes to bear in this job. Some days I feel like my head's gonna explode with all the knowledge in it! I am part counselor, part mother, part teacher, part investigator and ALL NURSE.:nurse: I have never once regretted going into peds.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

please note that I have been a nurse for more than 30 years.

I started in the neonatal ICU. From there I went to the Peds ICU where I spent many years in several roles. I would most certainly not think peds as a specialty in any way limits the future of a competent and ambitious nurse.

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Specializes in NICU & OB/GYN.

Thanks to all the wonderful replies! It's great to hear from seasoned nurses who share encouraging tales of the many opportunities they've had. I think that's the problem...in school you get advice from advisors who steer everyone into adult med-surg where they are needed most without consideration to what actually interests the student. I actually ran into one of the course instructors for mat/child that I took last year at the college this week. I asked her the same question..about limiting scope etc. and she too shared with me her story and the many opportunites her path has offered. I guess I understand the main goal for those student advisors is to fill the demand out there but thank-you guys again for not allowing me to buy completely into supply & demand theory.:)

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Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

I have been a peds RN for over two years now and I would never do adults. Peds is NOT limiting anymore than adults is. I have worked in PICU, floated to NICU and now work in peds psych.

There is such an age range in peds, and u see such a wide variety of conditions. I love it.

And starting off in adults to get your skills down makes no sense at all. Peds and adults are different, their diseases just everything is different.

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