Starting ICU tomorrow but Really Wanted Nursery. Should I tell my manager?

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New grad here. Just found out I passed NCLEX a couple of days ago. Before graduating, I applied to the small hospital in my rural area and was offered two positions (one ICU and one nursery). I really wanted the nursery position BUT since I will eventually end up in psych, I thought that maybe ICU would be a better fit since I will have alot of clinical experience afterwards. Now it's 4 hours before I start my first orientation shift and I'm sort of regretting it. Should I tell my manager? The Labor and Delivery position is still open and before I waste their resources, I would like to tell someone. But I'm scared of what they will think of me. Another reason why I decided to go the ICU route was because the human resources manager said the census would sometimes be low for nursery. Please help. ?

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

You are a newbie. Most of us wind up in specialties we didn't pick as students. You never know where life will take you. ICU will open up more opportunities to you than NICU, including a position in NICU down the line.

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Specializes in ER.

I was interested in hospice in school. I started out in LTC, and have worked MedSurg, Tele, ICU, and finally settled into ER for the latter part of my career.

I agree, NICU is more limiting.

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Specializes in Frontline stuff.

Agree, you will have endless opportunities after you get a few years of experience in the ICU! And you were lucky to get hired there!

I started in ICU, went to PICU & Pediatrics 5 years later, and 5 years after that am heading to the ED next month, and also will be filling in as house sup.

After you work in ICU in a few years, people give you this treatment of, "oh you're an ICU nurse? Then you can do anything." And it will be true to a great extent. Just know you will work HARD for that respect you will receive down the line. Harder than you can imagine. And it will be downright frightening at times. Of course, with babies and kids, it can be scary too. Five years later (and 10 years of being a nurse), they still scare me sometimes.

Also, with regard to how people will eventually respect you, stay humble.

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You made a commitment, honor your word. Highly doubtful that the powers that be would be accommodating.

Starting out in ICU is challenging, but the experience is worth.

Best wishes for your orientation, let us know how it's going.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

It doesn't really matter where you start your first nursing job as long as the manager is willing to work with you and you have a supportive learning environment. Personally, I think ICU would open up way more doors, but then I am probably biased after 36 years in ICU.

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No. Zip it and get some experience.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Let's put this in another perspective.

I want to date a chick named Lisa. Lisa (aka ICU) has a good friend, whose name is Ramona (aka Nursery). I kinda want to date her too. Both Lisa and Ramona are considered pretty attractive to a lot of people, but for different reasons. I recognize they are both attractive, but am actually intending somewhere down the line to get with an entirely different girl, whose name is Patricia (aka psych). But these two are in my town, Lisa and Ramona and they are decent chicks and I think I would like to date one of them. Get some experience.

I asked out both Lisa and Ramona. They live close to me. They look good. I need to date around a bit before I find Patricia and settle down. Find out what this world of women is all about, maybe learn a few things. I'm not committed to marrying either of them, but am excited to have the chance to date one of them. I have worked very hard to be ready to date! I asked both and Lisa accepted me! We are going out in four hours.... Except now....I am thinking maybe I should tell Lisa I would rather be with Ramona. In case she will take me to Ramona, tell her that and Ramona will say "Oh!! Okay!!". Or so that Lisa will know right from the get-go that I am not really serious about her. Though I am not really serious about Ramona either, because ultimately I think I might want Patricia, who lives in a different town or already has a significant other, so no openings.

Get my point? You think Lisa is going to be thrilled knowing you wasted her time and take you to Ramona? You think Ramona is going to be thrilled and welcome you with open arms? Because people are people my friend. Nobody wants to be second choice, let alone third.

You have no idea if Lisa, Ramona or Patricia are going to be a match. So just go in with your eyes open, enjoy the experience and realize there is a chance you will fall in love with Lisa. Or you may indeed wind up dating Ramona. Heck. You may even end up with wild old Patricia over there. Or none of these, because life is like that. You may find yourself with some exotic new love you don't even know about right now, because you are new to dating and don't even know what all is out there. So no. Don't tell the ICU you would really rather be in the nursery. Ultimately you will miss out on both jobs and have to start over finding someone willing to date you.

Congratulations on your new job.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
8 hours ago, not.done.yet said:

Let's put this in another perspective.

I want to date a chick named Lisa. Lisa (aka ICU) has a good friend, whose name is Ramona (aka Nursery). I kinda want to date her too. Both Lisa and Ramona are considered pretty attractive to a lot of people, but for different reasons. I recognize they are both attractive, but am actually intending somewhere down the line to get with an entirely different girl, whose name is Patricia (aka psych). But these two are in my town, Lisa and Ramona, are decent chicks and I think I would like to date one of them. Get some experience.

I asked out both Lisa and Ramona. They live close to me. They look good. I need to date around a bit before I find Patricia and settle down. Find out what this world of women is all about, maybe learn a few things. I'm not committed to marrying either of them, but am excited to have the chance to date one of them. I have worked very hard to be ready to date! I asked both and Lisa accepted me! We are going out in four hours.... Except now....I am thinking maybe I should tell Lisa I would rather be with Ramona. In case she will take me to Ramona, tell her that and Ramona will say "Oh!! Okay!!". Or so that Lisa will know right from the get-go that I am not really serious about her. Though I am not really serious about Ramona either, because ultimately I think I might want Patricia, who lives in a different town or already has a significant other, so no openings.

Get my point? You think Lisa is going to be thrilled knowing you wasted her time and take you to Ramona? You think Ramona is going to be thrilled and welcome you with open arms? Because people are people my friend. Nobody wants to be second choice, let alone third.

You have no idea if Lisa, Ramona or Patricia are going to be a match. So just go in with your eyes open, enjoy the experience and realize there is a chance you will fall in love with Lisa. Or you may indeed wind up dating Ramona. Heck. You may even end up with wild old Patricia over there. Or none of these, because life is like that. You may find yourself with some exotic new love you don't even know about right now, because you are new to dating and don't even know what all is out there. So no. Don't tell the ICU you would really rather be in the nursery. Ultimately you will miss out on both jobs and have to start over finding someone willing to date you.

Congratulations on your new job.

Unique answer, but it makes total sense.

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Specializes in Frontline stuff.

not.done.yet

Amazing & hilarious (and at least partially accurate) metaphor for an answer! Love it!

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do ICU, makes easier to get diff jobs in future. nursery nurses are so specialized a lot of other specs do not want them if thats only what you have for experience

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