Starting off as a New Grad in the NICU--bad idea?

[iDeftones]

Hi, and thanks in advance for taking the time to read my post and offer your advice/opinions.

I'll be graduating this January (Diploma), and as my mother is also an RN, I have been given what I consider somewhat of a golden opportunity for... being her daughter, I guess.

I've been offered a job in a level III NICU, which would include cross training in the Nursery, and Post Partum should I so decide. However, I'm concerned that if I take a job in an area so specialized, I won't be marketable in other areas if I decide to change my career and...do OR, for example. Coming from a school whose clinical experience heavily focuses on Med-Surg (at least 6 weeks per semester--usually more) I've been trained to feel it's necessary to have that sort of experience under my belt to be considered valuable. Is that really true?

I don't want to be a Med-Surg nurse, ever.

Eventually, I'd like to move into research nursing, and possibly Nurse Education (I think, anyway).

Anyway, the point of this post is... There are just sooo many paths in Nursing that I'm overwhelmed and don't know where to begin, and am afraid that if I go into the NICU, I'll be stuck there forever. Of course, once I get there I may like that idea! LOL

Your thoughts?

[littleneoRN]

And just to warn you, in my 5 years of working NICU, I've seen maybe 3 NICU nurses leave for another department, and 2 of them came back to NICU. This is out of hundreds of NICU RNs I've worked with over the years. You probably won't want to leave. Ever. :)

Agreed with Steve. The nurses who have left my units have....retired...gone to grad school...or moved due to spouses' jobs. I can think of just two people who have left for other units voluntarily, and of them...only one was due to actual interest in another specialty. The other wanted a better schedule. People who like NICU generally love it and stick with it. :)

[ChloBear]

If you don't want the job can I please have it?? I'm admittedly biased because NICU is absolutely where I want to be, but I don't think you will regret starting in a NICU. Everyone I know who works in one says they would never do anything else. It's fascinating and the patients are sweet little fighters. Not to mention, you will save your back by working with such tiny patients. Added bonus. If you decided to switch areas, there would definitely be somewhat of a learning curve, just because you would have to get used to a new set of vitals, lab values, etc. You may not want to leave though.