What was your first job as a new graduate?

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What was your first job as a new grad ? And where are you now in your nursing career ?

Specializes in Emergency Room, CEN, TCRN.

Cardiac pcu

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Specializes in CCRN, Geriatrics.
11 hours ago, Leader25 said:

It was a long time ago,was promised day shift in large nicu and several weeks orientation, then they said oops it is only for night shift but orientation on days,....

well everyday I was placed in adult floors,nuero,orthopedic, even isolation for a contagious illness,also left alone with patient with neck iv empty bag,left alone with immobile neuro to do lifting etc alone.....never saw a nicu....needless to say I did not stay.

Oh no sadly enough this still happens today at some places.

7 hours ago, gere7404 said:

Cardiac pcu

I shadowed a step-down cardiac floor for 4 weeks in school. I loved it i wish i could have stayed.

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Specializes in PACU, Stepdown, Trauma.

I started on a cardiac/surgical/neuro progressive care unit and am still there a few years later. Lots of variety - trauma patients, neuro, post-ops, etc. Never the same patient population from day to day.

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I did med/surg for 2.5 years then went to ER/Trauma for 15 years. I went to Telephone triage at home then the Internal Medicine Clinics for a total of 5 years. Now I am on disability for life because of multiple medical problems.

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

My very first nursing job was in a small LTC where I did my clinicals and fell in love with the place. It didn't take me long to realize that this was NOT my dream job; in fact, it was a nightmare. We only had 2 CNAs for 30 skilled residents on day shift and had several dementia patients who liked to escape out the (unlocked) doors and were always chasing them down. The only way we could stay in compliance with staffing ratios was me having to take eight residents myself, meaning I had to get them up and dressed, toileted, and ready for breakfast. That's not easy when you've got med passes, MD calls, new orders, families, treatments, and an administrator who demanded I do something about a betadine stain in the bottom drawer of an empty room. Now. As I'm chasing a wanderer away from the entrance and trying to finish my med pass. Yup. I lasted three and a half months.

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Started out as an LVN - worked at a Correctional Facility for 6 months right out of LVN school.

First job as an RN - in a hospital, Pediatric Med-Surg.

Now I work as an Elementary school nurse - Best job ever!

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Started as an ASN in ED, 2 years, hated it; 10 years ICU loved it; 5 years med/surg, it was ok; 4 years LTC, loved it; all those years, did home health and hospice prn, loved it; dialysis now, almost 2 years, love it; got my BSN and MSN along the way

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Very first job was a M-F 9-5 wellness RN position in a long term care facility on the memory care unit. Had no idea what I was in for as state came 2 weeks after I started. Lasted 89 days. The place has so many citations currently and will probably be closed down. ? I did home health after that which was interesting but pay was poor. And did mental health/psych with geriatric and forensics patients. I liked it a lot but got burnt out on nights and with young children at home. Currently I do triage for a local urgent care. I don’t mind it bc I get a variety of patient calls. Might transition into case management or go back to psych in the near future.

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Specializes in Pschiatry.

Hospital Skilled Unit. Loved the job, great place for a brand new nurse to start as you get to see a huge variety of things. However, I lasted only 5 months because of bullying. 1.5 years in psych, my chosen specialty but a new clinical manager killed that. Currently MedRehab, which I like a lot but since I'm older and it involves a lot of lifting don't know how long I'll be able to do it.

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I’m starting a new grad position in the ED at the end of the month! I’m sure I will learn a ton there.

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Specializes in CCRN, Geriatrics.
2 hours ago, Cindyel said:

I’m starting a new grad position in the ED at the end of the month! I’m sure I will learn a ton there.

Thats great ! Take advance of the opportunity i am in NJ here the hospitals are so hard to get into.

3 hours ago, futurepsychrn said:

Hospital Skilled Unit. Loved the job, great place for a brand new nurse to start as you get to see a huge variety of things. However, I lasted only 5 months because of bullying. 1.5 years in psych, my chosen specialty but a new clinical manager killed that. Currently MedRehab, which I like a lot but since I'm older and it involves a lot of lifting don't know how long I'll be able to do it.

I currently work in a hospital skilled unit. I witness a ton of bullying myself.

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Specializes in M/S.

I ended up getting a job in a skilled nursing facility aka rehab. my assignment was always 10+ patients with lots of dressings, wound vac changes, TPN, tube feeds, abx, pain management, transfers etc (I’m exhausted just writing that). . Within 9 months of rigorous hunting I got a residency position in medsurg (not my favorite but it prepared me so I’m grateful).

My dream is to be an OR or ICU God one day. Itching to working my way up the ladder soon.

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