What are some nursing careers that are great for a first year RN?

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I am a Pre-Nursing student who has already applied to nursing school (just waiting for acceptance or rejection) and I was wondering what are some nursing careers that would be great for a first time RN. I have been reading some some stories about nurses who are overwhelmed with how quickly they have been thrown on to the floor and seen some gross sites and either passed out or threw up. Is there some nursing specialties that have less disgusting things to look at so that I can work my way up to the disgusting stuff? I don't have a problem with blood or anything because I suffered from Sickle Cell Disease and was always in need of blood transfusions and getting needles poked into my skin so i can tolerate needles and things like that but I fear that i may pass out at the sight of something extremely disgusting. I have also shadowed an RT and watched a patient be suctioned and had no problem then. Any advice???? Some may say that nursing may not be the career for me but i believe in my heart that it is what i want to do and if i have to look at disgusting stuff all day to get used to it i will, i just want to know if i can start somewhere small and work my way up. Thank you in advance.

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I would suggest working wherever you can get a job and don't feel your license is in danger.

Seriously. I don't know of many new grads who can afford to be picky in this market.

As far as "working your way up" to the gross stuff and busyness? Don't kid yourself. Vomit and poo will still be gross and your schedule will still be hectic no matter if/when you decide to switch to a busier/less glamorous environment. In my opinion, "working your way up" is an even worse idea than just jumping in because chances are, by the time you reach the floor:

1. You have forgotten important skills that you started to learn in school and will feel even more overwhelmed than you would have as a new grad, because you'll be a nurse with some experience and expected to fly on your own. You'd have the "new grad" thing to lean on if you went in immediately following school.

2. You have gotten used to an easier workflow and will feel even more overwhelmed in an inpatient floor environment.

People graduate and work intense floors fresh out of school more often than you'd think. I worked oncology as a new grad myself. It isn't easy, but your first year shouldn't be easy. There is a lot to learn, and if you don't feel overwhelmed, you're either not learning it or too disinterested to care. Either way, you're in for some trouble.

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Well as a pre nursing student I don't really know much about the "real" world of nursing I just know the basics and wanted advice from someone whose been there and may have been thinking the same things I have. I know I'm going to be lost my first year but I don't want to be completely lost to the point where I'm standing in the middle of the floor like a scared puppy but I digress

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Well, I've been there. And you've got my advice, so there you go.

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What do you find disgusting

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brithoover I haven't found anything disgusting yet but I've seen a lot of stories about the disgusting adventures of nurses I was just curious as to what I could do to possibly avoid fainting and wanting to vomit as much as possible

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I have never heard of nurses vomiting. If you find something that grosses you out you will learn your way around it (gross smells wear a mask with Chapstick on the inside). As far as fainting it almost happened to me in the OR. Not because I was grossed out but because I can only wear a mask for so long. I learned is needed to be careful when wearing a mask

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Where you can get a job.

Strive for a job in acute care but not the whiny "Well that 's interesting but I really really want to be a X nurse when I graduate" attitude. You don't have that luxury

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Specializes in Medical Surgical/Addiction/Mental Health.

I concur with everyone’s response. You will need to develop nursing skills before pursuing other non-clinical opportunities. Take a moment and search for nursing positions in your area on Careerbuilder and the local hospital’s website. Any floor nursing job will require you to “get dirty.” When you begin your search, notice the requirements of the positions. Most will require some experience. So, when the others say take the first job offer, it’s a good idea. Where I am, the three major hospitals systems have laid nurses off. These same experienced nurses are competing for open positions. New grads are also competing for the open positions. Do you see where I am going? I am not trying to discourage you from going into nursing, but that is the current reality.

Good luck!

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Thank you everyone for your response. I understand now

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haa...I guess the best place would be the worst or busiest. :) from the comments...Better to get used to everything because you will be dealing with everything. lol

I would think "any" job would be the "perfect" job.

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I don't know how other hospitals work but at the one I volunteer at (and will eventually doing clinicals and probably work at when I graduate) they start all new nurses at med/surg. After a year in med/surg (it's really kind of the catchall there, basically any patient staying overnight that isn't ICU or in labor so it's not like, actually in surgery it's more recovery than anything) you can do whatever you want, but you start there. Honestly I don't think I'll like med/surg all that much but after that first year is up I'll be able to move into something I'll like better, hopefully the nursery where I'm volunteering now.

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