What setting is best for a new nurse grad?

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Apr 17, 2014

The best setting for a new grad is one that understands "transition to practice" and provides the most support. Has nothing to do with the clinical specialty.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Apr 17, 2014

Now it's time to put it all together, practice those skills you were taught. That is why med-surg is a good starting point.

I am concerned for a new grad that describes him/her self as "gentle and kind"...It's brutal out here.

Get some skills and consider hospice care.

Good luck!

TU RN, DNP, CRNA · Apr 17, 2014

Gentle and kind might have been descriptors for myself 10 months ago before I started working as a nurse, and may still be now but to a significantly lesser degree. I believe the more appropriate descriptor now might be jaded.

Caffeine_IV · Apr 17, 2014

I find in nursing we kinda have to be chameleons. Whatever the patient needs at the time is how I approach them. Your patient may need a little humor and another may be no nonsense and just what you to do your job, be polite and get on.

It varies so my point is that you can utilize your gentle and kind personality in any area but you may have to develop other traits as well even in pediatrics.

You may like hospice, home health, oncology who knows.

llg, PhD, RN · Apr 17, 2014

If peds is where your heart is, that's where you should go. To force yourself to work in an area that doesn't appeal to you will only guarantee that you won't like your job -- and that could get your career off to a bad start.

A peds unit with a variety of types of patients will have as many learning opportunities similar to that of an adult med/surg unit. There are a few differences, but the availability for a wide range of learning opportunities is similar. And if you like working with kids, you'll be less likely to hate it.

2 caveats, though.

1. It needs to be a place that regularly hires new grads and knows how to help them transition from student to professional nurse.

2. You need to know that you enjoy working with other people's children and complex family situations. If you haven't even worked with other people's kids (baby-sitting for family members doesn't fully count), then I suggest you get some experience before you decide that peds if for you. (e.g. volunteer work or something)

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2014

and a third caveat:

3. Take whatever job you can get, because you may well not get your dreeeeaaaammmmmm job as a new grad. Most of us are doing something entirely different than we envisioned when we were in school, or even as new grads. Life has a way of working out like that, so keep your mind and your options very open.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2014

Go get a peds job if that's your passion. The first year of nursing is hard enough no matter where you work - at least work in a specialty you like so you don't hate everything about your job.

NOADLS · Apr 17, 2014

Preferably a job where you don't have to do ADL's for the patients.

ORNerd, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2014

Wherever you go, have an open mind. Try and find a place that is supportive of new grads. And realize that you may end up doing something completely different than what you envision yourself doing. I got let go from my first nursing job in the pediatric ICU. I was devastated because I thought that was were I was meant to be. It wasn't, and the experience taught me some valuable lessons: I'm not a peds nurse and I'm not an ICU nurse. It ended up being the greatest thing that could have happened to me. Now I work in orthopedics and I adore it.

Go for peds if that's what you want, but remember that there are many other opportunities out there, too.

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tarotale · Apr 17, 2014

go to where you want to go. I know some people tell new grads to go to MS for basics... unless you are absolutely sure you will like MS, please do yourself a favor and DO NOT go to MS floors. You will hate your job, your life, and get burnt out of nursing very quickly. If I had not listened to people who said go to MS for basics, I would probably be much happier.

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Apr 18, 2014

When I was a new grad, I interviewed for a very promissing position on an 8-bed post-stroke unit, staffed with 2 RNs and a CNA/unit secretary. It seemed like a great place to transition to practice. Unfortunately, I wasn't hired.