When to Specialize? 2yrs. med/surg 1st? Advice?

[jetson]

hi there. I'll be graduating in five months as an RN. It seems the consistent advice I get from those who should know indicate that a couple years of solid Med/Surg upon graduation are in order...Is this the case? Was this your experience?

Have also seen on these boards that new grads are specializing with their first job out of school - ICU, ER, and so on. While I have some general ideas about where I might like to end up (ICU and ER on the top of that list) I am unsure about how to proceed.

Just started my first nursing job as an LPN in LTC. It should serve to help me get my feet wet but that may be about all...

Would greatly appreciate any insight or personal experiences along these lines.

Thanks, J.

[HealthyRN]

You do not need two years of med/surg! You should not work in an area in which you have no interest. It would only be setting yourself up for failure. New grads are hired into specialty areas and if that is what you want, go for it! You will already be gaining some basic nursing skills with your LPN job.

[llg, PhD, RN]

If you know what area you want to specialize in, interview with the managers of those units and ask their advice. In many hospitals, the specialty areas are quite prepared to hire new grads and have orientation programs designed to meet their needs. In other hospitals, some of the specialty units rarely hire new grads and don't have much experience orienting them to their unit.

It may also depend upon your previous experience and level of maturity as a nurse. Some specialized units may hire new grads -- but prefer to hire new grads with experience as nursing assitants or who have done senior-year preceptorships in a related unit. Other specialized units may be more prepared to hire the new grads whose experience is limited to only the brief, standard school experiences.

Let that type of specific, local information be your guide. It will vary from place to place and from individual situation to situation.

[abundantjoy07, RN]

Go where your heart is or you might regret it later.:)

[MrsMommaRN]

you have to go where you feel comfortable. i was offered a position on cardiac step down unit as a new grad and i turned it down. i accepted a position instead on an orthopaedic unit. i have background in orthopaedics felt it would be a good place to start. it has been so far.

in the future i would love to work peds oncology. your lpn experience will be a great help to you as well.

med/surg is a great place to start because you see a little bit of everything but if you hate it why go there. some places have the philosophy that it is a must for a new nurse to have at least one year on med/surg before moving to another unit.

best of luck!

[RNDude]

i recently faced the same dilemma. many people advised me to get the med/surg experience first. as i investigated the new grad programs, though, i found out that some of the hospitals that are willing to train new grads for specialty units have very elaborate training programs for them. med/surg nurses who transfer into those units are not eligible for these training programs under the assumption that it's not necessary for them, and get a much shorter orientation.

in the panel interview for the icu i ended up accepting the offer for, i asked the panel what they thought of their own new grads versus the nurses that transferred onto the unit. one memorable comment was that the new grads don't come in with bad habits that may work for them in other units only; they are able to mold new grads properly without making them unlearn things.

i would strongly second llg's suggestion that you do a preceptorship in at least one of the areas you are considering. not only will it make you a much stronger candidate for hire onto that type of unit, but it will help you decide with your eyes open if that is really the learning environment in which you want start off.

[bronween]

Hey there and congrats on almost graduating! You're so close!

I chose a specialty Oncology program as opposed to a general rotational program around my hospital. I did this because i knew the area, the staff and that this was the area i wanted to go in. Rotational programs are great for a general introduction, or if you're not sure which direction you want to head in yet. If you already know what you want, then don't settle for areas you don't want to be in!

have a great time!

[jetson]

thanks to all for their input on this thread. it has broadened my thinking and presented options I didn't know existed.

would still appreciate additional insights/advice -- ty!

[NeosynephRN]

Personally I think Med/Surg is a specialty...it definately takes a special kind of nurse to take care of 8+ patients, who are all sick and needing them...YIKES!! I am a new grad and I started out in ICU, have not regretted one minute. I think that every area is a specialty, so pick the ones that you like the most and go for it!!!