Where should I do my last semester transition?

[kkrzewina]

Hello,

I'm currently in my last semester of an ADN program. I am about to choose my location for transition (which is the last clinical rotation which is 96 hours long). The locations I have narrowed it down to include the following:

-PACU

-ER/ED

-Pediatrics

-Surgery-Outpatient Surgery/Recovery Units

The three I'm most interested in are PACU, ER/ED, and Pediatrics. Please give me some information(Pros and Cons) on any of the areas (not just the three I'm looking at most) and what it is like to work there.

Thanks

[utadahikaru]

PACU? are you kidding ? not unless you never want to work as a nurse. You won't learn crap in PACU.

PEDS / ER / SURGERY ? only if you want to work in that field for at least 10 years.

If you don't know where you want to work, go for MEDSURG or ICU, otherwise get into the area that you do want to work in.

In nursing, it's usually not easy to get into a new specialty.

[LTCRN4LIFE]

I agree. Build a foundation. Don't shortchange yourself. After 34 years in Nursing I am looking forward to winding my career down over the next 10. When I look back I am so glad I didn't go in the specialities I thought I wanted. I LOVE children and so wanted to be int he OB or Peds field. Today I am DNS in a SNF Rehab. I chose the Med/Surg to LTC to SNF Rehab road. I have loved this career and am thankful I have experienced most circumstances as a Nurse in this career. I say get that foundation laid first. God Luck to you and enjoy your career.

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

Well, ER is really a different feel. Depending on the types of ERs in your area and how many, you may or may not see a wide variety of patients. I would personally would go for either ER or pediatrics. I did mine in the ICU and I loved it, but I've worked in the ER so the ER became boring. You will get to do more skills in the ER than other places and get the most exposure to different ages. However, it may be too fast paced and you may not get the full process.

Honestly, I don't recommend going ER first as a new grad but precetorship may be fine. I almost but then I realized that people who do that type cast themselves and not necessarily in a good way. The nurses who did that have all said go ICU as your first job or something else and then specialize. It's near impossible to go the other way around. So I am working in the ICU I precepted in.

[RunBabyRN]

If you're not sure where you want to be yet, do med/surg. Hone in those basic skills, and keep the variety in there. Unless you know without a doubt in your mind what area you want to get into (for example, I have known for 10 years I want to be a midwife, and I'm precepting in post partum, since they don't hire new grads in L&D, and the NM in PP loves me), don't choose a specialty for your preceptorship.