Where do I start? Please help!!!

[faithrn2002]

I have been out of nursing school 2 years now ( I can't believe it has been that long) and I have yet to find a "home" (speciality) in nursing. . .I feel SO LOST!!!! I envy my friends that knew exactly what area of speciality they wanted to go in right out of school. . . . .here I am 2 years later don't have a clue . . .

I know I don't want ER, OR, or med/surg,

This is what I have done for 2 years

1. Med/Surg/Oncology floor 8 months. . right after school. . . ..I know I don't want to do that the rest of my career. . .but very good knowlegde experience

2. Community public health nurse. . .nice cush job!!!!! No real patient care. . .alot of education and teaching to pt,. . .at least where I worked. We moved so I had to quit. (military)

Home health. . .(to many miles to travel from pt to pt)

3. Outpatient Surgery center. . . . .liked that but huge turnover in mangement. . . .so I didn't stay. . .

4. Now I am at a doctors office. . .which I really enjoy. . alot of patient interaction. I give injections, triage pt, draw blood, assist md, . . . . . but I want to also do PT at a hospital so I don't loss my hosptial skills. . . .the few I have anyway.

So there you have it. . . .that has been my 2 years. . . . . .

The reason I am considering ICU or SICU is I really want to focus on patient care. . . . .the biggest reason for hating floor med surg was the number of pts. . . . . .not the work!!!!!! I want to grow. . . .I want to be knowledgeable. . .I WANT TO SPECIALIZE. I want to be good in one area.

I have no idea whether to start in ICU, CCU, SICU, MICU. CVICU.

Around where I live the hospitals do not have shadow programs. . .I would be more than happy to spend time in any one of these units to see what really goes on. . . .

So if you had to pick for me what would you choose. . .

Sorry this is so long. . . . . .I just am really fustrated and need help.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[webbiedebbie]

Have you spoken with the recruiters at the hospitals near you? They might have an idea where you would be comfortable. Some hospitals have shortages on units and are willing to train. Or, you could maybe do some prn work at the hospitals to keep your skills. I work with float pool people who only have to work a minimum of 2 shifts per week and they make almost double what I make.

Good luck!

[renerian, BSN, RN]

How about training in ICU float? Lot of variety.

renerian

[faithrn2002]

thanks for the posts!!!

[koda]

I also was unsure of where my "specialty" was going to be when I graduated. I have been a nurse now for 7 years and love it. I started out med surg and wanted to challenge myself as I wasn't sure I would really recognize a person in trouble and wanted to learn so I transferred to a generalized ICU. This small unit did it all, a little neuro, cardiac, medicine, surgical. Over the the coorifice of time I began to gravitate to one area I found I really liked. for me it was Cardiac. So I began to take the cardiac patients that would come in and then I was given an opportunity to work with CHF pt in their home through a disease management program and learned by leaps and bounds, then I went back to a hospital setting after the program shut down and went into open heart recovery. I love it. some love neuro, some medicine and some surgical trauma. During some days off time I worked prn in an ER and loved that as well. So my advice is to go to a general ICU and experience it all and you will begin to see the area you enjoy more than any other. If full time in an ICU is not an option I would look at the prn option. You will find you niche. goood luck.

sailing girl KODA