Where to start as a graduate nurse?

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Hi, I'm finishing my last semester of ADN school and wondering where would be the best place to start working? My love is L&D, but I wonder if I should work the medical floor for a year or two to get experience first before specializing? Any advice would be great. Thanks!

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

Nah if there's jobs in your area for L & D just go for it.

You will burn out in an area you aren't a fan of. And honestly most specialties teach you the skills you need to work in that area.

That being said, you need to be somewhat confident and comfortable in your skills and dedicate extra time outside of work to succeed in a specialty.

I'm part of the "two years of med surg isn't for everyone" crowd.

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Specializes in NICU, Public Health.

If you can, start in the area you love! I just graduated in December, I spent a year on a med-surg floor as a student nurse and knew it wasn't where I ever wanted to be. Now I'm a graduate nurse in mom/baby and I absolutely love it and know I'll never be anywhere else.

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Thanks, I guess it all depends on whats available to new grads when I graduate. Jobs have been a little scarce around here lately.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Yup. Start where you get an offer. Apply to everything. Very very few people are getting to specialize in their area of choice right now, esp if their area of choice is L&D, peds or NICU.

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