Where did you start?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Right out of College. Where did you have your first job? Just to give me some ideas of what I might be able to do down the road. Thanks

Critical care unit and I love it! I had an extensive orientation program specifically designed for new grads. Its been 14 months and I can't see myself doing anything else.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

1st job - OR

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

Another vote for starting in the NICU...

And no plans on ever leaving it!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Pediatrics! loved it!! Have done other specialities but first loves are pedi and OB nursery!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Emergency room.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You can get a job anywhere out of school. I was offered all the positions I interviewed for, as were my classmates. I took a med-surg position that offered all day shifts, a good preceptorship, and low pt:RN ratios (4:1). I'm just finishing up my first year as an RN. This has been an invaluable experience -- I can do fifty million things at once & jump from one crisis to the next, do head-to-toe assessments, and perform well with the technical skills of nursing (IV's, blood draws, NG tubes, wound care, foleys, etc...). I also have a better understanding of how things work in a hospital, ie. the politics, obtaining verbal orders from the docs, when to call a doc (& how), what the various disciplines do, how to admit/discharge pts, documentation, communication (with pts, admin, docs, co-workers), etc...

I'm ready to move on to a different type of nursing, but this year has been an excellent learning experience (though pure frustrating, tears-inducing hell sometimes). I'm glad that I did this one year of med-surg. Often other nurses don't respect you if you omit this experience in your learning (though it's an independent discipline within nursing on its own).

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yep it is an open market right now, there are so many vacancies due to the non-existant nursing shortage that new grads can pick and choose from just about anything they want.

Right out of LVN school I went to work on an Ortho/Nuero floor worked there exactly one year because we were going to relocate, which we did then I worked agency for the next 8 years working where ever I was needed and got CCU experience along the way found my true love. The last 3 years of working agency I worked CCU then I went back and got my ADN and went on staff for the hospital I had been doing agency work for and in fact today is my one year anniversary of my start date. I have gotten all of my required credentials and really enjoy my schedule, 12/hr shifts 36/hr weeks only adding on for OT and Bonus shifts when I feel like it.

Good luck with you choices!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CCU (Coronary Care); Clinical Research.

Right out of school I worked (and two years later am still working) in a Coronary Care Unit--we do both medical and surgical patients...I love it...

I also worked as a research coordinator while I was in school and still do it on the side now...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Glad to hear some still favor new grads starting with some medsurg experience...as IMO it 'cements' your basic skills and knowledge base. I know many new grads who are not as flexible later in their careers because they went immediately into a specialty. Some could never function anywhere else...developed 'tunnel vision' and failed when they tried to move out of the specialty, as the basics were not engrained.

Although some do not feel it is necessary, I think a 1 yr stay on a general medsurg unit is valuable even today. One gets the exposure and finetunes nursing school there.That's where I started and I really don't regret it. I believe what I learned there makes me a better critical care nurse now...and I have an appreciation for what a good medsurg nurse deals with.

Medsurg is where I found myself drawn to the more complex, ill patients, so I decided to move to critical care, and did so when I was ready. Many of my classmates felt drawn to peds, OB, OR in the year on medsurg following graduation...and moved in that direction, and were welcomed in the specialty unit of their choice with that 1 yr medsurg under their belt. Some loved the challenge of medsurg and stayed. :)

Some large facilities train new grads directly into specialty areas but I'm not sure its the smartest move from what I've observed over the years. It is benefitting the facility and their need for warm bodies more than it benefits anyone else, IMO.

JMHO and many here will disagree. Not to say it can't be done in the right situation, the right new grad with a dedicated preceptorship program, but I've also seen the problems.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Labor and delivery. Never worked M/S unless pulled there. Then worked at federal prison, then LTC.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I started in good ol' med-surg, did my time, and then went into an ER/Trauma training program. Didn't regret the skills I learned in med-surg for a minute, use em every day....Ruthie

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Glad to hear some still favor new grads starting with some medsurg experience...as IMO it 'cements' your basic skills and knowledge base. I know many new grads who are not as flexible later in their careers because they went immediately into a specialty. Some could never function anywhere else...developed 'tunnel vision' and failed when they tried to move out of the specialty, as the basics were not engrained.

Although some do not feel it is necessary, I think a 1 yr stay on a general medsurg unit is valuable even today. One gets the exposure and finetunes nursing school there.That's where I started and I really don't regret it. I believe what I learned there makes me a better critical care nurse now...and I have an appreciation for what a good medsurg nurse deals with.

Medsurg is where I found myself drawn to the more complex, ill patients, so I decided to move to critical care, and did so when I was ready. Many of my classmates felt drawn to peds, OB, OR in the year on medsurg following graduation...and moved in that direction, and were welcomed in the specialty unit of their choice with that 1 yr medsurg under their belt. Some loved the challenge of medsurg and stayed. :)

Some large facilities train new grads directly into specialty areas but I'm not sure its the smartest move from what I've observed over the years. It is benefitting the facility and their need for warm bodies more than it benefits anyone else, IMO.

JMHO and many here will disagree. Not to say it can't be done in the right situation, the right new grad with a dedicated preceptorship program, but I've also seen the problems.

I agree with your observations, Mattsmom. I feel bad for some of the new grads we get in the NICU. We need warm bodies in a bad way and although we do offer a rather comprehensive orientation program, these new nurses still need a great deal of support and assistance once this time is over, but - especially on night shift - it is very difficult for us to provide this because staffing is stretched to the limit and we have our own pts to worry about...there's not really enough time to help the grads develop and learn. NICU can be very intense and I've seen all the wonderful excitement and energy the grads bring into the unit get sucked out of them before they complete their first year. It is a shame.

I had two years of experience in the OR when I started in the NICU, so I already had a very thick skin. I credit that for the ability I had to hold my own with my colleagues who, by the nature of ICU nurses, tend to be rather aggressive.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment