Which department should I work in?

[futurern118]

I'm currently in my freshman year of college, working towards my ADN and then my RN license. My ultimate goal is to graduate college with my MSN and NP license. I originally thought that working in pediatric neurology as a sub-specialty is the route I wanted to go, but now I'm a little turned around. Do nurse practitioners who work in peds neurology generally work in acute care (hospital) settings? Or is it more of an outpatient service? Or even a primary care service? I'd like to work in the hospital if I can. If it's not a hospital-type position, which department in pediatrics (in an acute care setting) would you recommend for a nurse practitioner? I hope this question makes sense. Thank you!

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

Why don't you focus on getting good grades in your pre-reqs & getting accepted into nursing school first. Those are your first hurdles, then you can worry about landing a job later.

ETA: Also you might find during clinicals, what you thought interested you before isn't as cool once you get down & dirty in it.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Depending on the nursing employment market where you live, you may or may not be able to pick and choose your specialty, especially without a BSN degree.

Therefore, the department where you 'should' work is the one where you'll actually find a job and experience. It might not be a specialty you want (e.g. ortho, telemetry, inpatient dialysis, etc), but it will offer valuable experience.

Beggars cannot be choosers in many employment markets in the US. In case you have not heard, there is no nursing shortage. Focusing on one esoteric specialty such as pediatric neurology is not advisable. Spread your eggs into multiple baskets.

Good luck to you.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

In this economy, you take what you can get.

You have at least three years before you can even worry about what kind of specialty you want. Focus on the horse first.