Which one would you pick?

CFitzRN, ADN · Mar 28, 2011

Wow... that's a very personal decision. Potentially you have a great opportunity to learn a ton of stuff in the NICU, but if it truly is too big a bite to take right now, then you might consider the Pediatric Home Health case. You'll be doing stuff like suctioning (I'm guessing the student has a trach and maybe even a vent) mostly, and probably some minor personal hygiene care, etc, but I can almost guarantee it will be a lot less stressful than the NICU job. You do have the responsibility to keep the ped hh client safe and healthy, but if the client is mostly stable it likely would be a fairly low-stress situation. But would you enjoy it? Would it be challenging enough?

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Mar 28, 2011

You are number which means that you have to do what is best for you. If NICU is overwhelming and will stress you out then don't take the position. While NICU will be great clinical experience it is not worth it if you are overwhelmed by it. Perhaps do the school health and maybe later you can try your hand at NICU again if desired. If you take the NICU position now and hate it the other job may not be there once you are ready to take it. Good luck !

Keep us posted.

LittleWing21, RN · Mar 28, 2011

Sorry you're feeling so stressed! Those are two very different jobs! What do you ultimately want to do as a nurse? While the NICU has high acuity and will be faster paced, you'll also be surrounded by people with experience who are there to help you as you learn. I would have LOVED that opportunity myself! Home health can be difficult when you lack experience because you have no one else to really turn to and have to function independently.

Ask yourself: Which job will I be happier doing a year from now? Good luck choosing!

CCL RN, RN · Mar 28, 2011

EVERYONE is stressed out, depressed and overwhelmed at this point in their first year of nursing;that first year sucks big time!

Stick with it unless you feel unsafe. Speak with your manager and see if you can take a lesser acuity team for a while.

And you should schedule yourself a vacation, or weekend in Vegas, I'm way into biannual vacations. And then quarterly mini weekend vacations. We really need it. Nursing is too tough to not treat yourself when you need it.

ijuanabhappy, ASN, RN · Mar 29, 2011

I also worry that the home health case would not be challenging enough. Ideally, I see myself doing public or community health, but don't know how to get into that area at this point. I love to teach, but I'm worried I'm too scattered and anxious to be a good multi-tasker in the NICU setting. I also have OCD and feel like I'm going to drop the ball somewhere. I don't feel like I will ever be fast enough to juggle everything. I like starting IVs and giving injections, but I'm intimidated by all the pumps and ports and lines, and feel like a klutz and slow!, lol!!. Maybe something in an ambulatory surgical setting? I just don't know, but without a lot of experience my options are limited right now.

CFitzRN, ADN · Mar 29, 2011

I also worry that the home health case would not be challenging enough. Ideally, I see myself doing public or community health, but don't know how to get into that area at this point. I love to teach, but I'm worried I'm too scattered and anxious to be a good multi-tasker in the NICU setting. I also have OCD and feel like I'm going to drop the ball somewhere. I don't feel like I will ever be fast enough to juggle everything. I like starting IVs and giving injections, but I'm intimidated by all the pumps and ports and lines, and feel like a klutz and slow!, lol!!. Maybe something in an ambulatory surgical setting? I just don't know, but without a lot of experience my options are limited right now.

Oh my gosh, you are me! Wait... this isn't me, is it? Seriously though, I have every single issue you've described, haha.

ijuanabhappy, ASN, RN · Mar 29, 2011

Oh my gosh, you are me! Wait... this isn't me, is it? Seriously though, I have every single issue you've described, haha.

What area of nursing do you work in now, and do you enjoy it?

Blackheartednurse · Mar 29, 2011

I woudnt do NICU or ICU as a new grad (although I'm sure that some new grads feel they can handle it). The thought of caring for critically ill infants right after school would be too scary!! I started my first position on telemetry floor (with open heart surgeries). I had no previous experience at all in the hospital, big mistake. I was paired up with a nasty preceptor and eventually let go. Then I found a job in a home health settings,I do intermittent visits and feel so much relaxed and I'm learning a lot, my confidence grew bigger and I'm not so afraid of hospital setting anymore, although I'm not to eager to go back to hospital.

ijuanabhappy, ASN, RN · Mar 29, 2011

I woudnt do NICU or ICU as a new grad (although I'm sure that some new grads feel they can handle it). The thought of caring for critically ill infants right after school would be too scary!! I started my first position on telemetry floor (with open heart surgeries). I had no previous experience at all in the hospital, big mistake. I was paired up with a nasty preceptor and eventually let go. Then I found a job in a home health settings,I do intermittent visits and feel so much relaxed and I'm learning a lot, my confidence grew bigger and I'm not so afraid of hospital setting anymore, although I'm not to eager to go back to hospital.

I'm wondering which one would offer more experience and look better on a resume if I wanted to get into something else down the road. I heard that although NICU is great experience, you are pretty much limited to working in the NICU forever. I'm just worried that this home health assignment won't offer that much in the way of experience, but I am sure it would be a lot less stress which is very appealing to me.

Blackheartednurse · Mar 29, 2011

I'm wondering which one would offer more experience and look better on a resume if I wanted to get into something else down the road. I heard that although NICU is great experience, you are pretty much limited to working in the NICU forever. I'm just worried that this home health assignment won't offer that much in the way of experience, but I am sure it would be a lot less stress which is very appealing to me.

Hmmm NICU you will give you great technical skills on the other hand home health will give you great assessment and teaching skills, it is a very independent job, slightly different charting. You will have time to learn about different disease processes and connect all signs and symptoms together, know what kind of questions to ask to determine an improvement or regression of the disease. I used to believe that technical skills were much more imporant than assessment/observation skills. Boy I was wrong anyone can learn skills but it takes some real effort, hard work and devotion see the whole picture and that what makes a good nurse see the whole picture.

CFitzRN, ADN · Mar 29, 2011

What area of nursing do you work in now, and do you enjoy it?

I miraculously landed a job as a Field Nurse Supervisor for a Home Health Agency. I do a lot of case-management and supervise all of our CNAs in the field. I do lots of supervisory visits which entail going to the client's home and making sure all is well, and supervising the CNA. I do openings which include head-to-toe assessments of the client and a ton of paperwork to make the chart. I am a liaison between social workers and clients. I do orientations and competencies of CNAs. HOWEVER, home care is full of surprises and today I hung an IV antibiotic on one of our skilled-nursing clients who had an LPN working the shift (LPNs are not allowed to hang IV antibiotics in home care in this state) and I covered 2 hours of that shift as the nurse had to leave early. I do a lot of stuff. Do I enjoy it? Some days. But I am constantly plagued by the knowledge that I am really not getting clinical experience in this job...