Which specialty would I expect to be hired in as a new grad?

suzanne4, RN · May 5, 2006

I would worry about getting thru nursing school first, especially since you have not started yet. There are jobs available in every area of nursing. You will find your area, and know it. Way too early now.

manofbess · May 5, 2006

Thanks for the reply. I tend to think wayyyyyyyyyyy into the future (I thought that was something that only kids do, but I am still more worried about 10 years down the road than tomorrow!)...you do have a point. I guess time does allow one to know what's right for him. Thanks!

Daytonite, BSN, RN · May 6, 2006

hey, teach! you sound like a really positive and upbeat person. that kind of attitude will serve you well in nursing. i've been a nurse for 30 years. let me reassure you that if i were constantly treated as badly as some of the things i've seen posted i'd have left nursing long ago. the fact is that i did have a couple of bad experiences, but i dealt with them and most of my career has been absolutely terrific.

keep in mind that people here are anonymous. my many years in the working world has taught me that no matter how positive i am many workers are not. many people see the negative side of things first and i think that is reflected in the forums. you don't see as many positive, happy threads compared to ones where people are offering up complaints. one of the things that knocked my socks off when i got my first supervision job was the negative attitudes of the people i was supervising. that was a pretty constant thing in all the supervision and management jobs i've held as well. don't let all the nay saying get you down. a lot of it is just frustration because people don't have enough knowledge to know how to deal with the situations they find themselves in, are stalled as to what and how to get it, or they are just negative people who are actually happy wallowing in their misery. negativity holds people back from learning and advancing. when someone becomes stalled in one place, their world becomes very bleak.

generally, in most hospitals there are personnel policies that only allow employees to transfer from one nursing unit to another only after working for 6 months on a unit. i worked with nurses who have worked for a number of years within the same hospital, but on several different units over the years. this is one of the nice things about nursing. when you get bored or interested in another area of nursing it's fairly easy to make a change. as a new grad you can be hired to work on just about any unit of a hospital or in other types of healthcare facilities. with your background in education and a couple of years of experience in a hospital you would easily be able to teach in a vocational nursing program if you get a bsn.

if you haven't checked these sites out yet, have fun reading the information about nursing on them. there is a tremendous nursing shortage that is expected to continue, particularly as my baby boomer generation starts retiring. there are not enough nursing instructors to educate all the people who do want to become nurses (hint, hint) which is one of the reasons for the shortage (and us baby boomers hitting the health care system as well)

http://www.discovernursing.com/

http://www.nsna.org/career/is_nursing_for_you2.pdf

http://www.nursingsociety.org/career/cmap.html

wonderbee, BSN, RN · May 7, 2006

It is said that people perish for lack of vision. If you want something, see it in your mind. To see it, ya gotta know about it. It's healthy to have dreams based on rational expectation. However, what Suzanne says is true. Part of nursing school is learning about the career opportunities and possibly finding a comfortable fit. Many of us choose a path because we know what we do not want vs what we do want. However, you will not experience every aspect of bedside nursing in nursing school. OR, PACU, same day surgery centers, the myriad of critical care units, ED... there are so many from which to choose... these options are on the table but there isn't enough time in school to get exposure to them all.

Unfortunately it's been my experience (very recent grad myself and second professional career) that more experienced nurses can and do bite. I've never seen anything quite like it. But these very same nurses will also be by your side when the learning curve is feeling like it's just a bit too steep at the moment. There are also kind hearted ones who would never have an untoward word, who build you up. It takes all kinds I guess for a well balanced team in a shared experience that seems akin to being in battle. I have a love/hate relationship with the career because I'm a first year nurse. It's common.

In the meantime, research research research. Ask the questions and continue to dream.

cassilee30 · May 8, 2006

Generally, how long would you have to work in one specialty before being able to transfer to something a little better? Thanks to anyone who can give any input. Have a good weekend!

Hi, I graduate in 11 days and I was hired directly into the ICU. I get a 6 month training period where I work one on one with another nurse, along with some further computer/classroom training. I'm very excited. :balloons:

Good luck in nursing school.

Cassi