Will SEnior Preceptorship in Clinic Cost me a Chance at ICU ?

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Nurse Beth,

I'm a nursing student. I have one semester left. I just found out my preceptorship is at a urology clinic. All of the other students get to be in the hospital setting. My goal is to be an ER or ICU nurse. My question is: Do employers hire you (or not) based on where you had your preceptorship? I don't want this to get in the way of me being able to have the job I want. Thank you.

Dear Nursing Student,

Congrats on being close to graduation!

You can't really generalize because every employer is different. While a preceptorship in ICU or ED is a good thing, not having one is not necessarily a bad thing.

Preceptorship or not, employers of new grads see them pretty much as equal in terms of nursing experience (none) and qualifications (passed NCLEX with BSN or passed NCLEX with ADN).

Make the most of your resume and prepare for interviews. Good luck :)

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

Author, "Your Last Nursing Class: How to Land Your First Nursing Job"...and your next!