Would adult med-surg help me at all?

[LM NY]

Hey AN! This will be my first post in the pediatric specialty area and let me first say I LOVE YOU ALL. I knew from the moment I stepped foot in my peds clinical that I wanted to be a peds nurse. To be quite honest, I have the same love for NICU as well. I am a brand new nurse and had the opportunity to start with peds, but it would have been a night shift. I am a single mother of three and I know the night shift would have taken a huge toll on me. I have a good relationship with the nurse manager and director of the pediatric department. I was told as soon as the first day nurse leaves, that I will have her spot. Well, I met both of the nurses who will be retiring. One is leaving the end of 2016 and the other I believe the same or beginning of 2017. Anyway, I started on days on an adult medical unit. By the time the first peds nurse retires, I would have at least one year of adult medical experience. Will that experience do me any good at all in peds or will it be completely useless? Thanks!

I can't wait to be a new peds nurse and posting on this forum :)

[C-lion]

I started out on a busy m/s floor for about 9 months before moving to peds and feel like I learned a LOT that I may not have learned here. Even though I disliked my first job I think it made me a much better peds nurse.

[~PedsRN~, BSN, RN]

Oh yes, it will help you for sure! Any kinds of hands on patient care is going to beneficial :) Pediatrics is it's own specialty, and you'll get a good orientation when you transfer... in the meantime, you'll be getting that nursing confidence built up!

Good luck!

[awsumsaus]

This is great, as a student nurse I am really attracted to peds/labor and delivery. My OB professor has been in the field for 30+ years and stated she didn't start in med/surg, but I met an OR nurse who was really struggling because she hopped right into the OR.

Just gonna follow this board.....