1yr as an Nurse......advice please?

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Hello all, I'm a 22 year old male LPN I'm coming up on my first full year of being a nurse this march...... I am currently in school for my RN graduating July 2014.....I work in a LTC on days we have three floors that I float between a sub acute, LTC floor, and an Alzheimer's/Dementia floor Simply stated I want more experience in different areas or to simply get my feet wet in other areas I'm interested in working ER/ICU as an RN but I want to see more things....... I was thinking maybe I could do a short Dialysis tech class and get some experience that route or maybe home health?......idk I just want to experience more so I'm better prepared when I get my RN Any advice on which way I should go? Advice on career growth basically

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I don't think a dialysis class is really going to help you unless you are planning on being a dialysis nurse. You probably aren't going to see much more in home health than you are now in your LTC. If you really want exposure to lots of different areas you need to get your foot into a hospital. You might also try an urgent care center. It may help you if you get your ACLS but no guarantees. Good luck!

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Ian a former dialysis nurse. Dialysis is fascinating. The patients have a lot going on and a lot of comorbities. The techs do an amazing job and learn a lot. However, this is a very specialized job. It would be helpful if you plan to work in dialysis, but not really for anywhere else. You would not need to take a tech course, the 2 big dialysis companies offer paid training. Where I worked, there was a lot more male dialysis nurses than female, not sure why that is, but just an observation. I enjoyed dialysis, you get to know your patients, you know there normals. It is organized chaos, it seems to go well with people who have type a personalities. You spend all day on your feet and work long hours, but most nursing jobs seem to be that way. Does your rn program offer a preceptorship? Can you ask for icu or er to see if you like it and make some connections? Network network network. Otherwise, it might be worth asking to shadow in these areas. See what it is like and network! Good luck in whatever you choose!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

See if you can move on to an LTAC job. These provide a great transition environment. You'll have the opportunity to work with high-acuity patients, including vents and such - but less chaotic than acute care due to slower patient turnover.

Best wishes on your - soon to be completed - RN education.

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

Does your work place have a vent unit? If not then search out one that has a vent unit. If you want ICU this is a great place to work and it also gives you a leg up toward an ICU career. Not sure if you are allowed to work as a tech in the ER, but you can also try that.

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