First year on floor

[BamaRN]

I am in school currently and was wondering what is the standard for where a nurse fresh out of school begins? I want to eventually work in pediatrics or oncology (or both) and know that most must spend a year or so doing med/surg floating. Is this about right? How easy is it to get opportunities beyond med/surg after the first year? I mean, it seems that one may be reluctant to hire a new nurse for surgery or oncology if they have little or no experience in that area. Thanks guys!

A good foundation to a nursing career is like a good foundation to a house. Get your year of med/surg you will never regret it.


WR,,, three commas for Becca

[All41]

While I totally agree with WindingRoad, I need to say that nursing is becoming exceptionally specialized. If you plan to pick pediatrics as a lifetime career, I don't think you would be hurting yourself if you went directly into Peds. Just remember that although nursing is becoming specialized, it is always good to have a backup. Create the opportunity to cross-train and it will serve you well down the road. Best of Luck to You!

My thoughts on a Med/Surg background were that it would give a newbie a chance to learn time management, how nurses think no matter who they are caring for etc.. I think with a year of experience it would make a nurse shine in the field they really want to be in..

Just my two cents.. I know many hospitals are taking new grads into ICU's.. And I had to think about that..Their reasoning is that they don't have to untrain the nurse from the ways they worked on a Med/Surg unit..They can get the newbie without any baggage so to speak...And I believe when you look at it that way it does make sense..I didn't say good sense.....

WR,,, three commas for Becca

[All41]

Great point! Hospital Nurse Management will say anything, and do just about anything to staff departments. This happened to me when I first started in nursing. I was asked where I wanted to work; to which I replied, ER. I then said that I knew coming from a 2yr. program that I needed to get some experience before I went there so I was put on the worst floor in the hospital! Geriatric medicine, with poor management. It was a nightmare! Later when I tried to transfer to the ER, I was told that I should have worked on a different type of floor if I wanted to work in the ER. The same nurse who put me on the worst floor is the one who made the comment!! Go spend time on the floor where you are advised to work, and see how things run. Interview the staff. Don't make the mistake of being "put" somewhere to fill a void, and have a bad experience right out of the gate.

Hey gurlfriend I see NC by your name...E-mail me off forum..I am traveling here in NC...Maybe we can "do lunch" ...



WR,,, three commas for Becca

[mercynurse]

I know that used to be the standard for most specialities...however, now for critical care and er @ least, they have internships and are taking new grads under the wing so to speak to get them started right away. I have mixed feelings about that...but I'm not going to start a debate here!

One thing about working med/surg for a year no one will be able to accuse you of not working hard....



WR,,, three commas for Becca

[medi]

I'd suggest you look for Peds openings & start interviewing before you graduate & find a hospital that will hire you & train you in Peds right off the bat. I graduated in 1984 & have never had to work a floor in my career. If you start out in Peds you can always increase your expertise by advanced training and eventual certification.. and you can always cross train & get into the critical care aspect of peds if you like by going from there to PICU or NICU... and if you wanted to that would open the doors to adult ICU or ER. The possibilities are wide open as your determination.

[deedah72]

Get your med/surg experience, at our hospital the med/surg floor is shared with the pediatric unit and the pediatric nurse usually has to take adult med/surg patients as well as the children. Not sure how it is at others hospitals but at ours there is no such thing as a strictly "pediactric nurse". Also I have seen our med/surg nurses have to take peds patients as well. "How scary is that if they have little pediactric training." Rachael