For New Grad RN , is it better to work for Hospice Company as a first job or not good OR apply for Medical surgical Position ? Thanks

Hi. I'd get med-surg experience first. See what specialty you'd like to pursue. Med-Surg is a specialty, and you get to see all kinds of different diseases. You are involved in so many different aspects of care. Then decide. Telemetry, Neuro, Ortho/ ICU/ ER, etc...Oncology/ Hospice is very difficult for some new nurses.

Congrats! You will get more training, confidence and experience in med surg. Dont sign any contracts that lock you in, dont do any procedure your not comfortable doing, make sure to take your breaks, yes you can negotiate your pay and find a hospital that enforces ratios. You should not be responsible for more than 4 patients based upon acuity and availability of CNA and support staff. Be good to your CNAs. They can make or break a shift.

I think a Med Surg unit is a great choice. Lots of practical skill set practice. You will have great resources.. so better than being out on your own with Hospice.

I agree that Med/Surg is the place to start to get the experience you will need to be a hospice nurse. In med/surg you will see wounds, breathing issues or all sorts, signs of discomfort for all types of people and more. The things you learn in med/surg will help you be the best hospice nurse you can be. I also agree hospice can be very hard. I had a friend that went that route and left quickly because she was so over worked. Most place rotate who is on call or even if they don't rotate and you are on call for your patient load it can lead to a lot of hours. She said she would work her regular day and then get a call and have to go somewhere for someone's last moments and she could be handling that most of the evening and still have to work her regular shift the next day. She said she just couldn't do it. She was working 50-60 hrs. some weeks. This type of thing happens a lot in dialysis where I had another classmate go and leave within 6 months. Just something to think about. Best wishes and congratulations!!

Once you graduate, it takes about a year to put all the things you learned in school to use in the real world. Med surg is the best place to do that, you get to experience so much. I am so glad that I went Med-Surg right out of school, I then felt so much more confident when I moved to ICU and then out-patient infusions, and then same day surgery. I was able to return to med-surg nursing several years later with very little challenge. I love bedside nursing.