I am a student nurse getting ready to graduate in April of 2022. I am in the midst of picking an area of nursing, but I am unsure of what I would enjoy most. I am stuck between L & D and NICU. Is there any advice that anyone could give me?
Hi! First, remember these are VERY different positions. Do you want to work with babies or moms?
First. Don't make the mistake of thinking these are very related. One you only have very small sick infants and the other you have adults who may also be very sick.
Second, remember it's not all roses. You will see a lot of babies die. It's not easy. Some can do it and some can't. I personally can't do NICU. I can't take the incessant alarms and sick babies stress me out, but many people are able to handle it well.
Also, do you have future plans/advanced degrees in mind? If you do, 6 months in a general unit may give you a heads up on things you may need to know as you progress in your career.
I would suggest you see if you can do a mother baby unit, or a gyn/antepartum. That will allow you to get enough experience to decide if you like moms or babies (or both) while you get some nursing experience and will help you get a good view of what you want to do.
Good luck!
The truth is you won't know until you see what the work is like in a particular unit. Your "idea" of what is portrayed versus what the actual work is typically varies quite a bit. I would highly recommend if you can have either one of those units allow you to shadow for a shift so you can see how a typical day goes for a nurse in one of those units, I would highly recommend that. Anytime I have had a perspective nursing student inquire if the profession is for them, my response is to have them shadow the unit I work in, either in the inpatient or outpatient area. Having someone see what the work is like on a typical day gives you a lot of insight on the profession. I once had the daughter of an employee shadow some of my nurses during a procedure and she fainted. She decided that it wasn't for her. And other instances I have had someone not interested at all in a particular unit only to find out that they had interest now in working in that particular specialty.
The reality for most new graduates is that most of the time you're not going to get hired into your specialty right out of school. You're going to get hired in a hospital or facility where they have a shortage and a need. You're likely going to first work in a medical surgical unit, outpatient or home health. At least that will give you a foundation for your nursing knowledge and basics. You never know, you might end up liking it. But that is the way most people first build a foundation then look into an opportunity to get trained into the unit that you desire.
No matter which one you choose you will become very proficient and valuable. If you find you are not satisfied you can always choose another field to go in to. Always do what you love!
