What kind of job should I be looking for? I’ve been an RN for 1.5 years and I’ve worked in an outpatient pediatric clinic. I’m looking for hospital experience to increase my salary and open up more opportunities in the future.

You need to work in an ICU at the hospital. This opens many doors as you can go anywhere after that. It’s even necessary should you decide to go on to become a Nurse Practitioner.

You should look for a short stay med surg, like an observation unit or an ED holding. You can learn a lot working with a variety of patients, but you won’t have any patient for very long.

I would start in Med-Surge unit only because it has a little of everything. It's a good fundamental start.

Hello, and welcome to the nursing community.
To gain hospital experience, I recommend that you search for positions on the medical surgical unit or telemetry. Either one of those environments will provide you with an excellent foundation in the acute care setting.

Since you have pediatric experience work on pediatric unit. If you looking for different experiences start with med/surg it’s the basic of nursing. Only you can figure out where what’s a good fit for yourself. Good luck your career choice.

A med-surg unit would give you foundational knowledge and experience to open future doors of interest.

I would highly advise working a med surg position. This is where you learn so many skills. I just retired from a 42 year career. It was a requirement to work med surg for 2 years minimum before going into a specialty. I then went to the OR for the rest of my career. I really feel my med surg years gave me such an advantage. Now I saw nurses struggling and then leaving the profession because of their lacking skills and frustration. It’s not an easy career. The more you learn the better. Best of luck!

Try getting a job as a pediatric nurse in the hospital, you would love it! Are you looking to change your specialty like working with adults or in a NICU?

Your best bet is med/surge floor. I also worked as an outpatient RN. I was given the opportunity to work on a med-surge unit and loved. I did 2 years and learned a ton. You might have to go in as a “novice” nurse but it’s completely worth it !
Good luck

Start with MedSurg… It is a training ground … it teaches you how to prioritize, make good decisions quickly and decisively, medication’s, treatments, charting…literally “how to be a nurse”!… it gives you the opportunity to observe other aspects and specialties in our field and where your interests and talents may lie… choose a hospital with a good reputation that will offer you the shifts that are best suited to your body clock

Being a new nurse, I would recommend working a med surge floor. In the pediatric area since this is your area of interest. This unit would allow you to gain a plethora of skills and exposure in addition to specializing in pediatric. Which in turn can allow you the have financial gains.

Get med surg experience

Try working in SNF for at least 6months then reapply for in-patient openings after you get your 6month acute/rehab/long term experience. Do a part time or per diem CM home health to help you boost your direct patient care as well while you are working in an SNF. Apply for any inpatient openings and take any offer, May it be part time, full time, per diem. This will be just the beginning to get your foot in an in patient facility. Once you get your desired position, department, hours, then you can start thinking of letting go your SNF and/or HH position. While in any SNF and /or HH or hospice, try to ensure to have at least 5 leaders who can give you recommendations letter in the future. Remember be like a sponge, absorbed all new info, learn all you can, and most of all…Have fun! Happy journey!

—Aldanora

I found my passion as an operating room nurse.
It is exciting as well as rewarding. Once you know the job there is room for advancement to preceptor and surgical specialists. Every day is different and the learning is endless.

You will likely have a higher chance of getting hired as a Med Surg nurse pretty fast. That being said, apply to every position that interests you! You already have one year of experience and that is what many hospitals care about. Dress professional to the interview and trust in your knowledge. If you are confident and show the interviewer you’ll be an asset to the organization you have a pretty good chance at getting hired! Never stop applying to your dream specialty! Once you are inside an organization it is easier to move around as internal applicants have preference over external. Good luck!!!

In my opinion the best job to improve your skills is an Intensive Care Unit or Emergency Department hospital job; these give you a wide berth of skills and best prepare you for any other position you feel drawn to as a bedside nurse.Hope this helps.

Getting a good foundation in med/surg is best before moving into critical care/ICU or emergency department. I work on a post surgical med/surg unit and love it. Fast paced, but see a lot of different things to help develop a good knowledge base.

I would suggest applying at an emergency department. I have gained the most hands on experience while working at a level 1 trauma center. I have learned something new everyday.

Depends on what you want to expand your knowledge and skills. If you enjoy pediatric patients the. Definitely look into the major children’s hospitals in your area. Then decide how critical the patients are that you want to care for. Er, ICU, Med Surge etc…

Hi, if Pedi is your area of interest, I would focus on a large children's hospital if there is one in your area. You have Pedi experience. A plus for them and you can gain plenty of experience in many areas should you decide to do the NP track later. The world of nursing is open to you. Good luck!

As a still working RN of 53 yrs, I think that every new or relatively new nurse needs to get a few years of hospital Med/Surg under their belt. This provides a concrete base for expanding to other specialties.

Try applying at inpatient hospitals in peds. You have valuable pediatric experience. Med-Surg units are always a great place to start as well . Good Luck!

Be open minded when seeking a first-time hospital position. Nurses are needed in every area of the hospital/medical center. Salary increase should be a secondary priority. Learn what is expected in several areas and determine which one appeals to you and your specific talents and interests. Find a place where you can grow and stay there. Stay in one unit for at least a year or two before moving to another unit. Your employer needs to see your commitment and your loyalty.

Hello,
I suggest a Med/Surg floor. You will learn skills and organization and get the essential experience required to move onward—best of luck.

I always tell new nurses to get Intensive Care experience, once you do that, you not only become more competent nurse you can literally do any kind of nursing and write your own ticket to any type of job you want.

If you want to stay in peds I would look at the pediatric unit in the hospital. That would be better than trying to jump in to peds ER. I have taken PALS but do not deal with kids. If you are egar to learn and motivated, team player that is what hospitals want. You will never stop learning.

Hi! Sounds exactly like me! I’ve been a nurse for 19 years! I started in outpatient pediatric clinics too! I really wanted hospital experience and to be able to do more. I applied to a pediatric emergency department and got lucky! If you can find a unit that is willing to train just apply! If you really like pediatric I’d stick with it- it’s a special kind of nursing! Good luck!

If you wish to continue to work with peds try a picu or children’s hospital. Could always go to the ED as well to keep up your ped skills and learn a lot more new things

As a new nurse working in a rehab facility is a great way to learn assessment techniques,you will learn to keep people healthy and know when an intervention is necessary. Long term /rehab facilities are excellent and usually pay very well.
Working in a hospital is also a good place to be as a new nurse here you should concentrate on a med/ surg unit or an icu unit that offers training for new nurses.

Experience in Critical Care gives you the advantage to negotiate a higher salary in the future.

I have been a registered nurse for 40+ years and my best answer to new grads is always the same regarding this question.
I always advise them to get a couple of years of ICU experience even if they’re not crazy about working in ICU. It will open up just about every door in nursing including specialties such as Cath Lab/operating room/emergency room, etc. once you have this experience you can write your own ticket.
I worked in the Cath Lab for 32 years and it can be one of the highest paying jobs for nurses in the hospital because of the call pay and the overtime. But you have to be willing to do a lot of overtime, but the money is definitely there if you’re willing to put the time in.

If you want to stay with pediatrics I would suggest pediatric ER or ICU. In my opinion there’s never the same day twice and they are both higher paying in the hospital. The only drawback would be with more with more excitement comes more responsibility. The both positions are very rewarding but you have to stay focused and be committed to the kids as well as the parents.

A: I would look for a job on Med-surg to get a good foundation of nursing, then after a couple years, try PCU or ICU. You’ll be glad you have that experience under your belt before specializing.
Best of luck,
Lora C. BSN, RN

You should try to get a job in a good teaching hospital in areas such as ICU, CCU, ER or Internal Medicine.This would not only enhance your skills but add admirable weight to your resume.

I would recommend adult med surg for at least a year. It is a great foundation for adult acute care. I have been in healthcare for 50 years and my last 20 plus have been in leadership.

Just start applying at hospitals why are you wiring

My answer to you is this; you need to look at each area of hospital nursing and ask yourself, "What am I really interested in?" Only you can answer your own question. If you have no interest in OB and you find yourself extremely interested in ED, Trauma or ICCU, then if there is an open position in one of these depts, try it. You may enjoy the fast pace of these three departments! These three depts are guaranteed to give you hands on experience, a needed boost to your job experience as well as your resume. Keep in mind that the fast-paced hospital department also have a higher burn out ratio than say med/surg, ortho or outpatient ambulatory care. I hope my answer assists you a little but as in the end...you are the only one who can answer your question. Good Luck to you on all your endeavors!

How about Hospital Peds, then Peds ICU? Med Surg is very hard from what I’m seeing now. It is good experience if you want to treat adults? Some Hospitals will train new grads in the ICU. I found that easier than being on Telemetry as a new nurse. Telemetry was a catch-all of some very sick pts. Higher acuities, many downgraded from ICU just more of them! In ICU you learn via 2 pts max. You can really focus on your learning vs the hussle of med surg, all the charting on multiple patients? That’s just me though. Yes ICU is challenging, but usually well staffed, more supportive in a learning /teaching hospital ….. Just what I did. Thoughts…. Good luck 🍀👍

First of all, congratulations on your career choice as you are gifted with a special heart for healthcare. I would recommend that you pursue what you already know and build upon that. Pediatric nurses are a unique group of nurses. You should apply for an inpatient pediatric nurse on day shift. Even though day shift is more hectic, but there is more clinical support than evening and night shifts. Do not be scared but your success will be determined by how you apply yourself and be humble. No one knows everything remember your training and DO NOT CUT CORNERS. You only have one change to kill a patient so pay close attention and double check orders and ask questions. NEVER EVER ASSUME.

You should apply/work on a medical/Surgical ward in a hospital. This will help you to learn how to prioritize care. Get exposure to multiple disease processes and procedures as well as treatments.

I would suggest you look for a job in a Hospital Medsurg floor. With a Medsurg experience you can branch off to any aspect of nursing you wish to settle for

Hello. I'm so glad you joined the nursing community. 😊 If I were you, I would look for a hospital position at a pediatric hospital like Children's Hospital in St Louis, St Jude's ( there are 8 affiliated hospitals) or Vanderbilt Children's hospital in Tennessee, with your current experience that might be a good opportunity. However, I've been in nursing for over 40 years, and one thing great about nursing there are many different fields to explore. I personally have worked long term care, orthopedic, adolescent psych, OB/GYN, med surg and I'm currently a clinical instructor for LPN students. Good luck!

Good evening. Need to look at inpatient pediatric unit for future job search; apply and follow up after sending your resume by highlighting your current experience in the pediatric field even when it is outpatient.

Ped floor or Peds ER,,,ER gets you the best experience most varied testing all your skills

Medical Surgical is probably best to look for BUT do not limit your search for just that. Other units such as ICU, ONC, Ortho are not off limits there are plenty of nurse managers open to hiring nurses who do not have experience on those units (even if the job description says needs experience) Tip: if there are multiple openings in a hospital and Med-Surg is one of them apply for that and only one other. You don’t want to bombard HR

I would recommend starting on a MEd/Surg or telemetry unit in a hospital.
You’ll ramp up your resume and get m

Depends on your decision ..if you want Pedi or switch careers to Adult care then start at top with pediatric med surg then moving up to critical floor.
If you are doing Adults learn more in ER or med/surg floors then move up to critical care and keeping on learning. Need experience in Hospital care. I wish you the best in your future :)

It depends on your ultimate goal and what that dream job looks like. (If you even know what that is at this point.) After 30+ years - I think I finally found my perfect fit.

I do believe that a good base is important and that you have bragging rights from the hands-on / bedside experience. I did 7 years of ICU - most of them night shift. I believe ICU gives you the best base for the rest of your career. The closeness of the teams and learning how best to work together and help each other is invaluable. I loved all that I learned and I still remember and rely on that knowledge.

Hope this helps.

What state are you from?

Hello as a nurse you should work in different areas, after that you can decide which one is better for you, that you can feel happy nursing is a career very valuable, lovable and sometimes very sacrifice. As a nurse I'm been working all departments and I decided for PSYCHIATRIC nurse, I'm a certified here in Florida. I graduated 1976. Bilingual. I encouraged you to work in different areas, them you can decided. Good luck. G.LOPEZ,RN,CMS,BSN,PSYCH.

Rn looking in outpatient paediatric clinic more than 5 years experience

Try to get your Masters and become a nurse practitioner!

I would suggest applying at a major pediatric hospital that’s close to you or if you’re willing to relocate applying at major pediatric hospitals such as Johns Hopkins or similar hospitals. Please keep in mind that although you may work at a hospital your salary may not increase significantly due to benefits and the state in which you work in. The best paying hospitals are on the West Coast however the cost of living is significantly higher. Another suggestion is that you apply for a pediatric ER or pediatric ER internship. This will increase your knowledge and skills.

If your only experience is outpatient clinic I would highly suggest a medical/surgical floor to give you a vast patient population and mtie pt organization. After 2-3 years experience in a well rounded unit, you could transition more easily with a higher foundational knowledge base to a specialty such as paxu, icu, ER, etc

I would recommend doing bedside pediatrics. That gets you into a hospital setting without the stress of having to learn everything. Then if you want to change over to a different area you can do so in about 6 minths.

Apply for a med sure job in a local hospital. Work there 1 year, then transfer to a more critical care area, get 1 year experience there. Then round out out with cardiac or Er or ICU. Then you can write your own ticket.

If you are looking to work in pediatrics, or any specialty, this is a good time to make a move, you have gained enough experience that you can enter in your resume. If you want to increase your salary and get more training, moving to a hospital is a good move. Look for hospitals who offer training for new nurses, although you've been a nurse for this long, you are relatively a new nurse, longer training for nurses is always a plus, especially in a hospital.

Start with pediatrics. You have been working in the outpatient pediatric clinic, so you have pediatric experience. Another option is to go back to school and become an NP or dare I say a PA. It depends on what your vision is for " more opportunities in the future,"
Best of luck.

Look for a hospital that offers a new grad or specialty training program to broaden your skill set. Best to you

Hello RN:

Thanks for your inquiry. I will endeavor to provide you with a few practical alternatives. Obviously, the choice is yours, but I will suggest the cardiac ICU or labor & delivery/mother baby.
Although, other disciplines of nursing certainly prepare nurses with immense knowledge and skills, a little bias probably, but I believe these two areas mentioned will certainly enhance the development of your critical thinking skills, prepare you to manage emergencies which incorporates collaborative team effort and effective communication.

These areas can be challenging, but empowering with learning outcomes --- worth it all. You have experience, you can do it .
Best wishes in your future endeavors, as you vision your trajectory.

Sincerely,

Ena-Lorraine , RN, MSN

A medical/surgical (medsurge) or acute care floor in a hospital is one of the best ways to gain experience and build skills in a wide variety of specialties! You’ll have the most hands on experience with wound care, catheter care, peg/J/G tubes, IVs and learn about a ton of different medications. Medsurg can be overwhelming though at first if you haven’t had much interaction with these skills being at an outpatient clinic. All hospitals are always in need of medsurg nurses and are happy to teach these skills. Night shift is a good way to ease into this line of Work because you don’t have the stress of doctors, physical therapy, family etc. good luck!

Possibly a pediatric unit in a larger hospital could stimulate your brain while expanding your experience base.

Hi! My first job as a LPN was in a pediatric office. I highly recommend starting with hospital experience on Med Surg floor. That is what I did and it gave me a ton of patient and hospital experience. When I got my RN I really feel like my experience on the Medical Surgical floor was a hudge part in getting a job in other’s areas of the hospital.
Good luck!

Go to critical care and learn everything you can!

Med/Surg is great for experience and helps to open the door for specialty areas. Good luck to you!

ICU

Start with Med/Surg/telemetry units, a ton of information, well worth it

Hello. You are on the correct path. Depending on you commitment at the clinic, try to work in an urgent care clinic that cares for pediatric patients. If you can get a job at a location that tranza to be busy, the better. That way you will be able to gain experience similar to inpatient. Another year of that and you will be able to apply to a pediatric unit in a community hospital. After a couple of years there you can decide where you would like to go.

Good luck!

You can do Nursing residence program in any hospitals that will accept your application.

You should try looking for critical care jobs in the field you love most. For example if you like working with children you can apply for jobs in that field you already have some experience working with pediatric client. Most hospitals train you in the position they are hiring you for but they also look to see if the category you are applying for your experience. Critical care nursing also offers a higher paying salary .

Since you have experience in pedi (non-hospital) how about Pediatrics to start and then on to perhaps nursery or NICU. If you like a fast pace try ER or CathLab.
If you want regular experience MedSurg or PCU unit.
Consider the systems you are most interested in, renal cardiac, neuro, endocrine, etc. as well.

A; are you curious to see what bedside nursing is like? Maybe something to consider if you would like to gain more experience. Also you can consider seeing what it’s like caring for Adult patients. You probably can start in a Med/Surg unit and maybe consider a specialty like ICU. In this way you gain experience as well as increase your salary.
Hope this helps
June

I was a nurse manager for 7 years over ICU, stepdown, MS, HD, tele, ortho. I would consider you for work in any of those departments with your experience. As an RN, you should have the base knowledge that would allow you to learn most any department. Does that mean that all of those jobs are right for you? That is something you will have to figure out for yourself. Most importantly you need to look professional and act like you want to be there for the interview. Show interest in whatever position you apply for and you will have a good chance of getting the position. Good luck!

I have been a pediatric nurse for 36 years! My best years were on a medical floor. You learn everything in Medicine!

I started my RN path in a Trauma 1 level ER. I wanted to jump in the deep end and get a lot of varied experience quickly. Working in a busy ER gives you a lot of practice with soft and hard skills: initiating IVs, triage questions, managing infusions, monitoring quickly changing patient status, monitoring test results and anticipating physician orders, communicating with a wide variety of specialties and care team members, working in EMRs, working in a team and, of course, time management. I was intimidated by everything but am blessed to work in a very team-oriented environment so can always find help when needed.

I don’t know how well you like working with pediatric patients, if this is what you love to do try to get a job in an acute care setting where they have a pediatric unit in that hospital to start with. The other way around is get an experience working on medical surgical unit which is the base in Acute Care Hospitals and from there you could decide where you want to work or specialize for your nursing career. Try and feel if you like the working environment, it’s not the money but you must feel comfortable, have good teamwork, good attitude, and that you are welcome to their team!! Good Luck

You can never go wrong in Med -Surg. It teaches you how to care for a variety of patients/see unique health situations/learn how to "read" a patient when something is not right. It can open up a door to the kind of specialty that you might be interested in (Ortho/GI/oncology/renal). There is always room for growth especially if the facility has a clinical ladder advancement program. Hope that helps.

As a hiring director I suggest at least one year on a Med Surg floor to get adult nursing experience. It will benefit you moving from there into any specialty.

I think u should apply in the hospital for new grad program in the floor that u like u learn and train and u will get hire

Hi. If I were you I would apply for employment at the children's hospital in your area with the best reputation. You could work on a medical/surgical post-op floor or a specialty floor for a year or two. Then you'd be eligible to apply for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Once you obtain the training in the NICU you'll be set with employment for life! By the way I worked as an RN for 41 years in many different setting. I just retired on May 2, 2024. Best of luck to you!!!

I would go for Med/Surg or Telemetry unit. You might have to apply for their new to specialty program since you worked in outpatient settings. That's always a good start for when your are new to acute care to learn time management and day to day flow of hospital setting

I would look for exerianc med /surg or even a step do n unit if the hospital has one. With theses types of experiences you will have more opportunity as you grow with your career.

If you want to continue in the pediatric area try advancing to NICU.

You should apply at a hospital to work on a med-surge floor. There, you will gain experience in just about everything.

Starting in med Surg will help give you an overview of a little bit of everything. Then choose an area if interest accordingly.

Since you have experience in pediatric. Look for pediatric positions in the hospital or med- surg.
Hospital environment is fast paced. Priotizing and time management is key. The advantage of working in hospital is they have orientation depending on your experience. Look for a mentor who works in the hospital. Good luck

Now that you have experience outpatient, some skills are achieved for pediatrics
Most hospitals will start you as a new nurse and you will go through a 6 months training on policies and their checklist of needed skills such as tube feedings starting IVs skills assessment and their computer system
Be prepared for continues learning and growing
You have a wonderful and rewarding career ahead. Dont expect to be just thrown into a position
Pediatrics usually required certifications such as PALS, social services, enteric tube feedings placement, cardiac standards etc but the good thing is that you will be earning and receiving benefits while they are schooling you!

Hello , I just retired after 18 years s in adolescent psych in San Francisco , it was not easy but as I look over my years or was a very awesome life changing job that paid very well n I did help some kids

Working on a med/surg floor gives you experience with more of a variety of patients. If you want to stay with pediatrics, look for position on a pediatric floor. Having med/surg experience makes you more marketable.

To get the experience you desire I would look for any step down position. In these units you deal with critical drips, TBI’s, trachs, vents, etc. then after a year or so of that move to the ICU. Then after 1-2 years of that try a float pool position. That is where the money is really at. If you could work weekends then you’re making upwards of 60-80$ an hour. (Depending on where you live) but I would highly recommend Neuro step down or cardiac step down. Hope that helps.

I'm seeking job opportunities Nurse Utilization Reviewer.

I would suggest you go into med surge, I’m not sure of the salary but I know you will gain a variety of skills and experience that will ready you for most any other field.

Look for jobs in the procedural areas like surgery, endoscopy, outpatient surgery centers, etc. your pay will be more, and there will be opportunities to move up into leadership or will expose you to other roles like physician assistant, nurse, practitioner, and anesthesia, assistant, or cRNA that you might be interested in obtaining in the future.

Sounds like you're early on in your career. Congratulations for becoming an RN!
In my experience, salary was not my driving force. You should be happy/fullfilled and passionate about your chosen field.
If you want to try hospital nursing, you could start out on the pediatric unit. Keep in mind, you may have to work different shifts, overtime and you'll work weekends and holidays.

You should look Medical- Surgical, Telemetry Nurse position in the hospital.

I have been a nurse for 18 years and 16 of them as a bedside, med-surg nurse. I learned a lot and chose to stay to precept new nurses as needed. I started working at the hospital upon graduation from nursing school. I have enjoyed my learning experience . I think a hospital med-surg unit is an excellent place to work for at least 2 years.. You will learn a ton of knowledge that you can use in any specialty. Afterwards then you can decide what specialty area that peaks your interest.

You definitely need that med- surg background experience. Once you have that, you can work anywhere. It’s a good background to have and you carry that knowledge with you on all other job titles and responsibilities. You will be glad you did.

If you enjoy pediatrics, why not get a job at a hospital with a pediatric floor or in a specialized children's hospital?

I think you need to make sure you are up to date on your CPR or PALS! Do inpatient general Pediatrics to learn hospital activity and how a staff RN works day to day! There are many different things that children are admitted to the hospital for and it will give you an opportunity to learn many different procedures that go with each diagnosis! If you do general Peds for at least a year or more, you could advance to critical care as you get more comfortable in the hospital setting. If you find that Peds is not your forte you can always go to Med Surg on an Adult floor. Med surg always give you the clinical stepping stone you can use to go to other areas

Accept a position as a staff nurse on a general med/surg unit. Work it for one year to get the basic foundation for working inpatient.

Are there any hospital specific specialties that already interest you? Also what kind of opportunities do you want in the future? If you want to be able to move around/travel could be wise to stick to a specialty that you can find in lots of different places like general peds, NICU, PICU, or PACU. Other specialties might only be found at stand alone children's hospitals which tend to only be in bigger cities.

Coming from outpatient you would likely get a nightshift starting position which could be a hard transition. Certain areas like PACU and pre-op/post-op are usually only days with some potential for on call mixed in.

I hope this helps!

PICU will be a great area to consider. Lots of job opportunities and great pay.🙍 Good Luck.

Med/surg or tele is perfect for your situation.

I would look at either medsurg if you plan on doing adult or if you want to stay with pediatrics medsurg or emergency. The problem with only having pediatrics is if you go to an adult role they look at your history as having none. Medsurg is the foundation to build up skills and learn your way of nursing. Make sure you do not mention financial boost as a reason to look at any interview. If you haven’t already looked, you should check nursing homes or home health as well, hospitals are not normally the highest pay in the field. Good luck

If you want to stay in pediatrics, I would suggest applying for positions in a pediatric hospital. There are many opportunities in a pediatric hospital. I started my career in pediatrics and worked in two hospitals. It is very rewarding. Decide what field you may like - general, cardiac, ER, PICU, cancer, neuro - and apply. Good luck.

Med surg and telemetry will get you experience in all areas at least 1-2 yrs of that to help get your clinical skills up and then you will be able to float to ICU and ER where you will gain more knowledge and from there you can travel and work in just about any field you want

If that what you want to start applying in any hospital jobs, they will deny you in some but someone will give you the opportunity. Do not stop and do not get discouraged. Good luck.

I would

The best advice I could give anyone is to do your research, and Network, don't be afraid to go up to other people and ask them how they did it.

Any area of the hospital will give good exposure to sharpen your skills. Pick an area that interests you. I always loved cardiac.

Hospital experience is much different setting from an outpatient setting. But you can try Labor and delivery you can get Adult and pediatric experience

You may want to start in the hospital pediatric unit, and work you way up into their Peds intensive care, if that is your passion. Pediatric nurses are needed in all areas.

I started as a new grad on the Resource team which is the float pool and loved it! I learned a TON and thought I would want to pick a certain unit after a few years but I never left :) Usually there is a pay differential as well which is an added bonus! Good luck!

The best job when you first get out of school is a medical surg floor at a hospitL. It gives you experiences with things you encounter later as you care for patient. There are not patients that come in their room and is not familiar with that patients dx, equipment, or meds

There are many hospital based RN job openings today.

Seek work in a:

1. Pediatrics unit.
2. Med Surg (Yes, if you can work here, you can work everywhere in a hospital). Do it for at least one year.
3. ER if your are willing.

Hospital experience tends to be the cornerstone for many if not most nursing positions. If you are interested in working in Pediatrics, your clinic experience may open the door to work on a Peds general unit or Peds ER. If you are looking to expand your practice to adults, starting in Med/Surg typically is the entryway into hospital nursing. Once you work on Med/Surg for a bit of time, you can look to transfer to another role when one is posted. All facilities are different but most will require you to work on the floor you were hired for at least a year before internally transferring. Good luck!