Hey! New here and a couple of questions.

Hello

I just finished the first semester of my ADN program. Eventually I want to get my BSN because I want to continue my education beyond that to get my masters degree or more...so that I could possibly be a PA or NP. But for now lets stick to what I can do with my ADN. I'm very interested in pediatrics (especially PICU), but surgical nursing has been tempting me also.

I love kids. I know working in pediatric intensive care could be really tough, but I feel that for me it could be the most rewarding thing I could do. I would go out of my way to help a child in need.

On the other hand...surgical nursing seems exciting. But as exciting as it may seem, I wonder if it would get boring handing tools to surgeons all the time. And I've heard many surgeons can be very particular or even grumpy.

And there is the question about pay. Please don't think I'm in nursing because of the money. It wouldn't be my deciding factor, but it's definitely something to consider. Does anyone know of any difference in pay between the two specialties?

Next semester I will have the opportunity to work in both pediatrics and med-surg while I'm doing clinicals, so hopefully that will assist in my decision making. But until then, I would love to hear from those more experienced than myself. Thank you!!

Kelsie Last edit by KelsieG on Dec 8, '11
Medical-surgical nursing is working on a medical/surgical floor. Med-surg nurses deal with patients with medical conditions/post-op patients. OR nurses are the ones passing instruments to surgeons. Peri-operative nursing is very specialized. As far as pay, I'm not sure. Google can probably help with that. Plus, you can work on a pediatric surgical floor. If you want to PICU, I don't really see how OR nursing is going to help in that area. Clinicals should help you decide. Our ideas and reality are often very different. Good luck.

When we do med-surg in clinicals it will be a combination of several things, including standing in on operations. Forgive me if I don't get all the terminology right...I'm still learning So yeah, OR nurse is what I'm talking about when I say surgical.And I've tried looking up pay, but nothing gets as specific as what I'm looking for. That's why I asked here...I'm hoping some people have first hand experience in either of these areas.If anyone is an OR nurse or works in PICU, I would love to hear what you think of your job, as well as the pros and cons

Generally as far as I know, the same specialties in the hospital are generally paid the same. Least they are in the hospital I volunteer at.

Quote from KelsieGHello I just finished the first semester of my ADN program. Eventually I want to get my BSN because I want to continue my education beyond that to get my masters degree or more...so that I could possibly be a PA or NP. But for now lets stick to what I can do with my ADN. I'm very interested in pediatrics (especially PICU), but surgical nursing has been tempting me also.I love kids. I know working in pediatric intensive care could be really tough, but I feel that for me it could be the most rewarding thing I could do. I would go out of my way to help a child in need.On the other hand...surgical nursing seems exciting. But as exciting as it may seem, I wonder if it would get boring handing tools to surgeons all the time. And I've heard many surgeons can be very particular or even grumpy.And there is the question about pay. Please don't think I'm in nursing because of the money. It wouldn't be my deciding factor, but it's definitely something to consider. Does anyone know of any difference in pay between the two specialties?Next semester I will have the opportunity to work in both pediatrics and med-surg while I'm doing clinicals, so hopefully that will assist in my decision making. But until then, I would love to hear from those more experienced than myself. Thank you!!Kelsie

Make lists of what you THINK each area will be like- and maybe get some feedback on that It's seldom nice and neat, and everything turning out great....and kids are HARD when things go bad.....there's nothing like the guttural moan of a parent who is holding their dead baby. The days of tonsillectomies and broken legs are out the door with outpatient surgery .... BUT- only you know what you can handle- make the lists- and see how close those clinical classes come to your idea of what they'll be like- then use that to help decide

Keep an open mind...you may change it a thousand times or more, and that's okay!I never did PICU, but my preceptorship was in NICU and I found it not as rewarding as I had imagined.I did OR, and I was BORED OUT OF MY MIND. I like moving around, having multiple things to do. My advice is to, as I said, keep an open mind and don't cancel anything out just yet. I have done adult medsurg for years and I actually do enjoy it. (If you told me that 6 years ago I'd laugh in your face). However, the cool part is that I have this experience to fall back on and can always switch to somewhere else if that opportunity arises.As for pay...it usually depends on the hospital, not the specialty. And when calculating pay rates, don't forget things like benefits. Some hospitals pay more per hour but charge much more for benefits.Wish you the best!