Hello, all. I'm about a week away from starting my final semester in an ADN program in California and am really interested in specializing in psych nursing. I've been advised by a couple of nurses I know to get some Medsurg-like experience for at least a year before committing to psych to improve my marketability further down the road. For context I'm thinking of like to move on to become a PMHNP after a few years of floor experience.
I'd appreciate some insight from anyone actually in the psych field regarding whether that experience is 1) necessary to improve marketability and 2) will actually make me a better psych nurse in the end. I feel like anyone who's licensed doesn't have to worry about marketability all that much given the current shortage. I can see the merit in it potentially making me a better psych nurse, but then again I know psych nursing requires a different skill set and am not sure how much weight 2 holds.
Any insight would be appreciated.
I’m graduating in April, and I’ve applied to some surgical floors at my local hospital. I did some day surgery stuff in paediatrics, and I’ll be applying for a surgical floor placement for my second placement, so hopefully I can work on the floor I get assigned to for my placement.
I’m concerned about them not hiring or laying nurses off with them cancelling elective procedures. I know there will still be surgeries, but I’m assuming with less patients they don’t keep a full staff load on. My hospital is in a smaller city but we still have three surgical units. I’m also aware this won’t last forever and surgery will be busy when they open elective procedures again, but I’m worried that they will lay me off or put me in the float pool after I finally get a stable job that I’m used to if they close elective procedures again next year.
Can anyone tell me how this works internally in the hospital?
I’m a surgical tech with an associates of applied science. I’m taking 7 or so pre reqs(English, math, psych, etc) since the college I’m at took nearly all my AAS credits. Then, I apply to the nursing program next year. Has anyone gone this route? What kind of nurse are you now? Did learning how to scrub in the OR help you as a nurse? I’ve had a few people mention that it’ll be a great asset, just wanted to see if anyone has done the same.
I can't decide.
I am a pharmacy tech.
I wanted to be a pharamacist before but I do not want to accrue that much debt and not be guaranteed a job and a huge time commitment.
Surgical tech would be the best for the now because I just want a good job NOW, that pays better. I am 25 with a bachelor's already and I don't want to be in school until my 30s. I am also a very hands on person.But LONGTERM, I am not sure. I could use surgical tech as a stepping stone but it might be better to just go straight into nursing.
Medical lab science is basically a whole new bachelors degree so another 4 years. And nursing would actually be 3ish years cause I could do an accelerated program (Already have a bachelor's.)
Edit: Thanks everyone for your input!!! Very helpful :)
