As it stands, I am a PACU nurse. That means that I recover patients from anesthesia after any sort of surgery (and I never knew there were so many!). It also stands that I should be graduating from Nurse Practitioner school August 2009. In fact, I only have pharm, technology, and three clinicals left!
So this is all well and good, but I still feel like I should have some ICU experience before I actually become an NP. If I never go to an ICU, I'll probably regret it for the rest of my life. The problem is that PACU offers me a sweet schedule and is not terribly stressful; the next three semesters are going to be super stressful to get through. Do I really want a tough job on top of a tough school semester? Do I really want to go back to working every third weekend, every other holiday, and night shift for half the year?
Maybe, if I want the experience. With ICU knowledge, it'd be easier to get an NP job. In fact, an NP with ICU experience will always get hired before me, with just my floor and recovery experience.
So I'm stuck. Right now, I figure I'll stay where I am, and then go to an ICU after I graduate next August. Besides, I have to stay at my hospital in order for them to pay back my last year of tuition. The only problem there is that an ICU may not hire me for just a year or two (it costs about $32,000 to train a new employee). Blimey.
At least I'm only 25. But holy crap, I'm 25 and old. Agh!
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Think long term. Will the ICU experience open more doors for you in the future? Or will be you just fine doing what you are doing now?
I know that working at a firm is going to be time-consuming/stressful/hell, but it will open a lot of doors for me and allow me to do what I really want to do in the future.
Sometimes you just gotta pay your dues. But if you don't have to, screw it!
And PS, 25 is not old. PLEASE don't be one of those people who gets hung up on age, especially when you have barely reached your mid-20s!
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