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lauz
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Fri Nov 09, 2007 10:11 am
Hi Everyone I have just finished second year of nursing, and next year will have to make the all important decision re grad year. I have already started gathering information re various grad programs offered. I have an undergraduate fellowship with a large public hospital network ( this means that I do all my clinical placements with them throughout degree, with a view of doing grad year with them - but there is no committment to do this). Although I have so far found all these placements great, I think my passion may be in community nursing. I am hoping to get feedback from as many nurses as possible, regarding doing my grad year with a district nursing service. This is something that I would love to do, but I get mixed feedback when I ask nurses that I know about this. Some think it is better to do grad year in a hospital setting to consolidate learning and get a varied experience, while others feel that district nursing is a field that is growing in both acuity and variety, and if that is what I want - may as well go straight into community. Hoping to hear from you all soon Cheers Lauz
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midaz
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Nov 12, 2007, 02:17 pm
Unless you're positive you want to do community nursing I'd suggest doing a hospital based grad year. It will look better on your resume (even to district nursing orgs) and you'll gain exposure to other areas that you may enjoy.
Also, have you checked whether your hospital has a home nursing department? Most larger hospitals have a "Hospital at Home" type set up. If you let them know you're interested in this area maybe they'd consider giving you a double rotation with that department?? (Caveat: I'm only a second year student too!!)
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Liz
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- Location: Brisbane
- Posts: 79
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Nov 13, 2007, 11:26 am
Sure some district nurses have grad programs, but id say it would be better to do a hospital grad program, get all your skills and stuff under control and then think about community work. In community work, most of the time you are alone, so you have to know your stuff pretty well and have a few years experience. IN your grad year though youd always have someone there of course. Your assessment skills would also need to be really good, as you would be constantly assessing your clients (not patients haha). Maybe try getting a mental health rotation, if you work in the outpatients area Im sure you'd get to have some community visits..but from a personal view, id hate to do mental health community work!
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midaz
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Nov 14, 2007, 01:09 am
That's a really good point about the mental health Liz, and I bet other departments do home visits too - rehab, diabetes education, wound care...
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lauz
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Nov 14, 2007, 12:27 pm
Thanks for your replies - I have had placements in both Hospital In The Home and community mental health and loved both of them, and I see the point that you are making - you can do a hospital grad program and maybe do a rotation in a community area, or failing that, community is always something that you can go into after grad year. I probably realise that I would be better doing a hospital grad year (maybe I could be exposed to something else that I love), but am put off by the shift work and really dont fancy slogging it out in a medical or surgical ward, when I could work for RDNS 7.30 - 3.30 Mon to Fri.
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midaz
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Nov 16, 2007, 02:07 am
Where are you looking lauz? I emailed RDNS in South Australia last week and they said they didn't have a grad program - is there more than one RDNS or were they telling me fibs!!
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lauz
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Nov 16, 2007, 04:25 pm
Hi Midaz, I am in Melbourne Victoria, which also has RDNS - they have a grad programme which is Mon - Fri 7.30 to 3.30pm. You have 6 weeks orientation, where you are with your preceptor and then they give you your own clients (not a full load) that match your experience and capabilities, and gradually you can increase your workload and experiences throughout the year under the guidance of your preceptor. They only offer approx. 20 places per year though, but i dont know how popular it is Lauz
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Liz
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- Location: Brisbane
- Posts: 79
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Nov 16, 2007, 10:08 pm
if you couldnt get into a community program, and you dont want to do shift work (but thats what nursing is), you could apply to do your grad program at a day surgery unit/hospital. And most places do offer flexibility with shifts, mainly coz they know a lot of people dont like the shift work, and if they offer flexibility, they are likely then to retain staff. Quite frankly I wouldnt mind doing some night duties and afternoons...prefer them to mornings actually. Only prob is when it gets quiet lol especially on night duty lol. Only problem with me doing evenings is that id have to get a cab to and from work.
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midaz
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Nov 19, 2007, 01:07 pm
Ooh, I'd do what liz suggested - just pick the areas like DPU that only work day shift. The grad program for the community nursing org here in WA is only a few years old, so not well known yet but it actually struggles to fill places. I think all the new grads want something a bit more glamorous than community ;) In WA there's pretty much only one community nursing org, so it looks after general nursing, post acute, wound care clinics, stoma nursing, palliative care, rehabilitation/independence promoting programs, remote area nursing and nursing homes. So when you do their grad program you can work in each of these areas and get a bit of varied experience. http://www.silverchain.org.au/Careers/Education--Training/#Graduate%20Nurse%20Program
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Liz
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- Location: Brisbane
- Posts: 79
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Nov 20, 2007, 12:59 am
Id love to do the community one that isnt mostly aged care lol. already do more than enough of that right now thank you very much lol. I would be interested in like the child community health centres. but i think for that it would be good idea to work in a paediatric ward for a while.
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lauz
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Dec 18, 2008, 08:24 pm
Well, after thinking long and hard I eventually decided against doing my grad year in district nursing - when I first entered my preferences it was No.1, and by the end I dropped it to 4th. I maybe still might do it in the future, but decided I need a few years experience first. I am going to a medium sized public hospital now, and have a part time position, 4 days per week. They also have self rostering in most wards. I was very enthusiastic in my application, so I got very good (and very scary!!!!) rotations. My first rotation is emergency for 12 weeks, followed by 12 weeks in a cardiac ward and then 6 months in critical care!!
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Ronnie
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- Joined: Oct 2006
- Location: XXXXville
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Dec 19, 2008, 01:38 am
Last edited Dec 19, 2008, 01:38 am
update #1
Well done.....You will gain fantastic experience from those rotations that will set you up well for the future. I opted for a general ward grad program as it will test my time management and observation skills and also my medication knowledge/awareness. The hospital I am working at doesn't have specific wards (ie cardiac, respiratory etc) they are all thrown in together so knowledge of all body systems is required. I'm also interested in the telemetry side of things as well. I hope you are well supported and enjoy your work. All the best
modified: Friday 19 December 2008 1:45:45 am - Ronnie
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