Do I Have to work Med-Surg?

Something I have heard many times is after you graduate nursing school you have to work a couple of years in med-surg before you can work on a specialty unit. That has been a little discouraging to me and I have wondered how much truth is in this "rule." So I looked into this "rule" to find out there is no such "rule" it's basically just a recommended suggestion or idea. I came across the Nerdy Nurse and a post she had written on this very topic. In her post she said, "It is a myth that new nurses have to work in med-surg before pursuing a specialty." That was music to my ears. In her post she goes on to give you tips on how to pick the right specialty like observing/shadowing a nurse on that unit. She also gives you tips on how to get noticed and get your foot in the door and a lot of other useful advice. Her blog is just what I needed to refocus my game plan. It's not easy to be able begin your nursing career on a specialty unit but it's not impossible either. It's encouraging to know that nurses already working in their career feel the same. 

I have some friends who have graduated nursing school and they broke free from this idea and began their nursing careers in the ER, ICU, L and D, and a few other specialty units. To say them landing their dream job was out of pure luck would be ridiculous and foolish of me to think. I know they worked their tales off to get where they are. And that's just what I am going to do. 

I love quotes, especially ones that encourage and motivate me. So here are a couple that do just that.

Dream Big Dreams 

Your goals should cause you to grow.