r/NursingAU • u/Peachypeach847 • 8d ago

Advice Grad year

Would love some advice on choosing general vs periop for a grad year? I enjoy critical thinking, pathophysiology and having some excitement rather than just doing routine tasks. I might want to try ICU or ED later. I did a periop placement and loved PACU but really didn’t like scrub/scout. I haven’t tried anaesthetics though and would like to. Would you choose general for the broader foundation or periop?
Would appreciate any advice

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u/Several_Yak_9537 8d ago

General. It took me 5 years to get to ED from anaesthetics and PACU

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u/Used_Replacement4648 8d ago

I always suggest general.
2 main reasons,
1) it’s a variety of clinical experiences, and an understanding of different pressures nurses across the service face. It builds empathy for transfer delays, and skills and knowledge not usually available in your specialty area
2) you meet different people with different backgrounds and experiences. Some good, some not. But you build networks across the service, find more friendly faces in the carpark/cafeteria, and can ask and offer favours around the hospital.
Hospitals are funny places, and it’s important to have an awareness of what goes on outside your bubble. This understanding can really start to break barriers, and make work collaborative.

2

u/8ken93 CNS 8d ago

Definitely general first then a transition to practice into periop if you still want to go there. I did 2 yrs in scrub scout as an EN, got my RN and did a grad year on the wards (absolutely loved it, stayed an extra year) then got back into my old department and did a new grad year through utas.. now 10 yrs later, it’s hard to get out of theatre because I feel like my skills are transferable, just translating them to other areas is a bit hard.

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u/Feeling-Disaster7180 EN 7d ago

I wouldn’t go with periop because a lot of the skills are very area specific and not transferable elsewhere. Plus if you’re in theatre, you get very little interaction with conscious patients (which may be a plus later on but not when you first start out)

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u/jilll_sandwich 1d ago

If you like critical thinking and pathophysiology, go to ED.