What field of nursing is best to start with as a new grad RN.?

Start looking at facilities in your area that offer a "nursing residency". That's a program for new grads that want to work in an intensive specialty area such as Emergency, Critical Care, Surgery, Antepartum/Labor/Delivery, NICU, or Peds. Larger medical centers/hospitals have them, although they may also have them listed as simply "orientation" that lasts about 6 months.

Do you have to accept their offer right away? By the end of your clinicals you may or may not have job offers. If you don't I say you go for it and if you do have offers than you can weigh the pros and cons of all offers and decide what position is right for you. Personally, I would accept it. My friends in nursing school who have had offers before graduation have all accepted them. The few people I knew who didn't have offers are having a lot of trouble finding work. As a new grad your best bet is to try and find a position with an employer you have done clinicals with, but you have an advantage that many don't because of your CNA position. 2013 is awhile away. You have plenty of time to weigh your options assuming your current employer isn't pressuring you to make a decision now. Good luck.

Stay there for a few years and get experience under your belt. Screw the fool who claims there isn't money or experience in Psych nursing. He who claims that, knows nothing. Geriatrics is a good paying field, and after 2 years, you can easily get into another field that better suits you. Take advantage of your clinical rotations (yeah, we all hate them but they are important) to determine where you want your nursing career to unfold. However, lots of places don't want a fresh out of class nurse so get some experience under your wings.

You don't get to choose per se where you want to work. As suggested by the first answerer for the ER (etc).

A new grad isn't experienced enough to work in an ER department - and certainly not in the Level I. Generally you work where they hire you. It is not unheard of to be starting a new job in ICU or ER if you want to argue this (I know one nurse who did - but she was sent to a six-month training for the ER and the other person had 3 months training for the ICU).

Best to take a job where they know you?

Speak someone who is an RN working for 5+ years.

Talk to your schools adviser they maybe able to help you and career or placement office.

Research the net.

There's also not a lot of money in psych and if you want to advance to higher levels of nursing, it would behove you to take another road. I suggest ER or PCU to start.