New RN

Specialties Gastroenterology

Published

Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.

]I am a new RN who really is intrested in GI and endoscopy. Did anyone here start out their nursing careers in GI/endoscopy and how did you overcome the " lack of med-surg experience". I worked med-surg as an LPN for 4 years and honestly, I am burnt out. I love nursing however, I am wanting to try other options and GI has always intrested me.

]Any advise???

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Specializes in OR, PACU, GI, med-surg, OB, school nursing.

I would think that 4 years as an LPN on med-surg would give you all the experience you would need in that area!

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No advice...just wanted to say that's it's definitely 'doable'. I did it and it worked out very well. Of course, I was very concerned because I was hearing the same advice you've been given...."You have to put in at least a year in Med Surge to get your floor experience." But I had worked odd hours and weekends, holidays and evenings for a long time before I became a nurse and I was fed up with it. I wanted regular hours with weekends off so I took this job. I've loved it! I would highly recommend Endoscopy work.

There were times when I didn't have the experience and wisdom of nurses that have worked on floors but I just had to suck it up and ask experienced nurses what they thought about the situation...then I'd learn from them. Now, I feel pretty confident with what I'm doing and I don't regret a thing. I have to say that I'm also middle-aged and don't plan on going back into the hospital...ever. If I was younger and didn't know where my career might take me, I might have wanted to gain that floor experience as a new nurse so that I wouldn't be shutting any doors later. But I'm perfectly happy spending the rest of my work life right where I am now. Good luck with your decision.

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I did the same thing. I went from Nursing School to Endo with a little over a year of experience and an ER Tech. That was helpful because during that time I was able to gain comfort with quickly assesing when a patient is about to "go bad" as well as deal with emergent situations that come up whenever you deal with narcs.

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