I don't think I hate Med-surg, but I think I do.

[Wheaties]

I've been an RN for 7 months now in a Med-Surg unit. I'm just so burned out with it all so far working in med-surg . Our hospital's med-surg unit has your typical med-surg patient but throw in inmates, telemetry, and OB patients there as well, and patients who are just there and they are DNR and just waiting for their time to pass.

I'm tired of patients asking for pain meds around the clock, especially the inmates who are always in pain and want their morphine or other opiate-type pain meds or patients with a hx of drug use and a sa result they want their opiate pain med on the clock as it is ordered.

I'm tired of rude families who are so demanding sometimes.

The amount of paperwork in med-surg is just too much, and I spend most of my time giving meds, doing paperwork, and not enough time with the patients, which is very frustrating.

Plus, sometimes I end up passing work I didnt do to the day-shift nurse, which I hate. I really hate it, because I want to finish all I can so I dont pass what I didnt finish to the next-shift nurse.

Most of the time, i am assinged with an LVN, I get my 5-6 patients, the LVN gets their 5-6 patients as well. But really, the RN is responsible for all those 12 patients, and sometimes I give report to all those 12 patients to the next shift because some of the lvns i work with are slow and dont finish their work before the day shift staff comes in.

I only take 30 minutes or less for a lunch break, and I dont even take my two 15 minute breaks.

The last 2 hours are the busiest because anything will go wrong and the patients can get demanding. IV's will go bad and the sorts, you name it, anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

I dont think time management is the issue for me. I have a decent average time management skills. When I work by myself where I am assinged my own patients, I can get everything done no problem. But when I am assinged with an LVN, its hard especially if those patients require a lot of work.

My plan was to spend 2 years in med-surg, but now I am considering just 1 year.

But i'm not a quitter, I enjoy working with the patients, but majority of the time, those above situations that I describe above happens almost every night.

Any tips and suggestions how to deal with the stresses of working in Med-surg and how I can deal and cope with it all?

[jill48, ASN, RN]

Maybe it's time to try a different specialty. For the last 11 years I have gone back and forth between LTC and med/surg. It helps with the burnout.

[Wheaties]

Why do I like it, LOL? Because of the huge variety of patients and conditions. Because I'm learning so much about so many different things, I can only improve my nursing abilities in ANY area. And the experience is my ticket to anything, from what I've found. IF I chose to leave, of course

Yeah, every night I work, I learn something new in med-surg also. I want to get my 2 years of M/S experience, then after that I am out of there, and try to specialize in an area of nursing, which i am looking forward to.

Well, Thanks for all the replies so far, it's good to see other people's take on it.

[lupin]

WHy are you doing do much of the LVN/LPN's work? They can do what they are responsible for and if it isn't done for the next shift, it will be their responsibility. You should only be doing for them what is outside of their scope of practice.

Are you the only RN on at night? In my hospital, we have one-two LPNs and two-three RNs for dayshift. That way we can split up the LPN responsibility. Basically the same thing for nightshift.

Next option is that if you're charge, you give the LPNs the max assignment and take a lighter assignment for yourself in order to be able to get everything done. That sucks and they may hate you for it, but if it's gotta be done, it's gotta be done. One of the LPNs on my floor at night automatically takes the heaviest load so we can help her when she needs it.

Keep on truckin'! You'll get through it!

[KulRN]

wow! sounds like we have the same situation...although I work days and I find it extremely overwhelming especially everything happens during the day shift (docs coming in and giving orders, procedures/diagnostic tests, patients more awake and demanding, family visits etc). At my work we have team nursing and TPC; with a team as an RN I get 8 patients, my LVN and I share the same load. she gives the oral meds, dressing change/foley/NG and I do the assesment, IV meds and making sure orders are carried on, we also have a Nurse tech who does the other tasks. I too get burnt out with this because, I always end up double checking the work of my LVN and there are times that even changing an IV bag, inserting foley, starting IV's I end up doing because my LVN at times has so many excuses. Sometimes I get ticked because even a simple phone call to the doctor she passes it on to me. on my 12-hour shift, I don't usually get a full 30-minute break and my other 2 15-minute. On the other hand, when I do TPC, I much prefer it because I only deal with another staff my Nurse Tech but then again, same thing happens I end up attending to my patients non-nursing needs (water, linens change)...With TPC I get 5 patients...What also is overwhelming is the patient's turn over at my place (med-surg), since most of our patients are surgical patients, we do a lot of discharges and admissions which are so time consuming. So, you either like med-surg or not.

[NurseCherlove]

I feel ya!! I guess it depends on the day as to whether or not I like it or not. Unfortunately, I don't like it most days for the reasons you mentioned. I think probably the biggest reason I hate it sometimes is the CONSTANT interruptions - I mean, some days, my darn spectra link will ring every few minutes - and this goes on ALL DAY some days. And you just get further and further behind because you are constantly having to stop and deal with stuff. I hate those days!

One thing for sure....rarely, very rarely ever a dull moment. I forgot to add one thing I really hate....I don't know about you guys, but I get really tired of having to babysit other departments, police them, and make sure they do their jobs. This includes pharmacy, RT (sometimes), ST, lab, techs, and sometimes even the doctors (actually a lot). We are grown adults who are professionals...why should I have to police and make sure you have done your job? Sorry...did not mean to hijack your thread.

I've had a pretty good last 2 days....haven't had to deal with a lot of "pain people". I know that sounds mean, but I just hate coming in, getting report, and learning that I have one of those sometimes (and its usually like 4 or more on your whole team). You just feel like a legalized drug dealer sometimes!

Well, we'll see what tomorrow brings - third 12, coming up! Ya'll have a great day tomorrow - try anyway!

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I thought the advice was for only one year on med/surg?

I'd leave and find my niche.

I'm not a big believer in the idea that ALL nurses must put their time in on a med/surg unit. There are many nurses I graduated with who went into the newborn nursery for a few months and then NICU. One in particular is an awesome NICU nurse (I bow down to NICU nurses). I have another friend who was an LVN and when graduated with his RN started working in CCU. Some people went straight into L&D.

I work in a rural hospital - I do med/surg, OB and ER. I like the diversity. And we have more autonomy.

As to the LVN question . . . . the RN is the one who has to do the initial assessment so if the LVN has 6 patients and the RN has 6 patients then the RN has to do assessments on 12 patients. And all the IV meds. Etc.

steph