Question

Nurses General Nursing

Published

:) Good evening to all my fellow nurses out there. I was talking the other day with a friend of mine who works in the local hospitals Labor and Delivery department. She was discussing all the things that "they" do and how hard it was. Well, see I work in another hospital on the medical surgical unit. I think that work is rather hard. It seemed like we were competing with each other in our coversation as to whos work was harder or something. How rediculous. Anyway, my question to you.....for people who have been around different specialties in nursing.....................where have you found the work to be the most difficult? I have always heard med-surg, but I would like to know some peoples opionions out there in cyberspace.

Thanks,

incognito

Specializes in Med-Surg, Long Term Care.

You all have expressed my thoughts so well! I don't see this as a one-upmanship at all-- Everybody's unit has its own unique stressors and rewards. The only thing I might add from my 8 years as a Med-Surg nurse that may be different from other specialties is the amount of turnover we get (Except for the E.D. I guess!). Our NM said at a recent staff meeting that on our 65-bed floor, we can have a turnover of 1/3 of the beds in 24 hours with patients being discharged and then gradually filling up again with post-ops, transfers from ICU or Telemetry, and admissions, making for chaotic and frenetic activity at times. Add to that staffing problems due to new grads leaving for a different unit after they have 6 months to a year of training on our floor and nurses that just can't stand the pace and variety/acuity of patients. One of the best things our NM has recently done was to hire more PCT's; it helps us do our job so much better to know our patients' call lights are being answered and basic needs met. (There used to be only 3 PCT's for potential 65 patients on 3-11 shift... :( )

Specializes in Hospice/Homehealth/Homecare.

I have the hardest job in the world!!!! I sit at a desk, man a prescription line, take a couple of BP's and do triage. I don't think I can handle the excitement one minute longer!@!!!!:rotfl:

Seriously though, every job has its moments. I did private duty and had to lift a 95pound patient by myself about 15 times a day. That was hard. I had to watch a little girl dying over a 6 month period--that was hard. I had to cover 2 floors in a LTC facility--that was hard. The point is, we weigh the pros and cons of our chosen jobs and decided to stay or go. We all have difficult jobs (except me :roll) and getting into a pi$$ing contest over who has it the toughest, just perpetuates the catty, trifling, eatouryoung stereotypes that we all SO love. NURSING IS A TOUGH PROFESSION FOR TOUGH PEOPLE!!!!! WIMPS BE GONE

Originally posted by LasVegasRN

Having to juggle ALL those patients on one side of the floor with little help. The whole issue of people sitting on their duffs with call lights going off. Having to call physician's for orders and THEY are mad at YOU for not being able to write at the speed of light and almost as if you were the reason they had to admit the patient in the first place. All of the BS you have to put up with from other nurses because you are so stressed trying to make sure you get all the meds passed, care done, and calls returned because you are so short staffed. Not to mention the DUMPING that happens from other floors.

I left med-surg to go to ICU to escape that madness.

"Whew....I thought it was me".

Maybe I will consider going back to school to become a RN just to get back into a field I LOVe...Utilization Review/Case Management.

I think whatever field in nursing that you love or have a desire to learn more...And show up for work...Is the easiest.

I agree that every area has it's own unique difficulties. People think that L&D is easy. I haven't ever done it and I never will; it's bad enough to have to go there to attend a high-risk delivery.

Imagine having 2 patients at the same time, one of whom can have all kinds of problems and you can't even see the patient to assess it! Recently, our L&D has had moms with pancreatitis, cholecystits (or however you spell that gall-bladder thing), the ever-present diabetes, psych problems - not counting the pregnancy-induced pulmonary edema, DIC and whatever else lands these moms in ICU after delivery. That's only the stuff someone who doesn't work there knows about.

And talk about turnover: we (nursery/nicu) and maternity are supposed to be facilitating the "throughput" in L&D. They need to get those moms delivered and moved out so that they can do it again. . .

Originally posted by rebelwaclause

"Whew....I thought it was me".

Maybe I will consider going back to school to become a RN just to get back into a field I LOVe...Utilization Review/Case Management.

Yay! That's what I do now! Been in UR and Case management for the last 9 years!

Specializes in ER.

MS was/is the hardest because it is the area with the most scut and the least respect or acknowledgement that we are doing a difficult and mentally/physically challenging job. Also seemed to take whatever the other units didn't want, or whatever falls through the cracks, and yet need to be ready for a critically ill patient or demanding family and just absorb it into the census. I didn't even have to think about this answer...it's the unit where I can feel like I'm drowning and yet go home and not be able to tell the dramatic "what a day I had" story because that's the way it is every day, just have to suck it up, and I find that wearing.

Med-Surg. I've worked CCU, telemetry, ICU, and ER, and the area that appealed to me the least was Med-Surg because of the huge number of patients on a "Team" with very little help. Plus, you have to juggle all of their comings and goings for tests, procedures, surgeries, and try to schedule your meds, etc. around your assessments every time they return from somewhere. There are also a gazillion and a half labs to keep track of and inform the MD of. Plus, any one of them can go south at any time, requiring transport to the unit.:rolleyes:

Most all types of nursing is difficult. I can't imagine working in peds....sick or dying chidren get to me.:sniff: Oncology and ER are 2 other specialties I imagine as being hard work. Burn units as well.

I've only worked a few differents specialties...med/surg, tele, CTICU, and homecare. From my experience tele was incredibly difficult. Homecare was pure frustration. Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork...try getting directions to an elderly, deaf, ill, demented, grumpy man's house. You WILL be nuts by the time you pull into the driveway and this is BEFORE filling out the OASIS questions. AAAAARGH!

You know...we are ALL in the same sinking boat.......without a lifepreserver......

Right on Fergus!!

We are each tallented in our own ways. Each area of nursing can be as diifcult as the next. I choose not to play this game. A pox on anyone who says geriatrics is easy!!! You'll have to deal with me later.

I worked Med/Surg and ER. Lately, ER has been worse because of all the admissions we are holding. ICU, Telemetry, Med/Surg all are staying in the ER waiting for beds, plus the ER patients. It's the easiest job I've ever worked in the early AM hours, then it's the hardest I've ever worked in the afternoons. I just transferred to ICU. I hope I can find my sanity there.

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

I work in Oncology - everyone seems to think that it is hard and depressing. I see it as my patients are facing a challenge to the physical and spiritual. They will get better (70%) or they will die, and I will make them as comfortable and able to complete as many life tasks as possible if they are dying.

Neuro depresses the crap out of me. The 20ish head injury - comatous, trach, peg tube head-on-a-beds- that you can't medicate for pain as it would screw up neuro checks - full code because Mom & Dad can't give up- patient scares me. And after having a schizophrenic sister, I can't take psych.:eek:

+ Add a Comment