Med-Surg Roll Call

HelloKittyRN · Feb 1, 2006

I currently work on a medical floor and have worked their for 18 months as an aide and 13 months as an RN. I am constantly busy and always learning new things, I truly enjoy it. I don't plan on being on the medical floor forever. I currently am working towards my BSN and then I want to get my Masters to teach nursing. This has always been my dream. Who knows, maybe I'll end up teaching med-surg!

redem2 · Feb 13, 2006

Hello!

I also work medsurg all my nursing life. I'd prefer all surgical pts if it's up to me but for 20 yrs or so it's been a mixed population of nursing

redem2 · Feb 13, 2006

Hello!
I also work medsurg all my nursing life. I'd prefer all surgical cases but hospitals have been consolidating patients. Started my nursing experience working in Savannah, GA.,where at the time we were doing all shift
rotations 2 weeks each time. That was very hard for us newgrads. I couldn't figure out when to sleep or stay awake. after 6 wks i was going bonkers. We begged our
Supervisor to put us on permanent eves or nocs. and i've on nocs since then..
Now in my present hospital we have med/surg ortho/spine/gyne /gen surgery patients.
It's always busy even if we take care of 5 patients
most nocs.
:nurse: :nurse:

looking4help · Mar 8, 2006

looking for help here--been a medsurg nurse for about 29 years of the 32 years I've given to nursing. My mother was an OB nurse for 28 years before going to work in long term care--1 extreme to the other! I tried long term care as mds nurse and home health nursing but went back to ms--it has any and all challenges you could dream of and then some especially in a rural hospital. This past year we have become ms/skilled care! More paperwork!!

Its challenging to get in patient care time between the pages! Anyone relate?

KK92RN · Mar 10, 2006

I have been in med surg for 6 years and prior to that i worked skilled nursing rehab in the same hospital. i have been on a ortho, neuro, trauma, ms unit for 2 years as a rn charge and pretty much love it. I am comfortable there now. took a while. but i get to see interesting things, and learn something new everyday. i also get to participate in the care of pts at very scary times and there have been numerous times i have left work knowing i did my best and helped that pt. my hospital is currently working on a med surg week so that other specialty areas will recognize that ms is a specialty. so our goal is to get as many nurses that are qualified to get certified.

twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN · Mar 29, 2006

Hi everyone! I'm a new grad and have survived my first month so far

Chaya, ASN, RN · Apr 5, 2006

Been in nursing for 7 years but new to Med Surg. I'm still trying to get comfortable in a new setting. What I like is the diversity. You need to take a holistic approach to the person as a whole to incorporate all their issues.

DClark327 · Apr 8, 2006

I am due to graduate in May. I have done many clinicals in Med-Surg and am currently doing my Preceptorship on a Med-Surg Unit. I dislike MS and would like to do L&D or Home Health. However, the instructors at my school are always telling us that we should spend at least a year in MS. I just can't see myself doing that. I am 41 years old and decided to make a career change at the age of 37. I don't want to be tired and miserable when I work. I want to enjoy what I do while helping others at the same time. How necessary is it to be in MS first? Furthermore, I have decided to write my research paper on this topic. Any ideas on where I can find written information, such as periodicals or journals? I'm not having much luck finding anything so far. I'v tried RN magazine, AJN, and surfing the web which is how I found this site. I need eight references.

Sincerely,

DClark327

seekthenew · Apr 10, 2006

I was sad to see that the nurse who began this thread sees Med Surg as a stepping stone!!!!! Iam have been certified for the past 2 years, as a CMSRN, and very proud of that and my nursing knowledge, much of which is hard-won. Its not perfect, and its not for wimps. There are days when I hate it and days when I love it, but mostly I try to prioritize and take it as it comes. We should command/demand respect as much as other specialties do....Stepping stone??? I say you must have a solid background in the generalities of nursing, find out what your true nurse calling is, and then enter another specialty. We have the hardest job in nursing and the least recognition.

CarVsTree · May 20, 2006

I am a new grad (graduated in December). I have been working for 5 whole months as an RN on a Trauma Med-Surg floor. We also have on observation room with 4 beds. It is 4:1 in the obs room and a nurse or tech must be in that room at all times (thus the observation part).

We are 6:1 on the regular floor. It is a tough ratio at times. I plan on staying in med/surg for at least 1 year perhaps 2 (maybe more). Right now, it is exciting going into work. I learn something new several times every shift. I love my trauma patients. We get lots of trauma, we are also the step down unit of choice for the burn surgeons. We have telemetry and sometimes get medical or surgical patients when other tele beds are not open. We also have 2 isolation rooms and often get medical patients in there.

I don't like medical patients very much. It has more to do with medical residents (HATE them) than to do with the patients themselves.

Enjoy my job though. More than I even thought I would. But let me tell you... I am TIRED when I'm done.

CarVsTree · May 20, 2006

I am due to graduate in May. I have done many clinicals in Med-Surg and am currently doing my Preceptorship on a Med-Surg Unit. I dislike MS and would like to do L&D or Home Health. However, the instructors at my school are always telling us that we should spend at least a year in MS. I just can't see myself doing that. I am 41 years old and decided to make a career change at the age of 37. I don't want to be tired and miserable when I work. I want to enjoy what I do while helping others at the same time. How necessary is it to be in MS first? Furthermore, I have decided to write my research paper on this topic. Any ideas on where I can find written information, such as periodicals or journals? I'm not having much luck finding anything so far. I'v tried RN magazine, AJN, and surfing the web which is how I found this site. I need eight references.
Sincerely,
DClark327

Perhaps you should start a new thread. This is Med/Surg roll call. Talking about what why we are in med/surg. BTW, a year is not a long time. Your instructors are right.

allnurses Guide · May 20, 2006

I am due to graduate in May. I have done many clinicals in Med-Surg and am currently doing my Preceptorship on a Med-Surg Unit. I dislike MS and would like to do L&D or Home Health. However, the instructors at my school are always telling us that we should spend at least a year in MS. I just can't see myself doing that. I am 41 years old and decided to make a career change at the age of 37. I don't want to be tired and miserable when I work. I want to enjoy what I do while helping others at the same time. How necessary is it to be in MS first? Furthermore, I have decided to write my research paper on this topic. Any ideas on where I can find written information, such as periodicals or journals? I'm not having much luck finding anything so far. I'v tried RN magazine, AJN, and surfing the web which is how I found this site. I need eight references.
Sincerely,
DClark327

Hello and welcome!

There are a bunch of threads on just this subject here on allnurses - just folks comments though. I'm not familiar with any referenced material.

My opinion is that you do NOT need to do a year of med/surg before branching out to something else. Your instructors are wrong - that is outdated thinking. Most of the folks I graduated with 8 years ago went directly into their specialty . . . NICU, ICU, L&D, Post-Partum, ER, etc.

You can do a search here on allnurses or ask a moderator to help you find the other threads and see other's opinions.

Good luck.

steph