What should I review before going back to Med/Surg as an inactive nurse with out.....

In addition to reviewing nursing material ... you might also want to be sure you are physically fit. If you have not been on your feet for 12 hour shifts busy with patient care, you might find it pretty exhausting. You might find it pretty exhausting.

I'd recommend getting in shape and "living the schedule" a bit before your first week on the job to get your body and mind back into the physical aspect of the job and the routine.

I'm not in med/surg, so I can't tell you what to review. But I am in staff development and have worked with lots of nurses who have returned to nursing after being at home with their kids for a few years. Many struggle with the physical strength and stamina requirements of staff nursing at first.

Hello RN28,

I myself have been out of acute care for awhile. I have been an RN for over 13 years but have been doing home health and long term care for the past few years. Anyway, I also knew I wanted to freshen up my acute care skills, so I signed up for a local RN refresher course. It was not required of me as I never let my license lapse, but I felt it was the best way to get current again (and safest for my patients to be). I wonder if you do have any refresher courses in your area. My course is hospital based and lasts 15 weeks (meets 2 x per week classroom plus has 4 weeks of on the floor clinical experience caring for 2 to 3 patients). I'm in New Hampshire, not sure where you are. It's amazing how many things have changed in the hospital in the past 10 years. If you are not able to sign up for one of these courses, you might want to consider buying the latest med/surg textbook, and skimming through it. Alot will come back to you that way. The one I'm using for my course is Brunner and Suddarth's book. Again, I'm surprised by how many changes have occured in the care of med/surg patients. Some good, some not as good. I wish you the best no matter what. Kate

A word of advice for anyone considering a return to M/S nursing after several years' hiatus without taking a refresher course: DON'T.

Not only will you get run over out there, so many things change from one year to the next that there is no possible way for an outdated skill set to meet the demands of today's M/S unit. I don't mean to deflate your hopes, but you need to know that you should have up-to-the-minute knowledge and be in some sort of decent physical condition to survive, or better yet thrive, in the acute care setting.

I've been there. I haven't worked M/S in over two years, and I wouldn't attempt to go back without a refresher, even though I'm still a practicing RN. (I wouldn't go back anyway, but that's a story for another day.) Please consider the good advice you've received here, and GOOD LUCK to you whatever you decide!