New grad question for all you pros out there :)

I'm surprised that no one who is in favor of starting out in med/surg has chimed in yet, because I've read a lot of posts from them when this subject comes up.
Regardless of whether or not you hear it here, you will here it from other people.
In my opinion, it's very outdated wisdom from nurses who were nurses back in the day when you had no choice because new grads were never hired straight into specialties.

I'm surprised that no one who is in favor of starting out in med/surg has chimed in yet, because I've read a lot of posts from them when this subject comes up.
Regardless of whether or not you hear it here, you will here it from other people.
In my opinion, it's very outdated wisdom from nurses who were nurses back in the day when you had no choice because new grads were never hired straight into specialties.
Not that all well seasoned nurses feel this way, but for the ones who do, they've usually been nurses for a long time, long before new grads had access to places like NICU or L&D, so some meet it with much resistance.

I worked med/surg for years before moving to ICU. But that was mostly because I had few other choices because I was an LPN then.
Med/surg was great experience and very helpful for someone like me moving to adult ICU, but I'd hardly call it necessary.
I started ICU with a batch of new grads and finished orientation in less than half the time as a result of my previous experience, but is that really any big deal in the grand scheme of things? No.

IMHO, med/surg can be pure torture, and if you already know that you don't like it before you even start working in it, then don't even waste your time and energy. Med/Surg nurses who stay in it have to like it to some extent, because I'd say that it's the most abusive area I've ever worked.
My worst day in ICU or PACU pales in comparison to any average day I ever had working med/surg. Never again.