the almighty year of med-surg experience

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2008

If you don't know what to do, med-surg is a good starting point. If you do know what you want to do, then going for what you want is a better idea.

I think that if you already are in a job sticking it out for a year says a lot to an employer or another department manager about you. But if you're completely miserable and the thought of working another nine months is not possible, then you should count your losses and leave. But if you can, hang in there since you're already there.

Things are so specialized and departments are realizing that they can train new grad nurses to their specialities as easy as they can a new nurse with a year's experience. From a financial point of view, this makes sense. Why would I want to spend 12 weeks orienting you, to have you leave 9 months later to another department where you're going to have to orient another 12 to 16 weeks?

NursKris82 · Jan 27, 2008

I am a LPN and an RN nursing student. My clinical instructor told me that you don't have to do a year in med/ surg. I guess it depends on the need for nurses in your area, but where I'm at (Lansing, MI) the need is to great. New grads don't have to work med/ surg or nights. I read a post on this site somewhere that says a lot of specialty depts. would rather have a new grad as opposed to someone with experience because this allows the dept. to train you like they want you trained and you won't ahve picked up any bad habits yet. I guess it really depends on the need in your area and if you know what you want to do. I also read that if your going into peds don't do adults first because it's so different. Just my thoughts.

RNperdiem, RN · Jan 28, 2008

Once, maybe not so long ago, there was not a nursing shortage.

This meant that new grads had a more difficult time landing a first job.

Many non-teaching would not even hire new grads. The med-surg floor I worked for 4 years wouldn't even consider hiring me when I graduated nsg school.

New grads generally started in med-surg(on the least popular shift) because they had fewer choices.

Experience really did count for a lot, and once you had a year of work, you could look at moving into a speciality. Some specialities were very difficult to break into some were more accessable.

Hospitals have had to change. No longer can they run the Nursing Education department on a shoestring budget and hire only experienced nurses.

More and more internships, extensive orientation and critical care classes can be found.

While I do not regret my med-surg experience, new grads have more choices.

jelly221,RN · Jan 29, 2008

Whew- hearing everyone say that is SUCH a relief to me! I DEFINITELY do not want to do med-surg. At the hospital I volunteer at, that floor is so depressing and none of the nurses look happy. At least in ICU (where they're also kinda depressed) they're actually doing something. No offense to anyone who likes med-surg, I know it takes a wide variety of knowledge and skill to do that. But, I want something that keeps me moving and kind of stressed out- I work way better under pressure.

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Jan 29, 2008

I chose to do the year in medsurg, and have not regreted it. It's mighty tough but I hope it pays off.

llg, PhD, RN · Jan 29, 2008

For every career decision you make, there are potential benefits -- and also a potential price to be paid. Later in life, some of us always wonder "What if? ..." about the roads we choose not to take. You need to understand what that price might be and be prepared to live with it should you have to pay it later.

Many years ago, I started my nursing career as a new grad in a Neonatal ICU. While I have never actually regretted my decision, I recognize that the decision significantly limited my career options later. As time passed, it became increasingly difficult to imagine myself working with any other patient population -- and that has severely limited my job options.

The advantage to working for a while on an adult med/surg unit is that it gives you some experience that can serve as a foundation for a lot of different jobs later in your career -- jobs that you might want someday. If you decide to NOT get that experience, then be prepared to deal with the fact that you won't have that experience someday when you might wish you did have it.

I take responsibility for the choices I have made. I know I have no right to complain if a few jobs that appeal to me now are not available to me now because of choices I made in the past.

KatieBell · Jan 29, 2008

I did not do a year of Med-Surg. In the end this has not hurt me and so far for seven years I have worked Emergency or ICU. Now, I would not really highly reccommend doing what I did, which was attempt to find the biggest baddest ICU out there to start in ...Neurosurgical ICU at a huge Level One trauma center/referral center.... That was an error. If you are interested in ICU or Emergency it would pay to start at a slightly less acute type of facility, and then move over to the Level One. Most of these places would love ot hire any experienced nurse, rather than a new grad, though most are all hiring new grads. Some have done well, others have had a hard time with it. Best of Luck to you all inwhatever you choose to do!!

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Jan 29, 2008

You don't HAVE to stay, but it will make you look better to employers. Also, you start to hate it less after 6 months, honest. I wanted to die just to get out of working med/surg the first few months after I started. After 6 months, I only disliked it. At a year, I could tolerate it. At 2 years, I could take it or leave it. At 3 years, I almost like it. Almost. I did learn a great deal, and am very glad that I stuck it out the minimum one year. I feel I have confidence to switch to a more specialized area now. I worked LTC and psych before med/surg. I someday want to return to psych, but first still feel the need to learn more. I didn't stay in psych b/c I was afraid of getting stuck working there forever if I didn't learn other stuff well. Good luck in your decision! :twocents:

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jan 29, 2008

When I started working as a new grad LPN, I was assigned to work in the same clinic I was employed in as an aide. We were required as new grads to work med-surg for 6 weeks. I think it was HORRIBLE. The nurses looked miserable, it was disorganized, and the margin of error looked to be extremely high. I took the first thing smoking when my 6 weeks were up. I really enjoy working in ambulatory care, because I have a chance to teach and learn about people. Also, the LPN is more respected in the clinic at my facility than the floors. I did decide, though, to work per diem on the med-surg wards in my hospital, for several reasons. I did not want to limit my choices down the road, and I see MANY opportunities for LPNs to work as case coordinators, assisted living, home health (in the offices sometimes, rather than the field nurse) and such, but they are asking for at least a year or two of med-surg. These people don't have to know that I only did it like twice a month. I want to comfortably be able to discuss my med-surg experiences.

Bottom line, though is that I will remain as a clinic nurse for my main source of income unless they throw me out. I get weekends and holidays off-something that most new grads to not get. I am a valued worker and team player. I love teaching and interacting. But, I can understand why one would say that med-surg experience would go a long way, and I don't want to limit my options to more opportunities.

psychnurse1998 · Feb 2, 2008

LLq in another post here says it better than I probably will. I agree that getting a good foundation in med surg prepares you for other specialites in nursing best. I returned to nursing after 30 years of being inactive nurse, and entered psych nursing. The transitioin to psych nursing was rather smooth or easy. The problem now is I need recent med surg experience to complete my clinical for my Rn and having a hard time getting hired in that area. I am an Lvn, 62, which may be 2 counts not favorable also. In my part of california, the acute care hospitals are phasing out Lvns to be replaced by Rns. So from my view, its seems like its still that ALLMIGHTY year of med-surg experience.

MrsWampthang, BSN, RN · Feb 2, 2008

I think in some cases, the new grad needs that med/surg experience to get some critical thinking skills under their belts. Some new grads can do well in specialty areas, but like someone else said, you start out in a specialty area, then unless you want to stay there, you kind of limit your experience to be able to work comfortably in other areas. My husband and I both started out working in the ER and I didn't know how much I didn't know until I got a job in a long term acute care. I learned so much there that you just don't learn in the ER, at least in our ER. But in any case, it's not a bad thing to go into a specialty area if they have a good orientation program because if they don't, you end up lost and in over your head. Good luck in whatever you chose to do!