Acute rehab vs Med/surg vs General surgery

[Jen5253]

Hello, a recent new grad for RN here from December 2023. I have worked as a LPN for a few years in nursing homes. I'm having so much confusion about where I want to work. I've recently interviewed for an acute rehab (cardiac and stroke unit), med/surg, and general surgery/ENT unit. Can I have some experienced nurses talk about your experiences with any of these floors? Maybe some pros and cons, the differences. What you prefer. Anything to give me some insight. 

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

How many patients would you have on the rehab floor? How many assistants are there? What shift would you be working? Those patients can have very heavy physical needs.  I worked one rehab floor, loved afternoons, hated days.  I was always assigned to give a bath.  Took me an hour. 

Med surg will always be heavy, but you will learn much. 

General surgery/ENT  could mean anything. What kinds of surgery? Trachs  and vents?  Same day surgeries?

Always ask to shadow. Good luck.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Our acute rehab is relatively easy as OT gets them dressed and then they are in therapies much of the day,. but it also can be like a nursing home and heavy work with toileting, etc.

Med-surg is tough and demanding but as was said above you'll learn a lot.

I work on the unit that is divided into med-surg with 20 beds and surgical with 16 beds.  Both have their challenges, but I like the surgical side better as most of the time they are elective surgeries and can get well quickly.  The issue is the turnover is really fast, it's nothing to discharge three or four patients in your assignment and get as many admissions in.