Are there nurses out there that actually LIKE Med-Surg?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am quitting my surgical nursing job after 3 months to go back to critical care nursing. I honestly don't know how i lasted 3 months. I just don't understand how anyone can enjoy med-surg nursing. U are so busy running around like a mad-man/woman that you can't even give quality nursing care to your patients. UGGG!

Are there any nurses out there that actually enjoy their med-surg job? I just can't see it.

I've been a medsurg nurse for 3 years. My full time job is on a mainly medical floor. I now work prn on a mainly surgical floor. I can now say... I prefer medical patients over surgical patients. It is a busy place to work. Just wish med surg nurses were appreciated more.
Ditto except I work on a surgical floor and definitely prefer surgical patients over medical! We do get medical patients as well and of course many surgical patients come with many medical co-morbidities as well. I like post op nursing so much I started picking up prn time in our Outpatient Surgery unit. I'm also thinking about becoming certified in Med-Surg.
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Specializes in ICU, CVICU, Surgical, LTAC.

i understand that med-surg patients require a different level of care than critical care patients and i totally understand that, but my whole thing is when one of my patient's pressess their call light for pain medicine and i can't get their for an hour because i am tied up doing 50 million other things for all of my other patients, that is a problem! And no it is not the fact that I am not used to prioritizing care because before i did ICU or med-surg i worked in a LTAC, where average patient load was 7-8 patients per RN and these patients had higher acuity than med-surg patients. I couldn't stand that job either because i felt the same way i did about med-surg. I was scared to death that i couldn't keep a close enough eye on my patients. Med-surg patients can go downhill just as quickly as ICU patients can. I've seen it and its very scary. the other day a co-worker of mine got in trouble because while she was admitting a patient her other patient coded and management told her she should have recognized that the patient was in trouble earlier from her clinical presentation. well thats just it all you have time for is a five minute assessment, pass meds, then move on to the next patient so you won't get behind. there are times that i can't check my vitals right away and good luck if the CNA remembers to tell you right a way that so and so's SBP is in the 80s. Its just rediculous. Maybe some of you work in a facility where the staffing is better and the acuity isn't that high, but i have yet to see a Med-surg facility that operates different than mine, and it truly sucks. I am not saying that i don't respect Med-Surg nurses. I think the nurses are awesome, I just feel like they are abused the MOST and I personally can't take it anymore. God bless those of you who can!

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Ditto except I work on a surgical floor and definitely prefer surgical patients over medical! We do get medical patients as well and of course many surgical patients come with many medical co-morbidities as well. I like post op nursing so much I started picking up prn time in our Outpatient Surgery unit. I'm also thinking about becoming certified in Med-Surg.

Surgical patients are great, just so interesting, you learn so much. I have done surgical floors and had 3 o4 come back from surgery between 3 and 5pm, unfortunately that is when my 2 or 3 ER admissions came. It get so hairy. I really prefered a mix of medical and surgical.

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I was scared to death that i couldn't keep a close enough eye on my patients. Med-surg patients can go downhill just as quickly as ICU patients can. I've seen it and its very scary. the other day a co-worker of mine got in trouble because while she was admitting a patient her other patient coded and management told her she should have recognized that the patient was in trouble earlier from her clinical presentation. well thats just it all you have time for is a five minute assessment, pass meds, then move on to the next patient so you won't get behind. there are times that i can't check my vitals right away and good luck if the CNA remembers to tell you right a way that so and so's SBP is in the 80s. Its just rediculous.

I have been there and seen this also. The same management people that blame the staff for problems like this, will be the ones that can't understand why you refuse to take 10 or 12 patients when staffing is bad. "Well if you would just learn how to prioritize" they will say. I say there is a special circle in hell for them. It is over two years since I have worked and my blood still boils when I think about it.

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I just left my med/surg job for an ED job at the same hospital. I didn't leave med/surg because I disliked it, I left because I know I will like the ED more. I actually enjoyed the busy-ness of med/surg. Can you meet every patients need at every second? No. But that's how you learn to delegate and prioritize. It's also how you learn to live with not being able to be a Super Nurse and do everything. Sometimes you have to know that you did your best, and that it's good enough, even if something didn't go right.

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Specializes in med surg,.

I hate med-surg, I always felt like I couldn't do enough for my patients. One day I had 3 dc and 3 admits in a 4 hr period(total 6 pts at a time). They want us dc the pt within 1 hr of the dr writing the order. So basically you ignore your other pts so you can discharge that pt which can take anywhere from 30 min to an hr depending on meds,wounds and core measure. Then they want to give you a new admit sometimes before you are even done with the discharge.I think it is dangerous because what if the new pt goes bad before you get a chance to check them out. When I admit pt I like to spend plenty of time to get a complete thorough assessment. That is hard to do when you are interrupted every 2 seconds by phone for pain meds and tele and dr calling(why they forward the dr to you when you are out on the floor and dont have the chart). How bad it is depends on the cna you have and how good they are(take pts to bathroom, changing, bath,take vs and blood sugar) and charge nurse and the other nurses you work with. The last floor had very good nurse teamwork but my cna was lazy so every room I went in I had to take pt to the bathroom, change beds, fill ice pitchers, bring pt various items and she wouldnt even say she didnt know pt were bs so I had to do them myself. I was cna before I was a LPN/RN. I would have been fired if I had done that. I dont mind doing those things but not every room all the time. I am looking for a new position not in med surg!

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Yes! I never thought I'd work med-surg but got hired there after I graduated and I love it! No plans to leave anytime soon.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, School and Correctional.

I was hired as a Med/Surg nurse fresh out of LPN school and don't regret it for one minute. I loved it & truly can't wait to do that type of nursing again. I enjoyed the variety of patients and the skills I gained were invaluable. It's a shame the hospital system I worked for decided they didn't need LPNs much anymore. I ended up losing my job because of it.

I just started working as a psych nurse. That is an area I don't see me being in for a long period of time.

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Specializes in ICU, Trauma, Neuro, Admin., Consulting.

Yes there are. I love it. I have worked most of my 23 yr career in trauma and critical care with med surg being my favorite in certain ways . As a faculty member now I want my clinicals on a med surg floor because the teaching and learning opportunities are endless and the patients are so appreciative. Students are able to learn to be nurses. I encourage all new grads to begin their career on a med surg floor. When you conquer that you can work circles around anyone else anywhere else.:lol2:

Nitronurse

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Specializes in Surgical.

No Ive done it for 5 yrs and Im now stuck on M/S floor. My advice find the job that you think you will most enjoy and start there. It may take some time to find it, but it will be worth the wait

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Specializes in TELEMETRY.
I am quitting my surgical nursing job after 3 months to go back to critical care nursing. I honestly don't know how i lasted 3 months. I just don't understand how anyone can enjoy med-surg nursing. U are so busy running around like a mad-man/woman that you can't even give quality nursing care to your patients. UGGG!

Are there any nurses out there that actually enjoy their med-surg job? I just can't see it.

I love it MOST days! I get mostly surgical or trauma patient who require pain meds. I hate having multiple PO meds and accuchecks!!! lol... But I love the rush of all the admits and discharges and fast overtun of patients..

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