This may be an odd/stupid question, but what area of nursing (as an RN-BSN) do you think requires the most knowledge about many things and allows a nurse to continually learn day in and day out? I understand all specialities of nursing contain these aspects, but is there one in particular that stands out, like ICU or something? I am just wonderng because I want to continually be challenged to learn in my career, so I have been wondering lately. I start school in the fall .
Thanks guys!
-Nicole
Edit: I didn't think this would cause any problems or fighting, I was simply asking opinions, which I appreciated, but I don't want people to get angry over an ignorant post that I made, soooooooo please don't get mad!!
I wish I could delete this thread and everyone could frolick in the land of allnurses happy, tra-la-la-la-la hahaa
First of all, the BSN doesn't really factor into it, b/c in the real world it won't matter if you are ADN or BSN as far as what you learn each day.
I think it depends. You can't really say for sure where you'll learn hte most every day. It all depends on you, too, how much you seek out learning experiences. True, in the ED you see a little of everything (more so if at a large hospital) but you have to know a little bit about a lot of things. Since you get rid of the pt fairly quickly, you don't really delve too deeply into each condition (no offense to ER nurses). SO you do get a more broad base in ED.
As far as other specialties, for ex, mine is cardiac. I don't just see cardiac. you have to factor in the other medical conditions of hte pt. I've had (besides all my cardiac pt's)hip fracture pt's (went into afib after surgery), gi bleeds, alzheimers, iv drug abuse, cancer, bipolar disorder, depression, CVA, codependency,rib fractures, wound infections, renal failure, alcoholism, peg tubes, vents, copd, pneumonia, etc etc etc. It's never just one thing when in a specialty area, so you must consider that, too.
In peds, you'd get quite a varied exp too, b/c although the pt's are all under 18, they have medical conditions of all body systems.
so, if you truly wish to, you'll learn something new every day no matter where you are.
I only said RN-BSN so no one would say nurse practitioner.
I only said RN-BSN so no one would say nurse practitioner.
Hands down, without a doubt, is Critical Care. We have ADVANCED knowledge and EXPERTISE about ALL the major organs systems, heart rhythms, ventilators, Dialysis, Swan Ganz Catheters, Intra Aortic Ballon Pump, ICP Monitors, all types of vasoactive drips, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), CVVHD, the list goes on. NO OTHER AREA has the knowledge and expertise that Critical Care Nurses have. NOT the ER, OR, Telemetry, or any of the med surg floors. That is why the hospital would like us to be the hospital "float team" , because we can safely work any where. Not so any of the other departments.
That is why ICU nurses resent having to float all over because it is not reciprocated by other departments due to safety issues. We know our skills, and what it takes to be able to work in ICU, and I highly resented that I made the same salary as a med surg nurses, and paid higher malpractice premiums because of where I worked. I wish I had a dime for every time the doctors said, "well I can't sent my patient to the floor. They don't know how to take care of him. He will die if I sent him to the floor. I will leave him in ICU for at least another day".
Nowadays although critical care is certainly very important, you should be learning every day in every floor of the hospital. This is more of a general attitude versus a "one floor or one ICU versus another floor or ICU."
Hands down, without a doubt, is Critical Care. We have ADVANCED knowledge and EXPERTISE about ALL the major organs systems, heart rhythms, ventilators, Dialysis, Swan Ganz Catheters, Intra Aortic Ballon Pump, ICP Monitors, all types of vasoactive drips, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), CVVHD, the list goes on. NO OTHER AREA has the knowledge and expertise that Critical Care Nurses have. NOT the ER, OR, Telemetry, or any of the med surg floors. That is why the hospital would like us to be the hospital "float team" , because we can safely work any where. Not so any of the other departments.
That is why ICU nurses resent having to float all over because it is not reciprocated by other departments due to safety issues. We know our skills, and what it takes to be able to work in ICU, and I highly resented that I made the same salary as a med surg nurses, and paid higher malpractice premiums because of where I worked. I wish I had a dime for every time the doctors said, "well I can't sent my patient to the floor. They don't know how to take care of him. He will die if I sent him to the floor. I will leave him in ICU for at least another day".
Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington
Surely there are other ways to answer the OP's question without insulting other specialties or presenting a nursier-than-thou mentality (i.e. self-entitlement, arrogance.).
I felt I was fortunate enough to be in a hospital float pool for many years. It is not for everyone, but I was able to get a taste of a little of everything but hey, I'm a salad bar kind of gal! :loveya: You can never stop learning, you can never know enough that is for sure. To me...all areas are experts in what they do, I couldn't say any certain place knows more than the next.
Hands down, without a doubt, is Critical Care. We have ADVANCED knowledge and EXPERTISE about ALL the major organs systems, heart rhythms, ventilators, Dialysis, Swan Ganz Catheters, Intra Aortic Ballon Pump, ICP Monitors, all types of vasoactive drips, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), CVVHD, the list goes on. NO OTHER AREA has the knowledge and expertise that Critical Care Nurses have. NOT the ER, OR, Telemetry, or any of the med surg floors. That is why the hospital would like us to be the hospital "float team" , because we can safely work any where. Not so any of the other departments.
That is why ICU nurses resent having to float all over because it is not reciprocated by other departments due to safety issues. We know our skills, and what it takes to be able to work in ICU, and I highly resented that I made the same salary as a med surg nurses, and paid higher malpractice premiums because of where I worked. I wish I had a dime for every time the doctors said, "well I can't sent my patient to the floor. They don't know how to take care of him. He will die if I sent him to the floor. I will leave him in ICU for at least another day".
Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington
what's wrong with this picture???????? (shaking head)
new nurses.....this is how you don't want to come across.
nurses are masters of their own specialty......period.
what's wrong with this picture???????? (shaking head)
new nurses.....this is how you don't want to come across.
nurses are masters of their own specialty......period.
Thank you, thought i was in the minority when i read that :stone
However i will give the post one positive credit. It's a prime example of the kind of nurse i will not be, not matter what dept. i'll work in or what degree i'll stop at.
what's wrong with this picture???????? (shaking head)
new nurses.....this is how you don't want to come across.
nurses are masters of their own specialty......period.
Do we say that about physicians? I believe that physician specialties charge far more than GPs, and Internists. If physicians can charge more for their education and expertise, why can't nursing? I worked hard to develop the skills, education, and expertise, that enabled me to work safely in the ICU with critical patients. Med surg skills are learned in nursing school. I am sorry, but there is no other nursing specialty, with the exception of nurse anesthesia, (which requires several years of critical care nursing experience to even be competitive to apply), that has the broadbased nursing and medical expertise of a critical care nurse. This is the typical utter lack of respect for the accomplishments of other nurses (I don't want to extend myself to accomplish something, so why should those who have accomplished/earned a higher education, and/or learned a critically difficult specialty, make more money than me). The disdain and resentment that others display, when compared to nurses who have gone out of their way to learn a complicated, and critical specialty, (or educated themselves above their co workers), is what drives new nurses out of bedside nursing. Not to mention the feeling that those of us who have distinguished themselves, by our education, and learning/developing specialty expertise, should not be economically rewarded for our accomplishments, is also driving new nurses out of/away, from the bedside. And the old ones, like me, who got tired of working for HS drop out wages, and left for greener pastuers. We are going where our education and expertise WILL BE REWARDED and appreciated. I stand by my statements.
Do we say that about physicians? I believe that physician specialties charge far more than GPs, and Internists. If physicians can charge more for their education and expertise, why can't nursing? I worked hard to develop the skills, education, and expertise, that enabled me to work safely in the ICU with critical patients. Med surg skills are learned in nursing school. I am sorry, but there is no other nursing specialty, with the exception of nurse anesthesia, (which requires several years of critical care nursing experience to even be competitive to apply), that has the broadbased nursing and medical expertise of a critical care nurse. This is the typical utter lack of respect for the accomplishments of other nurses (I don't want to extend myself to accomplish something, so why should those who have accomplished/earned a higher education, and/or learned a critically difficult specialty, make more money than me). The disdain and resentment that others display, when compared to nurses who have gone out of their way to learn a complicated, and critical specialty, (or educated themselves above their co workers), is what drives new nurses out of bedside nursing. Not to mention the feeling that those of us who have distinguished themselves, by our education, and learning/developing specialty expertise, should not be economically rewarded for our accomplishments, is also driving new nurses out of/away, from the bedside. And the old ones, like me, who got tired of working for HS drop out wages, and left for greener pastuers. We are going where our education and expertise WILL BE REWARDED and appreciated. I stand by my statements.
Lindarn, RN, BSN CCRN
Spokane, Washington
Working hard for something and being proud of personal, career, and educational accomplishments does not give someone the right to be disrepectful and rude to others' and their specialty choices. To do so is increasing the VERY problem (one of them) most gripe about: lack of respect! Respect can be earned and/or demanded without stepping all over other people. Respect certainly isn't handed out on the silver platter, but beating it out of people (so to speak) isn't the way to get it either. ("Be the change you want to see."--Ghandi)
It is QUITE possible to be proud of those accomplishments without slamming others and their choices in the process.
And quite honestly, any disdain or resentment has zero to do with my specialty or education. My disdain and resentment stems from people who insist on respect, without giving any in return, who gripe about the problems in nursing, yet their entire attitude about the subject and toward others is a HUGE part of the problem, the very problem being griped about.
i don't dispute your knowledge base in critical care.
i don't even dispute what wages you're entitled to.
i take issue with your arrogance and feigned superiority.
i take issue with the absolute insensitivity you have shown your colleagues by pounding yourself on the chest.
and lastly, one's knowledge base is not synonymous with level of difficulty. to be knowledgeable and comfortable with it, makes your struggles no more valuable and no more acutely challenging. the lives of all our pts are easily and readily affected by any nurse not meeting the mere minimum standard of care; not just in ccu. you missed the big picture. and i stand by my statement.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Threads like these are clearly no-win situations. I would suggest kindly members NOT get all caught up in "oneupsmanship" in participating here. Thanks.
Yes, let's please keep this on target. I think we have plenty of wonderful examples of nurses learning on a daily basis. It is when we become so full of ourselves that we can't see that there are more opportunities for learning and we then become stagnant.
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moonischasingme1
532 Posts
I only said RN-BSN so no one would say nurse practitioner.