Bad Rep for Med Surg

Specialties Med-Surg

Published

Any med surg nurses out there have any ideas or input about why med surg has such a bad reputation and what could possibly be done about it? We see so many new nurses and experienced come and go (before completing orientation). We see new nurses doing everything possible to avoid that "year of med surg." I know there's short staffing woes, but that can only be fixed if we get some good nurses to stay. I know there's the eat your young thing - but isn't the buffet open on all units in some way? Why are we so bad? I love it. I try to show why and what I love about it, but nobody works with me hardly unless they are eagerly watching for the chance to jump ship to another dept! We hear on our floor that we need to learn to work as a team better - I said, that would be easier if the players didn't change so fast.

How do we make med surg less of a nightmare and help nurses choose this field?

I worked Trauma Med/Surg - leaving in a couple of weeks. Tired of no help, 6-7:1 ratio, in trouble if you have any overtime, and management that has all these "great ideas" on how to do more work with less staff/help. Oh yeah lets not forget the horrible patient satisfaction scores that of course are due to the nurse's inability to tend to everyone at once - it's all our fault! - I quit. I think I'll be a Greeter at WalMart - hehe sure would be more fun.

Specializes in Tele/ICU/MedSurg/Peds/SubAcute/LTC/Alz.
I worked Trauma Med/Surg - leaving in a couple of weeks. Tired of no help, 6-7:1 ratio, in trouble if you have any overtime, and management that has all these "great ideas" on how to do more work with less staff/help. Oh yeah lets not forget the horrible patient satisfaction scores that of course are due to the nurse's inability to tend to everyone at once - it's all our fault! - I quit. I think I'll be a Greeter at WalMart - hehe sure would be more fun.

oh no! I hear ya, about it always being nursing's fault. I work the night shift where we are blamed for everything...

I hope you find a better place to be, and it isn't your fault.

read my post about med-surg certifications

Med-surg is not a speciality; isn't it the basics of nursing? I don't see anything thing special about . That's why there shouldn't be any "certification" for it. that's like being certified "nurse". Aren't we all "certified"?

I don't think Med-surg is a specilaty. Isn't it what we are trained to do? I work with people who can't work anywhere else. That's scary. I find it hard to comprehend why this "specialty" would be "certified".

Specializes in Tele/ICU/MedSurg/Peds/SubAcute/LTC/Alz.
read my post about med-surg certifications

Interesting...

Med-surg is not a speciality; isn't it the basics of nursing? I don't see anything thing special about . That's why there shouldn't be any "certification" for it. that's like being certified "nurse". Aren't we all "certified"?

Yeah, it really isn't fun. But, I guess that depends on where and what hospital you work in.

Specializes in private duty/home health, med/surg.

I think the first thing that needs to happen is get over this "Mandatory year in med-surg" thing. If you truly have a desire to have the experience of a year in med-surg or that is the area of nursing that interests you, by all means do it. I think that making new graduates feel that this is something they *have* to do is contributing to the bad rap.

The ratios need to change & be flexible. I have 6 patients on night shift, which is okay some nights. Other nights they are very high acuity and I really wish they would take that into consideration!

ColtsRN, I'm sorry you feel that my job isn't special. Med-surg nursing is very challenging due to the fact that you never know what you're going to be dealing with, even if you've been there for years. It takes a special nurse to handle having anything and everything thrown at them.

Believe it or not, some of us are here by choice, not because we "can't work anywhere else." There are plenty of nurses in every area of nursing that won't or "can't" work anywhere else because they've found their niche. Why would that be scary?

Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

Our ratio is 7:1. Very high acuity-very stressful environment to work. Some belong in the ICU where the "specialty nurses" have max of 2(There is simply no room for everyone) Yet, we still have to manage. It's the only hospital in a 250 mile radius-so we are it. Bottom line, I challenge anyone who says med-surg is not a specialty. I have seen many run out of this type of work due to the high demand it entails.

A big hug and kuddos to all my med-surg nurses! Regardless, I love my work and medsurg for me it is.

As a NICU nurse, I know I couldn't come up to the floor and start taking care of adults. You guys definitely have a unique body of knowledge that isn't shared by all nurses across the board. We all went to nursing school but, trust me, you don't want all of us trying to operate a Hoyer lift or a CPM machine. :eek:

Specializes in Tele/ICU/MedSurg/Peds/SubAcute/LTC/Alz.
As a NICU nurse, I know I couldn't come up to the floor and start taking care of adults. You guys definitely have a unique body of knowledge that isn't shared by all nurses across the board. We all went to nursing school but, trust me, you don't want all of us trying to operate a Hoyer lift or a CPM machine. :eek:

That was a good one! You know some just don't understand. :lol2:

I apologize for sounding synical about my job. I think sometimes I get frustrated with the people I work with that have no job pride. I have over 22 years experience in ICU, Pacu, and now Med-Surg. I get aggravated with folks that start IV's, insert NG's and operate even suction heads (these are nurses who I have worked with for over 10 years).

"Obviously, in order to decrease workload, we need more nurses."

I don't think this applies. When there are enough nurses scheduled, admin pulls them to other floors or sends them home.

It's lack of mandated ratios, not lack of nurses that is the problem.

Since Calif adopted mandated ratios, their nursing shortage magically disappeared.

I left med-surg because of being assigned to care for a dozen very ill pts, all by myself.

Med surg is not a good place to hone skills, when you are so busy and too overwhelmed to even be able to provide decent, basic care, much less try and learn, and build your skills.

The only thing I learned in med surg, is that I had to leave.

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