Best & Worst Floors to Work On

Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN · Jun 5, 2008

I hate working on Renal, it is one of the few patient populations I rather not work with.

I love working on geriatrics/med/surg, It's fast paced and I feel the elderly appreciate what you do more than the younger population

Flare, ASN, BSN · Jun 5, 2008

I'd say it's not so much the type of patient - that comes down purely to personal preferance and not everyone likes maternity or psych or peds... i think it has more to do with a floor or unit that has great, supportive management, great co-workers, and a good team atmosphere.

ukstudent · Jun 5, 2008

Each hospital is different. What is a good floor, with adequate staffing and a fair manager, in one hospital could be horrible in another. I don't believe there is any best floor to work on that would stay true throughout America.

To answer your question in another way. The best floor is the floor that interests YOU. Find an area of nursing that you will enjoy, that will make you smile going into work, then that will be the best floor. It could be med-surg, peds, pacu, or, icu, er anything. Then it will also need adequate staffing and fair management.

Interest in area of work + ability to be the best nurse = best floor.

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Jun 5, 2008

What are you interested in? I am someone that would never work psych/peds/OB/L&D. I would love to try the ER one day. However I really like ICU. I like the challange.

I did work med surg. I liked being there. I just burned out there after 5 years.

So there is not a best/worst floor type in general, however there is the best/worst in every hospital.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jun 5, 2008

After 20 years I have worked on a lot of different types of floors and some of the easiest bored me senseless.

I have to say for me personnally the best places I have worked are the place where there is a good working atmosphere where you feel supported by staff who are educated and informed.

Where there are students who keep you on your toes, and keep you up to date with the latest research.

Where 'the open door' is really open and you can bounce idea's off your manager and feel supported and encouraged.

Where you get up in the morning and are actually looking forward to going into work and not feel sick at the thought.

and lastly a place where you feel valued, respected.

RNperdiem, RN · Jun 5, 2008

The best floors have a strong core of experienced staff, strong mentors, low turnover, and good morale. The floor is generally well staffed in both nurses and support staff most of the time. The turnover in these places tend to be low, so there will be fewer job postings.

The worst floors are always hiring because people leave or burn out quickly. There is no strong leadership. The staff is a patchwork of lost new grads, agency nurses, floaters not happy to be floated there, and a few overworked senior nurses trying to keep it together. Often there is a chronic shortage of support staff and supplies.

BookwormRN · Jun 5, 2008

The best unit to work is where you have a terrific manager and great co-workers.

I love psych, but the unit I worked on had been mis-managed for years.

On med-surg now and although I don't always love what's happening on the unit, I love my family of co-workers and the manager is one who gets things done ( also has an open door).

mpccrn, BSN, RN · Jun 5, 2008

i've worked ICU my whole life. having said that, there are only 2 managers in the 30 years i've been in the buisness that i honestly respected and admired. that's sad! my boss now is the BEST ever! there's nothing i wouldn't do for her and i haven't ever felt more respected by a manager before. we may not always be staffed the best but kelly is always there for us. she's one of the few that will forget a meeting to pitch in and help us. now THAT's the GREATEST unit to work! :yelclap:

KnitterMama · Jun 5, 2008

The best floors have a strong core of experienced staff, strong mentors, low turnover, and good morale. The floor is generally well staffed in both nurses and support staff most of the time. The turnover in these places tend to be low, so there will be fewer job postings.
The worst floors are always hiring because people leave or burn out quickly. There is no strong leadership. The staff is a patchwork of lost new grads, agency nurses, floaters not happy to be floated there, and a few overworked senior nurses trying to keep it together. Often there is a chronic shortage of support staff and supplies.

LOL - visit my unit recently, did ya?

I think you are dead-on, though. One of my buddies turned-in her 2-weeks notice the other day (she went into med-surg for her year experience and out), and was told "Thanks. You're the 11th person this week".

RN1982 · Jun 5, 2008

I don't think there are good or bad units. I think it just depends on the RNs preference.

allnurses Guide · Jun 5, 2008

I can only echo what most everyone has said. Any area of nursing can be either good or terrible, depending on the people that you work with.

For my part, I work med/surge and like it pretty well; when I started at my current workplace, the unit that I am working on was in horrendous shape, but things seem like they are improving.

I have done psych and I like it okay but also find it horrendously boring after working it for a while, so from here out I would probably only do it on a PRN basis.

I would love to try ICU, and I eventually would like to do recovery and they say that ICU experience is a must, to go into that area.

I will most likely never do L&D, mother/baby, NICU, or ER. I would probably work on an all-peds unit but I know I would be fit to be tied for quite a while, until I got VERY comfortable.