best start in nursing

To the veterans-

The conventional wisdom on this board, with my instructors, and others seems to be that the best place for a new grad to start out is on the Med-Surg floor.

I don't understand this. It seems to me that you would need more experience to work Med-Surg than a specialty.

To wit: as a Med-Surg nurse I would have 6 to 10 patients, each with their own issues, this one a NG tube, that one a chest drain, etc. each with their own chart and meds. The other floor nurses have their own charges, so back-up is limited, and the Doctor is on the other end of the phone.

As an OR nurse, RR nurse, or other lower ratio nurse/patient position, I would be sitting on top of the patient, watching them with both eyesballs wide open, as would the Doctor next to me, and perhaps a number of other medical specialists. Yes, additional training and skills would be required, but it seems a more focused and straightforward environment.

What am I missing here, could someone give me a clue? Thankx. V-