Best Units

ixchel · Oct 26, 2015

Women's health. Not as much variety, though (obviously). You will find dementia pretty much anywhere inpatient, if you're staying away from kids. Outpatient, you'll have less time with dementia patients, plus they're not quite as wild during the day.

Karou · Oct 26, 2015

You will still see a lot of dementia patients in the ED, and ICU. Also ICU induced delirium. In the ED you don't have the patients as along though, and in ICU you have 2-3 patients.

Women's services is probably safe. I don't see too many on the dialysis/renal floor at my hospital either, at least not compared to the other med-surg units. Don't know why. PACU means you don't have them for long, and they usually pretty sedated the entire time.

Unfortunately, if dementia patients are your kryptonite, they are almost impossible to avoid and really limit your areas to work in. What about dementia patients specifically bother you?

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Oct 26, 2015

You will still see a lot of dementia patients in the ED, and ICU. Also ICU induced delirium. In the ED you don't have the patients as along though, and in ICU you have 2-3 patients.

Unless your unit is notorious for holding. It's possible to have demented patients in the ED for hours, sometimes during your entire 12 hour shift.

I agree with women's services, whether it be antepartum/L&D, postpartum or a women's med-surg unit (which is usually that + postpartum). You can also go the pediatrics route.

anna_91 · Oct 26, 2015

Women's med-surg unit sounds interesting. I think this is where they do hysterectomies and all. I heard stuff about it and apparently postpartum is not included in there. I also heard there are A LOT of patients dying there because many of women's cancers are very deadly.

anna_91 · Oct 26, 2015

I would also apply to peds but I heard it's so competitive to get in. Well, I mean you need experience.

anna_91 · Oct 26, 2015

You will still see a lot of dementia patients in the ED, and ICU. Also ICU induced delirium. In the ED you don't have the patients as along though, and in ICU you have 2-3 patients.
Women's services is probably safe. I don't see too many on the dialysis/renal floor at my hospital either, at least not compared to the other med-surg units. Don't know why. PACU means you don't have them for long, and they usually pretty sedated the entire time.
Unfortunately, if dementia patients are your kryptonite, they are almost impossible to avoid and really limit your areas to work in. What about dementia patients specifically bother you?

Because they DRAIN MY SOUL. Every 2 minutes they call you, endless explanations, begging to them to take the meds, verbally abusive. When I have to do this with children it doesn't bother me.

8-ball, BSN · Oct 26, 2015

Also consider something like Cath Lab or Interventional Radiology, OR. Not much dementia there at all. Or really any outpatient procedure area.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Oct 26, 2015

Women's med-surg unit sounds interesting. I think this is where they do hysterectomies and all. I heard stuff about it and apparently postpartum is not included in there. I also heard there are A LOT of patients dying there because many of women's cancers are very deadly.

Every unit is different. The women's med-surg unit where I used to work was combined with postpartum. I think it's the same where I currently work, too. I would get floated there from time to time before I became an ER nurse. In addition to postpartum patients they would typically see anemia r/t vag bleed, pelvic inflammatory infections, and basically gyno-related problems. Overall it was a very chill unit and pretty much everyone was young and a walkie-talkie.