Calling All First Year Med-Surg RN's!

Alicat1451 · Jun 20, 2014

I'm on a medicine/telemetry floor, and I'm four months in. Night shifts are definitely kicking my butt but we rotate between days and nights (2 weeks days 2 weeks nights). The staff are so incredibly supportive on my floor, it's been a better transition than I was expecting. I don't think hospital nursing is right for me, my first love is psych but I'm getting some great experience.

krisiepoo · Jun 20, 2014

I'm in my 4th month on a meg/surg floor. I moved quite a distance to take this job since my location was oversaturated with new grads and I'm so happy to say that I LOVE the people I work with. Nursing is really hard and there are days I only sit to pee but I'm glad I found such an amazing place to get my feet wet and learn. I've learned so freaking much in such a short time. our director is incredibly supportive of new nurses and the nurses I work with are always willing to help out, answer questions and just be good people. The charge nurses are always availale to help out (well, maybe not always but they'll bust their butt to get to you as soon as possible) I'm on rotating 12's so do some nights and some days. Glad for the break from both (both have redeeming qualities but I need a break from both as well!).

Things are all rainbows and unicorns, sometimes I get a heavy feeling in my chest just not wanting to go in at all because Id on't know what I'll encounter but once I'm in the swing of things it gets better.

I hear so many bad things about nursing and I can see some of that but for the most part, I'm incredibly grateful I found the place I work

PCnurse88 · Jun 21, 2014

Like the above posters, I'm also 4 months in to my first job on a med/surg/tele/psych floor. I've only had one problem so far, with a night nurse who followed me, and I'm choosing to believe it was a miscommunication rather than her taking advantage of the fact that I'm new (which is what it sounded like to my manager). Everyone so far has been very supportive and available if I need any help. While my patients are challenging, especially the medical/psych ones, I love them. The only negative thing so far has been the hour-long commute, meaning I leave about an hour and 20 minutes before my shift starts, and it takes a hour or so to get home at night. I'm on permanent evenings (3-11:30) and I think it's the best fit, especially with the drive. While med/surg is definitely not what I want to be doing forever, I think it's going to be a happy year and that when I eventually do leave to try and get into the specialty I want to work in, I will be sad to leave.

KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2014

I'm almost six months in. I'm on a med surg dialysis unit. I'm learning but I couldn't see myself staying on this floor forever.

DisneyNurseGal, BSN, RN · Jun 23, 2014

I am 6 months in on a Medical Surg/Oncology floor. I love working nights (I am a night person) and am learning a lot.

We have a 6:1 ratio and most patients are quite involved. We get alot of Behavioral Medicine overflow patients so that can be challenging. I love the company I work for but our floor is tough. We don't make a profit (like the other floors) due to the type of patient we have, so we have higher census and less supplies than other units (we do not even get stocked kitchen supplies to save $$ - can't find a pudding for a diabetic patient at 3am to raise blood sugar most nights) so that part makes it super challenging. Just trying to do the best job I can and not hurt anyone!

SunshineDaisy, ASN, RN · Jun 24, 2014

I have been on my floor for 4 months and am impatiently waiting my one year so I can move. I work on an oncology/med surge floor. I love my coworkers, can't say the same about anyone else though. The hospital does not take care of the staff at all, and has left me with a bad impression. I like the patients I take care of as well. Being a new nurse I have already charged 4 or 5 times. I posted about this the other day, but last week they had me with just an LPN and a tech, for 12 patients, 3 that were getting blood! I was SO overwhelmed. I have been on my own about 9 weeks now, and that was way too much responsibility for me! They just don't care.

WannaBNursey, ADN, ASN, RN · Jul 2, 2014

I'll be a month into orientation this weekend and I hate it. I was friends with my preceptor when I was a CNA and I thought it would be fantastic but she's just getting irritated with me at this point and I feel like a burden. On top of that I haven't been able to juggle three patients as of yet, which I was expected to do last week. That mixed with family crises and I'm about ready to quit the hospital and beg for home health. I can't wait to move back to night shift! I think It'll be easier on me. Not as much going on as days. I did well clinically while in nursing school (at one point taking on 7 patients) and I'm shocked that I'm doing so poorly at my job.

thinwildmercury · Jul 5, 2014

I'm going to begin on a med-surg/onc floor at the end of the month! It is not my first choice (I'm hoping to work ICU eventually) but I am incredibly lucky to have this opportunity. I hope people will continue to post on here about how their job is going!! I will do the same. I am very worried because I have never taken care of five patients before. My preceptorship floor was 1:4 and that was HECTIC! Hope I can do it!

mandy13086 · Jul 7, 2014

I just started on the med-surg floor in a smaller hospital. I've worked 6 days so far and I'm sure we have similar frustrations. I was given 3 patients for the first time yesterday and I'll say, it was tough. I mean..I managed it, but it wasn't easy. I'm not sure, right this second, how I'll manage the 6 I'll have to juggle in a short time..but I hope I can make it. My friends that were hired before me told me how working as "the nurse" was SO much different than having been the student nurse and what we saw and thought. Boy were they right! A lot of protocols, lots more charting...and I was under the impression that docs would put 99.9% of their own orders in...which isn't true. It's taking some time to adjust, but as people keep reminding me:I'm only 6 days in. Orientation is 8 to 12 weeks for a reason and no one became a great nurse overnight. But..I'm SO glad that my hospital is trying what us new grads are calling a "new nurse support group" that will meet once a month. Help us learn not so common thingz..master some other skills..give us a place to voice concerns, etc. So I'm hoping that will also help with the transition. But I'm eager to hear of everyone's first weeks/months..!

bear14 · Jul 11, 2014

I've been on my floor since May and I struggled on days but nights were a breeze, so to speak. I still asked questions here and there but fortunately census was slow and I had a 4-5 case load...until last night. I had six and normally it is not a problem...until last night. I had a patient that took up most of my time and I felt like I was drowning. The staff recognized that and jumped in to help me. I was grateful for their help but does that look bad on my part? Everyone kept asking if I was ok and I know I looked frazzled so I asked for help and they were great. My clinical manager is really sweet and so understanding but I always have this fear where I look incompetent and I am afraid they are going to say this isn't going to work out. How do you get rid of that fear? We have been told it takes a year or more to feel comfortable and not dread going to work. I try and learn about patients conditions and meds but at the same time there is still so much I do not know and have to learn. Are there any tricks or advice for getting through that first year?

ItDepends · Jul 25, 2014

I am 5 months in on a busy Med-Surg floor. We have no techs, no transporters, no help/support except each other. My fellow nurses are AWESOME! and I would NOT have made it this far without them. I see some newer grads coming in now and see how they are struggling. It helps me to see how far I have come at this point, and I love to be able to give them a hand at times. I am no longer staying super late to catch up - usually gone by 2030

This nursing thing is hard. I just hope that it will continue to become more manageable for all of us!!