Considering going into GI nursing

[CorazonDeOro]

Hi there! I know this has problem been posted a million times and I have been reading a lot of the posts, but I just wanted to get some advice from RNs who went from floor med/surg nursing to gastroenterology.

I have a year of RN experience on a busy surgical floor. 5-6 patients on days, fresh post op patients, transfers from ED/SICU, high acuity (lots of fresh trachs, blood transfusions, screwed up vital signs, calling residents all day long to clarify nonsense orders, management doing "patient rounds" and breathing down your throat because transport, MDs, pharmacy, are all taking too long, etc. You know, the usual. I primarily work 7a-7p but randomly get rotated to 11a-11p shift whenever my manager decides she would like to change my schedule.

I have an interview for GI at my hospital, hours are 10:30-7p mon-fri (on call one weekend a month). I am wondering if anyone has gone from 3 12's to 5 8's. Do you like it? I am afraid I will miss having 4 days off a week (although I usually spend a day recovering and have to go to bed super early to get up at 5:30 for a 12 hour shift). Not to mention I am so exhausted after work that I never go and do anything.. I am also wondering how you like GI compared to acute care. I am interested in learning something new and being able to get good at one thing (as opposed to 8 surgical services that I currently care for). I am excited about the interview but I keep second guessing myself and thinking I should just stay on the floor I am on. Its busy and crazy but I know everyone (I was a nursing assistant there as well) and I know the patient population well also.

Any advice would be appreciated!

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

"knowing" the floor nurses and patient population on any one floor doesn't mean you shouldn't expand to a new place, a new pace. Frankly, who do you know that took one job, never left that one space, and retired from that job? No one.

I used to work med-surg, a frantic pace on a very busy unit, in charge five nights a week. Used to do 3 12's, then administration preferred the continuity of 5 8's, so....there it was.

I left for GI, ambulatory care center a year ago. The pace is different, the patients are different, the environment is different. You're not seeking such a complete difference, though: you're planning on going to the hospital's own GI unit. A bit of a different animal, as hospital patients frequently have multiple co-morbids that MAKE them require the hospital unit, instead of an ambulatory facility.

Are you looking at working the endoscopy suite (learning procedure room, admit/PACU)? If so, will you be starting with admit/discharge (which you already should be familiar with, working the floor) and training for the procedure room? The hours you mentioned seem rather late....is it NOT endoscopy, but rather GI post-procedure nursing?

[CorazonDeOro]

"knowing" the floor nurses and patient population on any one floor doesn't mean you shouldn't expand to a new place, a new pace. Frankly, who do you know that took one job, never left that one space, and retired from that job? No one.

I used to work med-surg, a frantic pace on a very busy unit, in charge five nights a week. Used to do 3 12's, then administration preferred the continuity of 5 8's, so....there it was.

I left for GI, ambulatory care center a year ago. The pace is different, the patients are different, the environment is different. You're not seeking such a complete difference, though: you're planning on going to the hospital's own GI unit. A bit of a different animal, as hospital patients frequently have multiple co-morbids that MAKE them require the hospital unit, instead of an ambulatory facility.

Are you looking at working the endoscopy suite (learning procedure room, admit/PACU)? If so, will you be starting with admit/discharge (which you already should be familiar with, working the floor) and training for the procedure room? The hours you mentioned seem rather late....is it NOT endoscopy, but rather GI post-procedure nursing?

I actually got offered the position today. It is admit/recovery and procedure (including inpatient and outpatient). It includes all procedures (ERCP, EUS, liver biopsy, manometry, etc). The way it works is that inpatients come to a separate floor/endoscopy suite than the outpatients(and the nurses staff both units depending on staffing and how many patients). The on call portion is only for inpatient emergent cases. I decided to take the position and I was excited to be chosen. I even got picked over an ICU nurse. I feel very lucky and I can't wait to learn GI nursing!

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Well, then, WELCOME to a small and exclusive club, lol......seriously, I really do enjoy GI. You'll be teased by those "outside" our circle (honestly, do you have a CLUE how many butt/poop jokes I've heard?!)....but so what. Pretty soon you'll have your own repertoire to draw from :)

And yes, every once in awhile, when one of us notices a string of colonoscopies in a row on the schedule (as opposed to EGDs), someone will break into the theme song from Rawhide, with a twist: "Rollin', Rollin', Rollin', Keep those Colons Rollin'!!"

[DreamerRN22]

hey! your story sounds SO similar to mine! I'm wondering if you like GI nursing or if you regretted your decision?

[sbwpaso]

I’d like to know how you like GI nursing? I had an interview and not sure if I want to leave med-surg and go to a speciality. Let me know how it is going?