Critical care nurse who misses Med/Surg

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I have been working in a neuro ICU for a year now and I have tried so hard to like it but I just don't. Before this I worked on a Med/Surg floor for a little over a year, and while I really enjoyed working with all of my co-workers, I felt like I was not challenged mentally enough and I was interested in learning critical care. Right now, I do not really connect with any of my co-workers, I just do not feel like I belong. Some of my co-workers are just down right mean and unapproachable and can be condescending. When they bash Med/surg nurses and their "lack" of critical thinking I always stand up for them and defend them like, hey, I was one! Theres no time to think about the pathophysiology of each patient on a Med/Surg floor, you should try it! I know I have so much to learn still but I miss Med/Surg. I feel like I do a lot of sitting in the ICU and I miss the busy-ness of Med/Surg. I also feel depressed being in the neuro ICU. While I have literally seen miracles happen, normally a lot of people lose their independence and I see a lot of our efforts as prolonging their suffering. I resent their family members for sending them to long term care to make no further improvements. I feel like my ethics dont match what I am doing, I did not think that would ever be an issue but it really upsets me. I want to give my manager 2 years as he expected in order to get back his return on investment for training me because I want to stay with my hospital and not be blacklisted. I need advice on what to do because I am miserable and I dont see myself muddling through another year of this.

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I would stay for your two years and then ask for a transfer to medsurg. If they say no, go somewhere else. Your happiness is very important. I left critical care 2 years ago for post-partum. I have no regrets and look forward to going to work.

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Whether or not you're able to stick it out in the Neuro ICU, why not consider another ICU environment? You mention that you didn't feel challenged enough on MS, and the Neuro ICU doesn't seem to be a good fit, but perhaps a Cardiovascular ICU? Maybe caring for fresh open heart patients will be challenging and keep you busy enough to enjoy. If you would like to stay at your same hospital, consider exploring what other types of critical care environments are available to you. Of course, there are no guarantees that you will "click" with your coworkers and enjoy them as you did on your former MS unit, but if you go back there, you will more than likely soon find yourself feeling that (again) it is not challenging enough for you. Good luck!

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Maybe Surgical ICU will be your forte?

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Neuro ICU is a notoriously depressing environment. I would try a different ICU. Surgical is nice as they typically get acutely I'll but then better. MICU sees more chronic disease processes with repeat admissions. There is more sitting and monitoring in ICU as the patients are much more sick and can turn on a dime. We are expected to know everything about our patients.

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Specializes in ICU.

I second the people who say maybe you could try a different critical care area. I definitely wouldn't recommend MICU - I have all of the same ethics complaints that you do, but the complexity of the patients makes up for it for me.

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Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.

Follow your own path. I started out in Med/Surg and went to CCU. Yes I liked CCU but I saw the same type of patients all the time - post CABG. At least with Med/Surg there is some variance.

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Specializes in CVICU.

It's a good thing there are people who like Med/Surg, because someone's gotta do it. I've been an ICU nurse for a very long time, and neuro is my least favorite area. I agree with the others that suggested a surgical ICU of some type. Less ethical issues and a lot of the patients get better and move on.

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Specializes in Management, Med/Surg, Clinical Trainer.
It's a good thing there are people who like Med/Surg, because someone's gotta do it.

I think we can say that about any area.

Unfortunately Med/Surg gets a bad rap. There are folks who really like and others who do not. Sadly though, if someone likes it they can be looked down upon.

I know I got that vibe when I worked in Med/Surg.

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Specializes in CVICU.
I think we can say that about any area.

Unfortunately Med/Surg gets a bad rap. There are folks who really like and others who do not. Sadly though, if someone likes it they can be looked down upon.

I know I got that vibe when I worked in Med/Surg.

You hit the nail right on the head. If you ask me Med/Surg nurses deserve extra combat pay.

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I would stay for your two years and then ask for a transfer to medsurg. If they say no, go somewhere else. Your happiness is very important. I left critical care 2 years ago for post-partum. I have no regrets and look forward to going to work.

You lucky dog. If I wasn't a guy I would go post-partum in a heart beat and work OT everyday. My gf was post-partum before L&D, her nights were so uneventful/stress free and she got paid the same as me....

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I think we can say that about any area.

Unfortunately Med/Surg gets a bad rap. There are folks who really like and others who do not. Sadly though, if someone likes it they can be looked down upon.

I know I got that vibe when I worked in Med/Surg.

Granted each area has their own knowledge base, I have met way more clueless M/S nurses than critical care.

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