Do you like working in neuro?

NewYorkerGirl · Apr 27, 2015

It depends. In one hospital, I spent a lot of clincals in school in neuro and loved it. It was a lot of seizure/Parkinson's/neuro trauma injuries, etc. Very interesting.

At my current hospital, neuro is the dumping ground for any and all of the altered mental status patients: end-stage Alzheimer's (the hardest patients on earth if you ask me), alcoholics/drug addicts, Hyponatremia, etc. It is very, very challenging mentally and physically to care for these patients. Our patient ratio is the same as every other floor, but these patients demand you be highly vigilant and never let your guard down. I'm constantly re-starting IV's they've pulled out, shooting them up with Ativan, listening to them scream all night long, dealing with their falls, etc. I want to quit my job yesterday.

So, it depends on your hospital.

runsalot · May 11, 2015

Ditto the above poster. Neuro can get very heavy. My last shift one of my main priorities was transferring out a chfer who was there due to ams. I had enough people screaming that were truly neuro patients to deal with a sundowning sick heart.

RNtraveler2014 · May 24, 2015

I actually have to say that i LOVE my current contract. I worked at a very large hospital for quite some time before traveling and would float to the neuro unit like every cpl mnths. I didnt care for it b/c it was not what i had ever expected, there were so many pts (like above poster) that were wayyyy more than a "neuro" pt that would be an actual neuro pt.

I am currently on a neuro trauma unit and LOVE it. This floor has a ccu step down type of unit- adult and peds; low neuro-so like chronic pt issues r/t neuro and then a higher level of neuro that is the acute trauma and stroke pts. Now this floor i am on also has an "observation unit" that has a pt turnover of 98% daily. we get pts in w/ sx- do all testing stat (w/in 2 hrs) and within that first 12 hrs, no more than 24 hrs, we either send the pt home after testing or if pt needs further care- they turn inpatient status and go to a "regular" hospital floor.

being a traveler it was super quick turnover so it was a little difficult at first, but now, heck, going back to a "normal" floor, will be slow as all get out!

GL with whatever you end up doing!

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2015

This post is a bit older so you may have made up your mind already. I started in neuro (floor with orientation to our PC room after 6 mo.), and have worked in two SICUs which at these hospitals include neuro.

It can be a tough specialty, but I love it. It can be sad; patients and families are not only dealing with the physical challenges that go with neuro illness/injury, but also cognitive and personality changes (such as with TBIs, stokes, frontal tumors, etc.)

In the earlier stages, things can go bad fast. I once had a woman in for a stroke who went from tracking her family and seeming like there was some awareness to ICP over 30 and completely unresponsive (including to pain) in the span of about half an hour. We were pushing (v. slowly--over 15 min.) 23% NaCl and scrambling to get downstairs for a head CT. She'd herniated. Or we'll have a stroke pt who'd been given tPA--a miracle when it works, but risky--and go from ischemic stroke to improved to hemorrhagic stroke.

I love the challenge and uncertainty of it. I like being on high alert. And when an outcome is favorable, it's amazing to see. These ischemic strokes, aneurysm and AVM ruptures, etc. which years ago would have meant certain disability or death can now be treated while preserving enough function to allow independence .