Mad props...

Specialties Emergency

Published

...to the people that do med/surg nursing. Seriously. We were boarding the other day and my assignment included three admit holds and one room that was going to be "LA" (yeah, like it ever stays LA). All I can say is that I will always hold med/surg nurses in high esteem, as I never want that as a full-time gig. By the time I finished passing 0900 meds around 1230 (there were about 90 between three people), I felt defeated, and it was only three patients. Eventually they went upstairs and I was able to get back into my ED frame of mind, but man, that just sucked! Reason #237 I'm glad to be an ED nurse!

JadedCPN, BSN, RN

1,476 Posts

Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

That's awesome that you got that experience/perspective. I think everyone should get the opportunity to see "the other side" to understand what it is like - ER nurses to see what a full medsurg assignment looks like, med surg nurses to see what its like to work in the ER, etc.

When I started years ago as a new grad nurse in the PICU, part of our orientation included spending half of a shift on the units where we got the majority of ours admissions. I spent 6 hours in the ER, and 6 hours in PACU and it totally changed my perspective about everything that happens before they get to me. I wish more places would do this.

NuGuyNurse2b

927 Posts

Our hospital actually does that for new hires. They spend a week in the ER, and new ER nurses spend time in Med Surg.

Guest219794

2,453 Posts

Amen.

I floated to tele one night from ICU. 5 patients, including a new admit, 2- or 3 of whom were actually sick. Some complete moron decided they should all get their medicine at the same time, which is technically impossible. Sometimes it takes me 2 or 3 minutes just to wrestle one pill from those damn packets. And, in an act of utter insanity, each of them have their own call bell, with NO LIMIT on how many times they can hit the button. When a coworker asked how I was doing, I responded, "About as well as you would be doing with one intubated PT, and one fresh crani.

So yes. Props to the floor.

And double props to any unit that requires cross training of some sort.

To quote eminent philosopher, Stephen Glenn Martin: "Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you do criticize him, you'll be a mile away and have his shoes."

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