Switching from Psych to Med Surg?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

I have been working on a psychiatric intensive care unit for the past almost two years. I previously worked (still do through agency) at nursing home facilities. I want to go over to med surg and get medical experience.

Has anyone switched from psych to med/surg? Is it very overwhelming? tia for any experiences.

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Specializes in ICU/ER.

I belive any nurse is a psych nurse---most pts have some emotional/stress issues they are dealing with while hospitilized!! I have worked both psych and medical. There is a difference, mainly the meds and the procedures---your typical psych pt wont need an NG or a catheter. You probably dont start too many IVs in psych. So in my personal opinion it will just be a matter of brushing up on some of the technical/hands on skills.

Hopefully you will get a decent orientation time, but I think the transistion will be simple for you...Good luck!!

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

I would think your psych experience would be a huge advantage on the med/surg unit. The med/surg unit at our hospital is primarily post op urology and abdominal surgery, since the ortho patients go to the ortho floor. You would get a ton of practice with NG tubes, IVs, PCAs/PCEAs, central lines, TPN and lipids, urinary catheters, continuous bladder irrigations, JP and other types of drains, and of course, all kinds of incisions from midline abdominal to lap sites, to lady partsl packing, etc. If that sounds interesting to you, then I'd say go for it. Myself, I cannot stand the abdomen. All those SBOs and adhesions....the abdomen is way too fussy for me. Give me the cardiopulmonary system any day. It's like plumbing. Nice and logical.

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Specializes in medicine and psychiatry.

I worked Psych out of Nursing School for 2 years before deciding I needed medicine experience. My Psych skills have been very valuable on a medicine floor. I move in and out of both disciplines as an agency nurse. Find a medicine unit where the nurses are supportive. It is quite a transition but managable. IV's were a challenge for me at first.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

Thanks everyone. I really want to increase my medical skills. I feel like a new nurse going in to medical. Most persons I've talked to say the ratio is usually 5:1 on the medical floors. I work with 20-30:1 in the nursing homes and while they are more stable I am hoping the pace at 5:1 would be comparable. Thanks for everyone's experience. I am nervous going in to this but really want to do it.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
I worked Psych out of Nursing School for 2 years before deciding I needed medicine experience. My Psych skills have been very valuable on a medicine floor. I move in and out of both disciplines as an agency nurse. Find a medicine unit where the nurses are supportive. It is quite a transition but managable. IV's were a challenge for me at first.

Thanks. I am hoping they allow me to transfer. I am going to try to orient to the oncall float pool first and hope

my orientation is a positive/supportive one (if they allow the transfer - keeping fingers crossed).

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Specializes in medicine and psychiatry.

:flwrhrts: Good luck....Am sure you'll do o.k.

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Specializes in medicine and psychiatry.

:smackingf:hdvwl::hdvwl::plsebeg::deadhorse:smiley_ab:offtopic: I love the smilie charcaters.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
:smackingf:hdvwl::hdvwl::plsebeg::deadhorse:smiley_ab:offtopic: I love the smilie charcaters.

Okay, does this mean you think it's a good thing? the smilies have me confused as to the message LOL

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Specializes in medicine and psychiatry.

Oh my gosh MickyB-RN. This was a final response to another thread entitled "Can Society Take The Place of God". It's a loooong one. Much discussion. I had unsecribed to the post because the Cristians and Athiest kept interjecting their person beliefs. The article in question was not about any particular belief, it was about the spiritual element in nursing being lost. Decided to make one last comment with the smilies. They are intended actually as great fun on my part. Had enjoyed the blog tremendously (along with the Athiests and Christians sparring) but the bottom line was that both groups were behaving innappropriatly within the context of nursing.coms guidelines. They just could'nt seem to stop themselves. What a hoot.....it's a wonder the thread was'nt shut down. Hope this gives you the drift of it all. The fact that you are asking and not writing me off as crazy tells me your a great Psych nurse.

I'm sure you will do well in medicine. Your a communicator.

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