Help! L&D nurse to med-surg?

Specialties Med-Surg

Published

Hi, I'm an RN with about 8 years of labor and delivery experience. L&D was my first job out of nursing school. I've been out of nursing for about 10 years to be at home with my kids. I'm wanting to return to nursing, and am considering med-surg. I think it would be great experience for me, and though I still like perinatal nursing, I've always kind of regreted not doing med-surg in order to build a solid and well-rounded foundation of my nursing skills.

I would greatly appreciate the opinions of med-surg nurses. Do you think I could survive? It seems like SO much to learn. How do you learn such a wide range of patient needs? It sounds overwhelming, but I kind of feel drawn to challenge myself and my nursing skills. Would you recommend an RN refresher course before applying for a med-surg position? My license is current.

THANK YOU!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Would someone please respond?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Take a refresher course! Overall, not a lot has changed as far as assessments and most treatments, but meds and protocols have changed. As well as standards of care and JCAHO regs.

It isn't like it was when you started. The paperwork is unreal now. The amount of work has increased while ancillary staff is decreasing. I've been in some places where they cut housekeeping staff after 3pm so nurses had to clean rooms for new patients, take out garbage and linens, etc. It definitely has changed as far as employers treamment as well as pt expectations.

If you weren't doing a lot of computer work when you left - make sure you can type and know your way around a mouse and keyboard. Even the places that still paper chart require you to do orders and lab result retrieval via computer.

If you don't exercise - start. You will probably hurt pretty bad if you haven't kept up the running your butt off scenario at home. Better to exercise now and start getting accustomed to being on your feet more.

Can't tell you if you can do it. That will be for you to decide. It is a lot harder now than it used to be. Which is why newbies are burning out in just a few years compared to us "old" nurses that have stuck around longer. Maybe we just like the punishment - I don't know. But it will be a different world if you have kept out of it without much interaction over these last few years.

You might also want to get your BLS current. Also taking an ACLS course will help. It is way different than it used to be but can help get you back in the groove.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you! That's very helpful.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

How about womens health floor. I work on a Gyn Surgical Oncology floor (It's just like being on a med-surg floor) and we also take care of high risk OB patients as well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks! That sounds interesting- I'm going to check into it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I definately agree that a refresher couse would be a good start. I am a med/surg nurse and if someone told me that I had to work L&D, I would panic because I don't know it. Just come at it at your own pace, there are lots of excellent med/surg books out there if you want to do some light reading.

In the computer age, charting is probably what will bog you down until you get comfortable with whatever computer program the hospital has. Some hospitals are still charting longhand, but I think that computer charting is becoming the norm.

Hope that this helps.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Work postpartum. That will include some heavy med-surg including TAH, BSO, bladder suspension, ectopic pregnancy, ante-partum, C-sections, babies if they are roomed-in. If it is a women's and children's floor, you will get PD too.

With L&D experience, if your license is current, they will orient you on floor,and you won't have to go the crazy Med-Surg way.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment