How Important is Med-Surg Experience?

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

I am an LPN that received my license last year. I was fortunate enough to enter a program through my job where they provided full time leave with pay along with paid tuition to become an LPN. I worked in a clinic as an aide before entering this program. During the time I was away, I basically assumed that because my paid educational leave (very expensive-and they did this for 100 employees), that I would automatically be placed in med-surg or somewhere in house to 'pay my dues'.

When I got my license and brought it before nursing administration, they told me that I would return to the clinic after 6 weeks of med-surg. I admit that I was (and still am) happy to be in ambulatory care, because I enjoy having weekends and holidays off, regular hours and even though the clinic is not that easy for nurses, I prefer it better than med-surg. Also, my orientation in med-surg really sucked, so, after those 6 weeks, I ran for the hills. The main thing that disturbed me was that I was not able to master the skill of IV care. I did not have consistant perceptors, I saw wild things that the nurses that did mentor me perform. I asked for an additional two weeks to orient into med-surg in order to just do piggybacks and was refused.

Again, I really enjoy the clinic and do not plan to leave. But, an administrator offered me a chance to work our med-surg units per diem. She put me through an agency and is arranging for me to take two days off in order to have a brief orientation. I think that I will do it on Saturday nights where the meds will be a bit lighter and can sort of take my time. Maybe do it once or twice a month in order to get comfortable and to be able to add med-surg to my resume. I got together with an LPN friend of mine where she invited me to the floor, placed me in the medication room and had me practice IVs over and over again. Finally, I think I got it. I didn't medicate patients since I wasn't on duty, but was able to finally comprehend what had to be done. I feel that it is better to strike while the iron is hot before I punk out. I may eventually attempt to work per diem in the ER as well, if I am able. I think that learning these skills in a controlled environment (meaning when I am ready verses doing it every day and killing myself in an area I really do not wish to be) would be to my best advantage.

I'd like some opinions. Am I going the right route? How important is med-surg for finding other positions? Thanks!

[TazziRN, RN]

You will hear mixed answers about this subject here. I happen to think that a medsurg base is very important, but not everyone thinks that.

In your story, though, 6 weeks of medsurg as a new grad and going to the clinic is nothing but a waste of time!! If they're going to require medsurg experience then they really need to require 6-12 months.

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

I happen to think that whatever you do as a nurse you should have a passion for doing. I don't personally feel the passion for med-surg. I do feel a passion for public/community health.

I was given some feedback by an instructor during my Peds clinical. She suggested to me that I should look at either ICU or Er for my first job out of school because she was concerned that I would be bored on a med-surg floor and she thought that I needed more stimulation. So I am thinking over my options for what I am going to do after school.

I know that 2 of my classmates in my clinical cohort have received basically the same advice.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Well, I plan to obtain a bit through the per diem experience, but would not ever permanently transfer to med-surg. As Tazzi mentioned, 6 weeks was basically a waste of time, especially since I was not able to obtain the experience that I needed, anyway. I feel that by doing it per diem, especially at night, I will work at my own pace, gain experience in the meantime and use it for my resume. I really hated med-surg with a passion. It may be because I didn't get the training I wanted, but also because of the petty arguments that I witnessed and the impact on patient care.

And, when I add that agency to my resume, I don't have to say that I did it once or twice a month. I want to use this to validate my nursing experience, and some of the skills can be used for home care, another interest of mine. But, based on the things that I have seen, floor nursing really wasn't for me. But, I think I see the importance of trying it out for a moment.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

You will hear mixed answers about this subject here. I happen to think that a medsurg base is very important, but not everyone thinks that.

In your story, though, 6 weeks of medsurg as a new grad and going to the clinic is nothing but a waste of time!! If they're going to require medsurg experience then they really need to require 6-12 months.

I like your motto about naming children...too cute!!!

[AngBthatsme]

I think med-surg is very important. I work on a telemetry unit, we do many dangerous cardiac drugs and we have new grads here all the time. It is very scary. I think there are very few new grads who are ready to go to the critical care units or the ED. Just my opinion though. Just last week we had a new grad give a bag and a half of heparin in an hour and a half. Programmed the pump for 950cc/hour instead of 950units/hour. As if that wasnt bad enough, the patient was a Jehovah's Witness and of course it was a patient of a doctor that is knows as tyrant. UGH!