If med-surg floor is NOT for me, what else??

[ijuanabhappy]

I recently started out on a med-surg floor as a new grad and within a week I knew it was NOT going to work. I highly respect those who can do it, but I felt so paralyzed with fear, discomfort and apprehension.. I just knew in my heart that it wasn't going to work and it was not a good fit for me. The ratio was going to be 8-1 and having even four patients seemed overwhelming! I am now thinking that I might be happier in an internship such as NICU or L&D, or even ICU. Is there any hope for me? Or if I felt too overwhelmed with med-surg will it pretty much be the same anywhere in the hospital?

[steelydanfan]

I am not a huge fan of Med-Surg either, but at least those patients are fairly healthy compared to NICU eww children...much small margin for error.

I thing a lot of new nurses are placed in Med-surg because the chances of harm reaching the patients is much less. Plus, it allows a new nurse to focus on the all important time management.

What is to say L&D or NICU may feel just as bad plus those patients are more acute. Why not give it six months and if you feel the same way bolt for the first escape exit.

Even in an ICU with two patients you can still get VERY overwhelmed.

Hope you find your way!!!

I must disagree. MOST new nurses are placed in Med-Surg because this area is about basic nursing, and this IS where the new grad needs to be; to learn the breadth and scope of nursing. The new grad that can successfully navigate a career immediately in ER/ICU/CCU is RARE!

Most new grads these days have NEVER placed a Foley, done an IV stick or taken off an order, much less had to plan care for more than 2 moderately ill patients ON PAPER. They are NEVER told to ASSUME care, and have no idea what taking charge and decision making is about.

They simply cannot master these basic tasks while trying to assimilate the immense amount of pathophysiology it takes to be a competent ICU nurse. I know, I precepted new grads into a VERY low level ICU.

And only one out of 5 made it.

Lots of new grads make the mistake of thinking that only 2 patients MUST be easier. Wrong! Those 2 patients are so much sicker and require so much more care and attention, that floor nursing might seem like a breeze.

I am so tired of seeing these bright young people being sold a bill of goods, only to fail and be miserable, and to quit the profession when they are "demoted" to the position they should have started out in the first place.

[MJB2010]

OP I felt just like you, and my advice is to stick it out while searching for another job. It is easier to find a job while you have a job. I officially gave my notice yesterday, so my last day of employment is my 6 (almost 7) month mark. I really felt that the 8-9 patient load was too high for a new grad, and that the care I was giving was not good. It got better from the first few weeks and I did start to feel like some skills that terrified me in the beginning got routine. I dreaded going to work every single day, couldnt sleep, got sick to my stomach on the way in. Even with all of that, I learned SO MUCH during the 6 months. I dont regret leaving, my new job is going to be a lot less stress and a regular schedule but I never would have gotten it without my med surg experience. Do your best, dont beat yourself up when you make a mistake, and dont let anyone make you feel stupid- there is no way you can know how to do all of that right out of school it is a learning process. Find a good supportive experienced nurse and talk to the recent new grads about their first year. What your feeling unfortunately is the norm.

BTW I really feel no matter how long I stuck it out, med surg would never be my favorite. Sometimes you just know. But the assesment skills you pick up there are invaluable. Id give it a few more weeks. In the meantime send out your resume.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

Med Surg is HARD but if you can do that, you can do anything. And the one thing you will learn best on med surg is organization. When I was an ED manager if I had to make a choice between hiring a nurse with 1 year of med surg or 1 year of critical care, I took the med surg nurse... Why? Because they were used to dealing with volume, which is what the ED is. ED's are not full critical care patients that need all types of advanced monitoring. Most are full of routine med surg type complaints. And I can teach a nurse via orientation, TNCC and ACLS what they need to know to deal with a critical patient. The ICU nurses are used to having 2 patients. Coming into a large volume ED and trying to deal with that load of patients can be very frustrating for a critical care nurse. And I know this. I did both med surg and critical care before I went into ED nursing and I tell you that there was never a day that went by that I had not wished I had spent more time on med surg. Try to stick it out, at least for a year. You will be surprised how much it will help you.