Is My Only Option Med-Surg??

allnurses Guide · Dec 2, 2004

There are lots of ways to go about this and you will get advice to try med/surg for awhile. But you can also NOT try med/surg if you want. It is up to you and what you find out there in the big wide world of nursing.

One of my friends went straight into the ICU after graduation. Another friend's goal was NICU and ended up there a few months after graduation. Another into CCU.

You can do whatever you want - depending on where you live and what is available. Do something in the area that you are interested in. Like my friend in NICU did post-partum and general nursery for a few months. Move somewhere else to get the chance to do what you've been dreaming of.

Don't be discouraged.

steph

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 2, 2004

It's not critical. For everyone who tells you med-surg is a good idea, there will be those who say they went right into a specialty and never looked back. You can either take med-surg if that's the only game in town or hold out for what you want. Good luck either way!

Personally, I don't think med-surg is a bad way to go, if that's the ony option. Think of it as a learning experience and don't decide you're going to be miserable before you get there. Med-Surg is tough and demanding and if you can work med-surg, you can work anywhere. Guess that's why so many people say med-surg first. :)

VizslaMom · Dec 2, 2004

Med-Surg is tough and demanding and if you can work med-surg, you can work anywhere.

I wouldn't use this as a blanket statement. Not everyone that works med-surg can work in critical care and vice versa. Yes, med-surg IS tough and demanding. The patient load is usually much more than it should be. But, my belief is that med-surg is a specialty in itself. You don't have as much time in this specialty to learn every detail about your patients past and present history like you do in ICU. I've worked OR, Medical/Telemetry, and now ICU. I can tell you from experience that if you want to go into a specialty unit right out of school, then by all means do it if the positions are available. If you hated Med-Surg because of the demands of time and because of the constant chaos, then maybe it isn't for you. I'm not denying that ICU can get hairy at times, but you have more tools and drugs at your disposal. From experience, I CAN tell you that you'll also have more time to learn about each and every patient you care for. You also have time to learn much more about disease processes of your individual patients. Working in medical/telemetry with a patient load of 5 to 8, I didn't feel as though I were being thorough enough with my patients. I felt as though I was being rushed through the shift and many times felt like I wasn't using my knowledge or skills to the best of my ability - but, that's me personally.

Some nurses are great in med-surg while others are great in other areas. If you know now that you'd hate it, then you've answered your own question - go where you want to go.

Tony35NYC · Dec 2, 2004

There are lots of ways to go about this and you will get advice to try med/surg for awhile. But you can also NOT try med/surg if you want. It is up to you and what you find out there in the big wide world of nursing.
One of my friends went straight into the ICU after graduation. Another friend's goal was NICU and ended up there a few months after graduation. Another into CCU.
You can do whatever you want - depending on where you live and what is available. Do something in the area that you are interested in. Like my friend in NICU did post-partum and general nursery for a few months. Move somewhere else to get the chance to do what you've been dreaming of.
Don't be discouraged.
steph

I agree with this post. You don't have to start in med-surg as a GN. You can do like I did: apply for an intern position in the area where you'd like to work after you graduate. Even if you hear a few "No's" don't let that be a reason to stop looking. Almost everyone told me I'd never get hired as an intern to work in CCU/SICU because I was too green, but I was hired at the very first place I applied to!

stbernardclub · Dec 3, 2004

ok...the med surg question, it alway comes up:) If you were to work med surg for just one year even, you will become experienced with so many treatments, medications, dressings ect...Then when you go into, say ccu or icu, you will have the confidence you need when your basically in command of your patients. Dr's will ask you alot of questions, and families. I think med surg is a great education. School could never teach you all you will learn there. Now if you want ped's, then thats different, because it would be similar to med surg, but for kids. I was speaking about adult care , good luck:)

Hey there everyone! I am graduating as an RN in December and have had a few interviews to hospitals out here, but the slots for new grad openings are very skimpy, especially when it comes to a specialty area. (I really want to work with peds or maybe an critical care unit) HOWEVER, I feel like everyone is pushing us into working Med-Surg first, so we get the "experience"! Well why won't they hire us into other areas for this so-called experience?? I just dred the thought of having to work on a Med-Surg unit for a year to 2, just from the awful memories I have had in Nursing School. I mean, I feel like I would come home and cry after work by just being so stressed out...Am I wrong here? Is this experience in Med-Surg really that critical to my career as a nurse? And if I do happen to commit to working Med-Surg, what types of things should I look for in a good working environment? I mean I REALLY want to like my job, and enjoy coming to work (most of the time) ANY ADVICE would be greatly appreciated from any point-of-view. They say we have such a nursing shortage, but I have learned that it they are short in "experienced" nurses, not new graduates...

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Dec 3, 2004

I agree there are many places that dont make the distinction between a new grad in ICU/CCU or where ever and making you work med/surg for a while. But.... if that is what they have available and you are at least willing to try med/surg why not.. It gets feet in the door and transfers are there with the first available opening right? Just think what a breeze taking care of 1-2 patients will be after managing a team of 9 or 10 patients on med/surg for a while. (no, i dont mean ICU/CCU would be easy).

llg, PhD, RN · Dec 3, 2004

I am in staff development at a Children's Hospital and track the successes and failures of our new orientees. People coming from an adult med-surg background do NOT do better. In fact, they often have a hard time adjusting to the differences in pediatrics. The statistics do NOT support the notion that "if you can work adult med-surg you can work anywhere" or that "adult med-surg experience prepares you for anything" ... and a lot of similar statements you may hear.

Follow your heart and work where you want to work. You might have the best success in getting into a specialty area as a new grad if you focus on larger hospitals, teaching hospitals, etc. who may be more accustomed to hiring a lot of new grads and training them.

For example, even a mid-sized community hospital may have only 1 pediatric floor or 1 ICU. Because they may be popular areas to work, they don't hire a lot of people per year and don't have the kind of big orienation program a new grad needs. They have several people already working in their hospital who are interested in transfering into those units and will pick them rather than an "unknown" new grad.

At a larger teaching hospital, there tends to be more rapid turnover of staff as well as several specialty units. They hire many new grads per year and have orientation programs already in place to train them. They are therefore more receptive to hiring new grads in their specialty units.

For the record ... I also think adult med-surg is its own specialty worthy of equal respect to the other specialties. However, that also means it is NOT necessarily the best preparation for all the other specialties. It has a separate skill set.

Good luck,

llg

chip193 · Dec 3, 2004

Hey there everyone! I am graduating as an RN in December and have had a few interviews to hospitals out here, but the slots for new grad openings are very skimpy, especially when it comes to a specialty area. (I really want to work with peds or maybe an critical care unit) HOWEVER, I feel like everyone is pushing us into working Med-Surg first, so we get the "experience"! Well why won't they hire us into other areas for this so-called experience?? I just dred the thought of having to work on a Med-Surg unit for a year to 2, just from the awful memories I have had in Nursing School. I mean, I feel like I would come home and cry after work by just being so stressed out...Am I wrong here? Is this experience in Med-Surg really that critical to my career as a nurse? And if I do happen to commit to working Med-Surg, what types of things should I look for in a good working environment? I mean I REALLY want to like my job, and enjoy coming to work (most of the time) ANY ADVICE would be greatly appreciated from any point-of-view. They say we have such a nursing shortage, but I have learned that it they are short in "experienced" nurses, not new graduates...

It all depends on where you live and what you really want to do.

I work in an ER where they would prefer that you NEVER have worked in Med/Surg! And they really hate it when you come from an ICU! The reason is very simple - and my ICU RN wife pointed this out when she went yelling and screaming back to the ICU after a month trial in the ER - on the floors (and especially in the unit), there is an overall pattern to the day. In the unit, they even know who is probably going to die. In the ER, there is no such order, on chaos. And, more importantly, you can't tell the ambulance "sorry, the bed's not ready"!

Just my thoughts and my wife's experience!

Chip

VgsNrs · Dec 4, 2004

I really appreciate the open and honest responses from everyone. Some have relieved a few of my worries coming into the real world of nursing. I just really want this to be positive experience, it is a little difficult coming into a field where you have little insight of what to expect outside of school. Thank you again though...

youngRNstudent · Dec 5, 2004

I just dred the thought of having to work on a Med-Surg unit for a year to 2, just from the awful memories I have had in Nursing School.

Since you feel like this (I feel you on this one)....dont do med-surg, because you don't have to.

There are plenty of hospitals that will hire you into any specialty as a new grad. You just have to do your homework and shop around. Look for a place 1st off that offers a new grad something other than med-surg, then look at the hospital itself (is it nice? is it run down? does the staff seem happy?) ask the staff members how they like working there (if you can). Just do a quick assessment of the unit. If everyone seems upset/stressed/burned out, then turn the other way.

There IS a nursing shortage and you should not have to SETTLE!!!!! I know it is hard as a new grad to think like this, but you have that option.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 5, 2004

I wouldn't use this as a blanket statement.

Point very well taken. There are no blanket statements in the wide world of nursing. Thanks for calling me on it. You're right not every med-surg nurse can jump into a speciality same as a speciality nurse can't jump into med-surg. Each takes skill and training.

For myself, I've done 15 years of med-surg in telemetry, trauma, neuro, medical and surgical. I've the confidence to say if I've survived these areas at this hospital, I can learn and survive anywhere. I have what it takes because of my med-surg background, which is varied and lengthy. LOL