Is one year of med/surg necessary?

[Lpn1997]

Unlike my user name suggests, I am now an RN(graduated in 5/08) but have been an LPN x10 years. Those years were spent solely in clinics: internal medicine, OB/GYN, and family practice. Now that I've gotten my RN, I am working on a 14 bed OB unit of a small hospital. I've had several people tell me how bad of a mistake I'm making by not going the med/surg route and that could ruin my chances if I ever decide to change to a more critical type of specialty that might specify needing a year of med/surg. The OB unit I am on serves as overflow for "clean"/non-infectious medical and surgical female patients so I definitely will get some experience daily with those patients not to mention the post-op c-sections, hysterectomies, etc. Having had experience in family medicine and internal medicine clinics I have had a lot of experience with different medical issues (although obviously different than hospital-type nursing) and I have had to develop critical thinking skills, time management, and prioritization. Am I really doing myself a disservice by not going to med-surg before a specialty? When I do get to a point of wanting to move to a different area, can I count my current job as time served on a medical floor since we do so much overflow? Since I am still so early in my position, I could request to transfer to a medical floor with no questions asked so I need input as to what would be best.

[espritjolieRN]

My feeling is if you're doing overflow, you're getting your experience with med surg. If you like what you're doing, I wouldn't switch. If you decide later you want to make a switch and feel like you need more med surg (I'm betting you won't) you can always put in a few months straight time there first. I really wouldn't worry about it.

[Ilithya]

You've had plenty of experience, not as an RN, but its really not that different knowledge wise.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

You have way more "med surg" experience that alot of new RN grads. The majority of my class took jobs elsewhere, not med-surg. I personally have no med-surg experience, work only in peds, but don't feel that this hinders me. I still think about adult med-surg sometimes, and still think I would be able to quickly catch up (ok, maybe not those telemetry monitors..... :icon_roll )

[Dolce, RN]

The "1 year of Med/Surg" is a suggested pathway. It is not right for each and every new grad. I didn't get my one year of med/surg and it hasn't hindered me one bit. In fact, I have been perfectly competent to float to Med/Surg if necessary (if somebody can help me set up those dang PCAs that always befuddle my head). I think your years of LPN experience shouldn't be overlooked. You are not the average new grad. You will learn so much on an OB unit that its not even funny. If you love OB then I think you should keep on doing what you're doing.

Congratulations on your graduation!

[cvssc]

I worked in an Intermediate unit for 3 years before L&D. I'm glad I did because we are a high risk unit. Several of my co-workers who have only done OB wish, in some ways, that they had other experiences. They only want OB, but other experence comes in very handy.

[CHATSDALE]

what do you see your doing 5 to 10 years down the road..if you want to branch out then a broaden your skills..if you want to stay where you are you really don't need to do the 'trench' work

[Lucky#13]

Well, don't throw anything at me, but clinic nursing is much different than floor nursing, though you have experienced alot. And your experience with prioritization, time management and critical thinking is great. But you said yourself that the area you want "might" specify needing a yr. of med-surg, besides, it can only make you more comfortable in your own capabilities. And like ChristineN said, there are those telemetry monitors to deal with.

[grandkids4]

I have done both, clinic and hospital nursing. My suggestion for every new grad would be to start on a med/surg unit. After a year of that experiience you can do almost anything.

You never know what opportunities are going to come up in your life, so get the experience that you can.

I do have several friends who went right into clinics or non acute nursing, and after a year it is hard for them to get into the hospital because they have no experience.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

You have other experience as well, so no I don't think you need to go to a straight med surg unit since your unit does surgical overflow. If you plan on staying in OB then I would stay where you are. If you want to do ICU later then maybe do that year of med surg.

[tryingtohaveitall]

I think you're probably getting great experience. If you don't have the desire to make med-surg your career, then I don't understand the "need" to do MS for a year. I worked a peds cardiopulm floor for a year which gave me a taste for the critical care end of it. I went from there to a PICU, and that was 18 years ago. I've never looked back!

GL to you!

[DanaD40]

I am not an RN (yet, but planning to become), and I have worked as an LPN only four years, but my advise: If you have found your place in nursing, and absolutely love it, there is no need for you to get the med-surge experience, but if you are unsure what area of nursing would be close to your heart, then check med-surge out, and you'll get your answer there.