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.
Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.
You must not be able to read. Someone already pointed that out.
Another question: Am I not entitled to my own opinion?
IMO I think med-surg is boring and not for me!!!!!1
I think you are definitely entitled to your opinion. However, I think that the boastful spirit of your post might have rubbed some people the wrong way. I think experienced nurses don't like being told that they have a "gay" job if they work on a med/surg unit. I am not putting down your experience, but you may want to try out med/surg as a RN before you put it down. :)
I think you are definitely entitled to your opinion. However, I think that the boastful spirit of your post might have rubbed some people the wrong way. I think experienced nurses don't like being told that they have a "gay" job if they work on a med/surg unit. I am not putting down your experience, but you may want to try out med/surg as a RN before you put it down. :)
I think this is the smartest post yet on this thread. I completely agree with what you're saying and maybe I did use the wrong approach in addressing my opinion but at the same time I don't appreciate everyone else basically calling me an idiot.
Do you work at a small hospital? It seems like you do.
At the hospital I work at now every kind of illness can go to any floor but most of the time the cardiac stuff goes to the cardiac floor and so forth...
Therefore, at the hospital I'm at now you would get limited experience working with each type of illness. Where in the ER, you see everything.
So I think that if you work in the ER you are going to see just about everything and it puts a new nurse at an advantage.
Now, I know that not every ER will hire new grads and some people would be scared to work there but the experience that you get (if you can get a job) is amazing!
BTW, who has seen a code on a med-surg unit!? I've been to two and all I saw was about 20 nurses standing there with there mouths on the floor. Not saying it's like that everywhere (because I know it's not) but it was funny!
Yes, I do work in a small hospital, and I have 13 years of Nursing experience. My 1st job was a 3rd shift float..learned alot, and floated between hospitals w/in our group, and I worked in ICU's, ACU, Rehab, Renal/Oncology, ER and other Med-Surg units.
And, about seeing a Code on a Med-Surg floor? I have participated in many in my time, and I am ACLS certified, along with alot of other Med-Surg RN's out there.
Your opinion will go down once you get out there on your own and actually feel pressure/responsibility for the patients and from the doctors on whatever floor you choose to work on. Once you get family members in your face demanding to know answers and you are extremely busy (and of course you can't tell them that), or doctors wanting to know something about a patient, and then, it happens, a Code, your patient, and the stuff hits the preverbial fan, and you are more behind than ever before.
, think of this post...no copy it, and put it in a folder for later, and then read it..you will see a difference in your opinion hopefully. I still have my first Code that I recorded on a paper towel.
You have to understand that when you choose Nursing, professionalism is a must, or else trust is lost.
Dolce, RN
861 Posts
I think you are definitely entitled to your opinion. However, I think that the boastful spirit of your post might have rubbed some people the wrong way. I think experienced nurses don't like being told that they have a "gay" job if they work on a med/surg unit. I am not putting down your experience, but you may want to try out med/surg as a RN before you put it down. :)