Long term care RN entering Med Surg

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Hey Everyone,

Since nursing school, I have worked in a long term care facility for 4 years. I am about to change my position and work in a hospital on a medical surgical floor. I am nervous about this because I did such basic nursing in long term care.

I was wondering if anyone could tell me things I should brush up... labs, medications, procedures, common diagnosis's/treatments/nursing implementations

... anything that I can study that will help me during this transition would be SO appreciated!

Thank you!!

Dee

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Hi Dee! I have precepted a handful of nurses with 3+ years experience as a nurse but only in long term care. They experience a lot of frustration coming to acute care thinking that since they've been a nurse so long it'll be easy, little do they know it's a completely different experience. With any new job there is definitely a learning curve and I try to remind them of that when they are stressed feeling like they're back in nursing school. Just be open to everything your taught and of course brush up on labs like lytes, cbc, etc. Focus some studying/researching on how to care for patients with PNA, COPD, CHF, and the different infections that are common in the hospital (vre, cdiff, mrsa, esbl). Take initiative to volunteer yourself for IV starts and lab draws, and familiarize yourself with picc lines and midlines. Good luck and take it all in, you'll be great!

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Thank you so much for the advice!! I will study up on the things you mentioned!!

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Your very welcome!

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.

I did the opposite, haha. I did acute care for nine years then did LTC.

It's like one is Mars, the other is Venus. Seriously, different planets.

One thing as an LTC nurse, you have amazing time management skills and can do assessments with minimal monitoring and equipment. It was terrifying for me to have fifty patients who weren't monitored! And that med pass? Holy cow!

I suggest getting this... http://www.fadavis.com/product/nursing-fundamentals-med-surg-notes-clinical-pocket-guide-hopkins-3

There might be a newer addition. But it's the quick and dirty.

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