Med/Surg Job?

grinnurse, RN · Jan 1, 2006

hello! i will be graduating from nursing school in may 2006. they have a tuition reimbursment program in which you work for the hospital for x# of years and they will pay off your nursing school loan. i have already been hired on the med/surg unit, but i've never had a clinical there yet. i'm not sure of what to expect and am very nervous about the responsibility. i have read several threads in which med/surg nurses are stressed out and unhappy(there are alot of the med/surge nurses that are stressed out and unhappy, but it has been my experience so far (which is limited of course) that nurses in every department are stressed out and unhappy too so i think that is universal to nursing in general just as it is in other career paths these days. imo it relates to staffing problems and making a profit.). does anyone have any advice on this unit for a first year nurse/new grad? thanks!

hello, congratulations on making it this far in nursing school and on your impending graduation. this time last year i was trying to make these same decisions about where to begin my nursing career. i was sure at this time that i wanted to start in oncology, landed the perfect job, and then changed my mind and went into med/surge and have been there now for almost 7 months. if you have ever worked on med/surge in any of your clinicals it will be very similar. or that's what i have found so far. paperwork and supplies may be different, but basically the same. i work 7a-7p and it can be extremely stressful b/c more family and docs to deal with but contrary to popular belief, the night shift can be just as stressful. the first 3 months were hell for me, came home crying lots, didn't think i would stick it out, but now can't imagine where i would work. there is soooo much more to learn after school and no joke, i don't feel like i have had a successful day if i didn't learn something. there are so many adjustments too like p&p, computers, paperwork, not to mention "figuring" out where you fit in with the other staff members.

the best advice that i can give you is to go into it with open eyes and know that you are not going to know everything when you get there and it is going to frustrate the hell out you b/c you were a better student. continue to understand that you probably won't know "everything" about nursing for a very long time if ever! ask tons of questions from the senior nurses that you will be working with. chances are there is going to be at least one that will take you under there "wings" and confide in her/him when needed. take your breaks when you can, eat your lunch, get off the floor, be good to yourself during this first year-that is so important!! take the difficult patients-it only makes you stronger and better. don't be afraid to do your skills and if you don't feel comfortable doing them on your own, get someone to help until you do!! know your limitations as a new nurse and don't be afraid to let others know them as well. don't be afraid to say no to others requests. develop a really good "rapport" with your aides. they can be the difference between a good or bad day, and the ones that have been there for a long time can teach you soooo much!! i try to say thanks to them b/f i leave everyday b/c they help so much!! don't ask them to do anything that you yourself wouldn't do and help them if they ask and you can.

i don't know if any of this will help, but, this is what came to mind when i read your post. good luck with your continued success in school and when you hit the floor as a new nurse!!

pugmum · Jan 1, 2006

Grinnnurse gave some really good advice :)

Congratulations on getting through, and congratulations on your job. Keep in mind that you will receive an orientation to the unit, so that part helps enormously. Find someone who is willing to be a mentor to you, ask questions, be willing to learn. Help when you can, and extend that help to everyone. Offers to help can go a long way to win friends, and they will be more willing to help you at those times when all H*** breaks loose.

Even though you will no longer be a student once you start your job, remember you are still a novice nurse, and take the opportunity to continue to learn. I see so many new nurses putting unreasonable expectations upon themselves feeling that they have to practice at the expert level - it takes experience to get there, and the first few months are a constant learning process. Look at this job as a really good opportunity to consolidate your learning practice. Everytime you have challenging shift :banghead: keep telling yourself you will come through it stronger and gain more experience. Keep the good shifts and the confident feelings close to you, and revive those feelings if you start to feel down.

And don't forget the forum....a great place for advice :yeah:

lmajor · Jan 1, 2006

Hello! I will be graduating from nursing school in May 2006. They have a tuition reimbursment program in which you work for the hospital for X# of years and they will pay off your nursing school loan. I have already been hired on the med/surg unit, but I've never had a clinical there yet. I'm not sure of what to expect and am very nervous about the responsibility. I have read several threads in which med/surg nurses are stressed out and unhappy. Does anyone have any advice on this unit for a first year nurse/new grad? Thanks!

I am an LPN on med Surg floor. I work on an ortho/ pediatrics/ floor. We get all the strokes, stomach surgeries which means plenty of post ops. I just graduated from school in June and some days it is really hectic but it is nice to hear from patients the good care they get on this floor. Hang in there and it is a great experience so early in my career to see all these different types of medical situations.

neeko02 · Jan 2, 2006

Thanks everyone for all of the good advice. I guess there will always be some fear of the unkown, but I am excited about the opportunities to learn and grow that I will have on Med/Surg. I have a tendency to expect perfection from myself and to be too hard on myself. It will be difficult to just let go and take every day in stride, but I believe that I can make it.

Thanks again!!:wink2:

Constance7 · Jan 4, 2006

Congradulations! I did the exact same thing as a new grad. I agreed to a two year contract on a med/surg floor with 14 telemetry beds. I am not discouraging you but I would like to be honest. I speak from experience when I say that there may very well be many negative issues on a floor that needs to bribe nurses to stay. And once you enter into the contract you are stuck there regardless if you like it or not because of financial obligations. Unless that is you are willing to pay back the thousands of dollars they are probably offering.

But here is the positive side. I am a firm believer that the foundation of nursing begins on a med/surg floor. Many of my older friends who have been RN's for many years tell me that respect is never gained until you do at least two solid two years on a med/surg floor. You will be exposed to a large variety of ailments in a relatively short amount of time. The pace is fast and yes I do work with MANY nurses who are 100% burnt out. It is demanding, the patients are always changing, and there is not much structure at times. But I honestly feel that after my stay with this facility is done I will be able to transition over into almost any type of nursing. My blood drawing, Iv starting, and assessment skills have grown tremendously in two years and I know that I have 2 things to attribute this to. One- the fact that I did choose Med/surg first, and two- because I have made a 25 year nurse my best friend. She has helped me grow and I learn from her on a daily basis. I would be lost at times without her!

Good luck in your career and enjoy graduation, you earned it!:yelclap:

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jan 5, 2006

As stressed out and unhappy as you believe new grads on med/surg units are, I'm willing to stand by a statement that the stress is much greater on intensive care units, L&D, ER and telemetry. I've been a nurse manager and a supervisor and, believe me, I listened to a fair number of new grads having emotional breakdowns in my presence. What will help you survive your first year of work, and the remainder of your time in the profession, will be your willingness and ability to self-analyze your performance and mistakes and work toward improving them. Do not expect that all the answers to your problems are going to be handed to you. You will have to exercise some creativity on your own part. Keep an open, positive mind. Don't fall into the gossip trap or fall in with a clik of nurses just to remain safe from their tongue lashings of others because you can't afford to do that. Focus some time on finding answers to questions that come up in your nursing classes because when you start working you will, generally, be expected to find answers on your own as you get farther and farther out from your orientation.

NikiChiki · Jan 6, 2006

Thank you everyone who posted so far on this thread. I too have taken a job as GPN (LPN after NCLEX I *hope*) on a Med Surg floor where I was working as a Nurse Tech during my last semester. I also did my clinicals there for Med Surg so I am familiar with the atmosphere and some of the people too. The advice you all have given really makes me feel better, I'm a worrying person no matter what but any advice helps. I know there is a lot I won't know right off the bat but I keep telling myself... I'm doing this for the experience and I want to learn. All I can do is hope that my preceptor wants to help me learn.