Med-Surg Negativity

beekee · Feb 26, 2019

I’m on a med surg floor. Sure, it can be hard and super busy, but I love my unit. My coworkers work as a team. We have a fantastic manager. I enjoy the patient population. I even like my schedule. The good days out number the bad. I don’t plan on leaving any time soon.

And if you can master med surg, you’ll have a great foundation for whatever you do next, if you want to leave.

Swellz · Feb 27, 2019

It depends on the environment. I haven't hated every med-surg floor I've worked on, but every floor I've genuinely hated working on was med-surg. If you have a good support system and a good team, there's no reason you can't be happy in med-surg. You just really need a good group around you, because it is a hard gig. It's hard to gauge a floor if you haven't worked there, but if you have any connections on any of those units, I'd reach out to them. It might give you some idea which floors are better working environments, which could help you narrow down your choices. It's exciting that you have a choice as a new grad - I only had one option, and I only had that one because I had worked there in nursing school. You should feel really good about that!

jthoma43 · Feb 27, 2019

Thanks for the advice! Unfortunately, I've never worked on that floor before but I have had clinical at the hospital. So I guess I'm going to take a leap of faith and go for it!

RatherBHiking, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2019

I think a lot depends on the place but if you're willing to work hard, listen and learn you will be fine. My second med-surg job I learned SO much and I really liked it. Yes it was busy, challenging, and over-whelming some days but the experience you gain is well worth it. We had several nurses on our floor who have been there for years because they like it so much. I think everyone should have to start out on med-surg because you learn all the basics and then when you move on to a more specialized area you already have a good background on how all the disease processes affect the body. You will also gain confidence so you won't be so freaked out or on edge with more critical type situations. Plus if you can juggle several patients you'll appreciate juggling less even if they are sicker.

Some tips: if you don't know something ask. If you do something wrong own up to it right away and people will trust you more. Take a little notebook and write things down you need to look up on your day off such as why certain labs go haywire with certain disease processes and what causes that. It will help you remember what to look for when someone comes in with that problem. Also, write down notes, like certain IV drugs you must push over 5 min, the steps for a discharge or what to do to get someone ready for surgery, what you need to do to hang blood, etc. and even the hours the cafe is open. Things like that. Your own small reference guide. Then use a brain sheet for your patients and try different ones to see what you prefer. I also used to use sticky notes and would write down things I needed to do like listing the 3 patients who all just asked for pain med at once, the IV bag that is going to need replaced in 30 min, the catheter that needs d/c'd, etc. and cross it off as you go. Be proactive, ask questions, jump in there and do stuff so you can learn. You can do it!! Just take it one day at a time!!

saongiri · Feb 28, 2019

You will learn the most diverse nursing practice ever with some med- surg experience. It is also quite a bit easier to get a position in the hospital and then move to another department as positions open. It's hard but you will learn time management and a whole lot about many different conditions and patient populations. Don't be afraid of med surg.

Persephone Paige, ADN · Feb 28, 2019

I'm on the worst med-surg floor imaginable. Let me explain: it's not the 'worst' because it's med-surg. The patients are all just really sick. The work is just as fascinating here as it is anywhere else. It's a mind-set. Make up your mind that you want to learn your craft and you will be satisfied where ever you end up. Med-Surg experience is invaluable, you may often regret your decision on difficult days, but you'll never regret it on your resume.

I'm experiencing difficulties of another kind. I'm getting older and although I can make my body move fast, my mind and emotions react quickly, etc... I'm paying for it later. And I don't rebound from the exhaustion the way I used to.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 28, 2019

On 2/26/2019 at 2:50 PM, jthoma43 said:
hi everyone! i'm graduating in may and i've been applying to many hospitals in my area. i've gotten a few offers for med-surg floors, but unfortunately did not get the cardiac progressive care unit i really wanted. i'm nervous about accepting a position on a med-surg floor because everything i hear about med-surg is VERY negative. i hear a lot of nurses say, they would never want to go back to med-surg or "thank god i never had to be on that floor" so with all that being said, if anyone works on a med-surg unit and can inform me on some POSITIVE feedback, id really appreciate it ? im currently scared out of my mind and don't know what to expect.

Med/Surg is a fabulous first job for a new graduate. You are exposed to a wide variety of patient populations -- including some cardiac -- and a wide variety of medications, tests, procedures and providers. You can learn SO much!

I was on Med/Surg for two years as my first job, and the only reason I left was that we were moving across the country for my husband's job. I had a rough start in nursing, but Med/Surg provided me so much in terms of opportunities and learning. I am grateful that I started there -- it gave me a good, solid foundation as a nurse and skills that I could take anywhere.

jthoma43 · Mar 2, 2019

wow!! so much VALUABLE advice!! i really do appreciate all of it! reading your responses has eased my mind drastically haha so thank you all soooo much.

what would you guys say about working days or nights on med-surg? i have the option and i was thinking about starting out on nights but i've gotten some other opinions about definitely doing days first. i would love to hear what you guys think!

jthoma43 · Mar 2, 2019

On 2/27/2019 at 2:51 PM, Blue_Moon said:
I think a lot depends on the place but if you're willing to work hard, listen and learn you will be fine. My second med-surg job I learned SO much and I really liked it. Yes it was busy, challenging, and over-whelming some days but the experience you gain is well worth it. We had several nurses on our floor who have been there for years because they like it so much. I think everyone should have to start out on med-surg because you learn all the basics and then when you move on to a more specialized area you already have a good background on how all the disease processes affect the body. You will also gain confidence so you won't be so freaked out or on edge with more critical type situations. Plus if you can juggle several patients you'll appreciate juggling less even if they are sicker.
Some tips: if you don't know something ask. If you do something wrong own up to it right away and people will trust you more. Take a little notebook and write things down you need to look up on your day off such as why certain labs go haywire with certain disease processes and what causes that. It will help you remember what to look for when someone comes in with that problem. Also, write down notes, like certain IV drugs you must push over 5 min, the steps for a discharge or what to do to get someone ready for surgery, what you need to do to hang blood, etc. and even the hours the cafe is open. Things like that. Your own small reference guide. Then use a brain sheet for your patients and try different ones to see what you prefer. I also used to use sticky notes and would write down things I needed to do like listing the 3 patients who all just asked for pain med at once, the IV bag that is going to need replaced in 30 min, the catheter that needs d/c'd, etc. and cross it off as you go. Be proactive, ask questions, jump in there and do stuff so you can learn. You can do it!! Just take it one day at a time!!

LOVE THESE TIPS!! THANK YOU!!

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 2, 2019

2 hours ago, jthoma43 said:
wow!! so much VALUABLE advice!! i really do appreciate all of it! reading your responses has eased my mind drastically haha so thank you all soooo much.
what would you guys say about working days or nights on med-surg? i have the option and i was thinking about starting out on nights but i've gotten some other opinions about definitely doing days first. i would love to hear what you guys think!

You may not always have a choice about days or nights or rotating. As a preceptor, I think it's best to spend a brief time on days -- to get to know the lay of the land, so to speak. Mostly we schedule our new orients on days while they are still attending classes once or twice a week.

Nights are quieter (not quiet -- I would NEVER use that word about a nursing unit!) and there are less interruptions. That means that it is easier to teach and easier to learn. There is more time to look at labs, go through the chart and read the physicians notes and plans, go through the labs and look up normals, and figure out why the abnormals are abnormal. There is more time to develop your routine for giving medications including your checks, your five (or seven or twelve or however many there are now) rights and to look up drugs with which you are unfamiliar.

Yes, it is difficult for some people to adjust to nights. I am shocked at how many people these days insist that they just cannot do nights, though. In the past, we just accepted them as part of the job and did them. There are many threads on this forum about how to adjust to nights. Try this one:

Night Shift for Newbies

RatherBHiking, BSN, RN · Mar 4, 2019

My first med-surg was nights. It was less chaotic than days. On days you have three meals, dr rounds, scheduled surgeries, lots of tests, lots more meds, more bathroom trips, baths, more dressing changes, order changes, etc. From the moment you start you don't stop until your break (if you're lucky to get one) and then when it's time to go home.

On nights you'll have less of the rush rush rush all night long but you're still busy. There's less people in the building when things go bad. A lot of people get Sundowner's and can get a little crazy but overall it's not as crazy.

It's nice you have a choice of which shift. Nights will allow you to not feel so overwhelmed. The only downside is the whole sleep thing and feeling chronically tired. I think the younger you are, the easier it is to adjust. I think most of the time they will orient you to days first before switching you to nights. If you think it's something you can handle then I'd recommend nights first.