Med-Surg nursing... Who likes it? and why?

begalli · Aug 5, 2006

If you're a bit too detail oriented, you'll never make it. You CANNOT know every little detail about every patient. You CANNOT do every little thing. You really have to keep sight of the forest and not focus on a tree. Because if you're water and fertilizing one tree too long, loggers will come along and get one of your other trees.

I LOVE this post!!

lsyorke, RN · Aug 5, 2006

I like med-surg. Hate ICU, hate ER. No interest at all in L&D (I became a nurse to take care of sick people, pregnant women aren't sick!) It depends on your personality. If you're a bit too detail oriented, you'll never make it. You CANNOT know every little detail about every patient. You CANNOT do every little thing. You really have to keep sight of the forest and not focus on a tree. Because if you're water and fertilizing one tree too long, loggers will come along and get one of your other trees.

This is SO true!!! We have alot of nurses who get tied up in the details and not see the whole picture.

begalli · Aug 5, 2006

In critical care, knowing the details is looking at the whole picture of a patient.

I'd be willing to bet that there are med/surg nurses who love what they do but would like to be able to pay attention to those details. They are just usually so slammed with work that they really don't have the time.

But all-over details is not why a patient is admitted to med/surg. But then again, patients in med/surg are sicker and sicker.

Nothing wrong with details.

mookieslife · Aug 5, 2006

WOW! I never would have thought that there would be such a big response. It feels great to see how everyone is so helpful. The main reason I posted this topic was because I was in the Navy serving as a hospital corpsman in an acute care setting- and it was the best learning experience ever (a great team to work with). I just want to continue to have joy in patient care. I don't want to become one of those nurses who doesn't care. This post has made me realize that we have a great profession and still care for individuals even when we are out of our job setting. You all are great people and continue to help and support us "baby nurses" as we strive to be a better part of the nursing community for you and our patients. Thank-you.

allnurses Guide · Aug 6, 2006

Being someone who has trouble paying attention to details, and being someone who tends to see the whole forest... that's precisely why I got OUT of med/surge. I felt like I was expected to be very detail oriented, which I am very very much NOT. I felt like there were a thousand things about every patient that I was expected to know. There were a thousand things that I was supposed to remember to do.

I love psych because I'm good at sensing when my patients aren't feeling well emotionally, or when they just aren't feeling well in general. I'm good at sensing when something isn't right with them. I'm good at sensing that and asking what is wrong. I'm good at listening.

I'm not good at paying attention to the thousands and thousands of labs and tests and vital signs and stuff, that happen at all different times of a 24 hour period in a med surge hospital. Psych units are much more structured. Tests and labs are only run at certain times of the day. If patients are needing those things done at really odd times... then chances are they are also needing a bed in a medical facility.

BrendaTXRN · Aug 6, 2006

I agree... it's so important to have good, supportive co-workers... especially on a fast paced and stressful M/S floor. A good orientation is also a must. When I first graduated I worked in a nursing home for about 9 months, then got a job on a M/S floor. I only got 2 weeks orientation on the floor and the staff was average as far as being supportive. I had an OK experience doing M/S, but I really feel it could have been a much better one if I had a better orientation and more supportive staff to work with.

grinnurse, RN · Aug 6, 2006

Love Med/Surge here. Took the advice of my instructors and started on a Med/Surge unit right after grad in May 05 and haven't looked back since. There have been days when it has been really stressful dealing with all the things that you have to deal with but there are days when you know what you are doing is making a difference in someone's life. And some days it does seem like all I am doing is passing meds or putting out fires but then there are the days when I have all my ducks in a row and have charts opened by 10 a.m. and am able to keep up and actually perform "real" nursing care like we learned about in NS. Love the pace and also chose Med/Surge as a "stepping stone" for my future plans of home health and hospice care. Initially I wanted to start in ED but when I was choosing it made me sick to my stomache so I went with MS. Good luck in making your decision and I would say look at your future plans and what kind of experience you will need and then go with your gut!!

jodi_cmsrn · Aug 7, 2006

I have been a med-surg nurse for over 3 years now (it was going to be for 6 months after graduation) and I absolutely LOVE it. I love the unpredictability of each day, and the variety of people that I deal with on each and every occasion. I have no intention of leaving med-surg anytime soon and in fact got my med-surg certification last year.