Med-surg or Ortho -- please advice

RN50, ASN, BSN · Aug 22, 2004

The decision about the best place to start can only be made by you. You will decide what is best for you. In my opinion, telemetry seems just as good of a place to start as ortho does. You will make the right decision. Congratulations and good luck beginning your career!

Ortho_RN · Aug 22, 2004

Well, I'm a lil biased... :) I started out in Ortho... I worked on that unit as an Aide through school and enjoyed it... I can be a rough floor, physically... Not that the others aren't, but Ortho patients are less likely to be up walking around... Lots of lifting and moving people... I think it is a good place to start, mainly b/c it is a specialty, but then again you see Med/Surg stuff with it... Most Ortho patients have other issues, especially your lil elderly people who have fallen and broken a hip.. Most have other health problems: Diabetes, CHF, COPD, so you would get a wide array of learning..

But you can be the only one to know for sure what you really want.. Try one and if you don't like it you can always try the other.. Good Luck.. Keep us posted..

hllybenn · Aug 22, 2004

I am also an Ortho Nurse -74 bed and I think it is a great place (and a safe place) to learn your skills. I have a different expereice than the previous posters- in that we have patients that are pretty healthy and young (they have to get cleared medically before their procedures). Most are elective procedures and are up POD #1 and gone on POD#3. We do get some elderly but lots of 30s-60s. We also get our share of traumas (we get SCIs also).

We do get complications and some people with chronic health problems- but the majority are on few or no meds but what we give them. It is good for incisions/wound care and other "med/surg" skills.

The drawbacks- I agree with others- VERY HEAVY- lots of lifting and the PAIN- pain management can get very hard sometimes.

Best of Luck!

SandraCVRN · Sep 1, 2004

Hi,
I'm a recent graduate and was offered a job in a 50 unit cardiac-pulmonary m/s unit and a 38 bed orthopedic unit. Both jobs pay the same salary, same benefits, same nurse-patient ratio (1:8 day or 1:12 nights), same good working environment as per conversation from friends. As a new graduate, i like ortho but at the same time i like cardiac. I know :)
In your opinion, if you are a new graduate, what will be the best foundation to start my career. Thanks for helping....

Dang, and we gripe on the occasion we get that 7th pt during the day, or 10th at night. I'm on an ortho/medical floor.

RNKITTY04 · Sep 1, 2004

I just interviewed for a telementry job where the ratio is 1:5. They also said there is always 3 patient care techs and 2 LPN's for all shifts. I guess this is good?