Med-Surg Roll Call

[RNPATL]

Hi all ... thought it was about time to have a Med-Surg roll call .... please repond by telling us if you work in med-surg .... how long you have been there and if you plan on staying in med surg .... also, please let us know if you hold certification in med-surg through ANCC or AMSN. Thanks ....

I will start ....

I am a nurse manager for a 40 bed med-surg unit. Love med-surg, but am challenged daily by how busy the unit is and how sick our patient population is. I plan on remaining in med-surg for a number of years (at least until I finish my Masters degree and start teaching). I am not currently certified, but am planning on taking the test in October throught AMSN.

I think the thing I LOVE the most about M/S is the diversity of patients we see. You really need to be a nursing generalist to be successful in med-surg.

[Bill E. Rubin]

I work on an acute general medical floor at a major Boston teaching hospital. I was a PCA on a surgical unit at the same hospital and didn't think I'd like medical nursing, but I've been really enjoying it. We get cardiovascular (lots of telemetry), renal, liver, infections of all kinds, the dreaded altered mental status, syncope workups, respiratory... even our share of surgical pts for whom the larger concern is their medical comorbidities... not to mention our share of detox from ETOH and other sundry substances, overdoses and failed suicide attempts. It's challenging, but I like serving the mostly underserved, diverse population that our floor handles and I'm learning a lot. Also given that we're a teaching floor, I like the mostly collegial relationship with the MDs. The MDs often rely on the nurses for direction on medication. The attending physicians who rotate through the hospital have a lot of respect for the nurses on our unit.

I think I have a hankering for critical care, though I like my unit, the staff and the management a lot. We're the only all-RN floor at the hospital, and most of the time, that works out well, and we have good pt ratios (3:1 days, and 4:1 nights) as a result and can spend more time with each pt. Where the all-RN model doesn't work as well, is that sometimes we get pts who are stuck here for a long time due to a sudden decline in functional status on a given admission that prevents us from having a place to discharge them to. These pts' care is transferred to a special medical team that handles their care while a plan for discharge is developed... these pts can sometimes stay for months because no nursing home will take them and they're unable to live on their own and have no family support... and we can't ethically discharge them. I don't very much enjoy the babysitting of dangerously confused pts who don't need acute medical care without the assistance of PCAs.

[1john4:10]

I just graduated from school and am about to start in august on a medical floor for the first time- I'm so scared! My first choice was pediatrics, but I'm beginning to look forward to it.

[Kittyfeet]

I am a brand new Med/Surg nurse, I just graduated in May. It is split up in my hospital, and I am on the Medical Unit. I'm feeling pretty intimidated by the patient load and how busy my floor is! There is *never* an empty bed, the hospital is growing. Luckily, it seems like most of the nurses are really helpful and supportive, and we have a really caring management and administration team. I will probably try something else in the future, maybe critical care, but I want to get at least a year or two of good experience!

[Worthless_Nut]

Hi all,

I am an old fart that is new to nursing. I graduated from an ADN program in Dec of 08 and passed the NCLEX in Jan,09. I started an internship on a med surg/oncology unit in Feb, 09. While I am a new nurse, I feel like I have finally "come home". I love what I do even though some days are not easy and I occassionaly wonder what I have done to myself. I go home exhausted with my feet killing me, but I am up the next morning proclaiming my love for my job. I am currently in an online RN-BSN program. While I love med surg and all its' craziness, I have a particular love for gerontology (the older I get, the more I love it :chuckle). I hope to someday specialize in that area. I wish I had gone to nursing school 25 years ago.

[AuntieRN]

I graduated in Aug 2006 passed my boards Oct 2006 and am was 41 when I graduated. I have been working on the same Med/Surg floor since I started as a tech while in nursing school. I am now the charge nurse. Never thought I would like Med/Surg, the ER has always held my heart, but I love my job!!

[heiferbunny]

hi this is heiferbunny from alabama and i have been in medsurg for five years and i absolutely love it

[hes2371]

I am a Med-Surg RN on a renal failure/kidney transplant floor. I have been a nurse for a year and a half now. I :redbeathe my unit. I want to get certified in Transplant Nursing. Eventually I do want to work in the SICU, so I can get the transplants fresh from surgery. However, I am greatful that I started on Med-Surg before going into critical care, because I am learning soooo much!!!!!

[AMarie85]

Hello, I'm Adrienne

I'm a new grad and I work the night shift on a 26 bed surgical unit.... (I'll go to days in about 5 weeks)

We get all surgeries in the hospital except orthopaedic surgeries....

our unit is a bariatric center of excellence and I'm credentialed in wound care for our hospital..... (we are the only floor to manage wound vacs)

I hope to gain good experience there and maybe some support here;)

[mindy1234]

I have been a Med-Surg nurse for 17 years my last job was in Maryland as a contract Nurse floating to 5 hospitals. I loved it!!

Then I moved to JERSEY shore..... which I already Love!!!!

Im looking for a new job in Med-Surg (I have a interveiw tomarrow)

Pray!!!

MC

[brimama]

Started out as a CNT for 12 years in LTC and then hospital setting. Currently have my BSN and am now a nurse manager of a 37 bed med surg unit. I LOVE MED SURG. I love the diversity and never knowing what is coming in. Yes we get alot of total cares and dementia patients but coming from LTC this is my kind of patient. I have a general turnover every 2-3 years of new nurses who transfer to their goal area. I pride myself on teaching them everything I can so that they have a firm foundation and will be a welcome addition wherever they go. I have sent several nurses to ICU, CCU, ER and elsewhere and I have never received any negative feedback from their other areas, only praise. Remember that we all start from med=surg. whether you went directly to a speciality area out of school or med surg-what you are taught in that first year will always include med surg.

[Jaded Med/Surg]

Med/Surg 6yrs and weirdly enough proud of it! Guess I should change the name huh?

[NaKcl, BSN, RN]

It is very nice to see so many satisfied med-surg nurses.

I have been med-surg nurse for about a year. I have been focusing at learning ms nursing ever since I strated. but with 6 to 7 patient ratio, plus new admits and discharges, I am busy just completing daily tasks.

I want to do more than just completing daily tasks. I want to learn about the patient's condition, and think about ways to improve pt's conditons, ect.

I do not dislike med-surg nursing. I consider doing any nursing is a privilege.

I am so greatful to be a nurse. I know I am just beginner and so much to learn.but I am frustrated.

Could you guys can give me some advise for me to get through this phase of my nursing career?

thank you