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.

[BertinaRN, ASN, RN]

I am a floor nurse on Med/Surg. I am in my eighth year and I still love it. I love seeing different diseases, ages, and surgeries. I am also a preceptor for my Alumni College and a trainer for newly hired nurses. I hold a position on a few committees. I am still a part-time student at Cappella University in the ADN-BSN bridge program, and will graduate in 2016. I would love to continue my education towards Master of Science in Nursing with a nurse educator focus, but I do not want to educate out of a job. My employer doesn't offer much room for career advancement.

Have a Great Day,

Bertina

[Yodalady79, BSN]

I have been a medical surgical telemetry nurse for five years now.

[blackribbon]

I have been a med/surg nurse for a year. Started in a teeny tiny 15 bed unit but low census meant I was spending more time floating to the psych floor toward the end. Six months later, I got a position in a huge hospital on a 36 bed gyn/med/surg unit. Majority of our patients are med/surg most of the time. I like it but am already starting to feel burned out by things like "bedside handoff" which meant I wasn't warned about the explosive temper of one of my patient's parents and tired of "service oriented" nursing which meant I use my time taking care of patient who complains the most instead of the patient who needs the most care. I have been told I "care too much" but I don't want to nurse if I can't spend a little time addressing a patient's fear and anxiety needs along with their obvious physical ones. (it has been a long week)