Med/Surg/ Telemetry

[rmd445]

Hi so I am a new grad and am interested in applying for a position on a med/surg/telemetry unit. Can someone please clarify what kind of unit this is, what kind of patients are on the floor? Is it more med/surg or more critical care? Are only some of the patients on tele monitors?

Thank you!

[bankssarn]

I have worked on both a telemetry unit and a med-surg unit. Honestly, there is a lot of overlap. The types of patients you see are going to depend on the size and location of your hospital, and whether the hospital has specific med-surg units. For example, one of the larger hospitals in my town has several med-surg units. Each unit has a focus (renal, pulmonary, gastroenterology). Then there are the neuro units and cardiac units. On telemetry, most of the patients you see will have a primary cardiac diagnosis (arrhythmias, CHF, AICD placement, etc). If not a primary cardiac diagnosis, they will most likely have a diagnosis that affects their electrolytes or cardiac function (i.e. renal failure, dehydration, ETOH detox, etc.) A far as med-surg, most of the patients will be pre/post-op for common procedures such as lap choles, appendectomies, EGDs, etc. You may see some ortho procedures as well. Some of them may be on cardiac monitors due to a history of cardiac disease and/or electrolyte imbalance, but not all of them. Again, it depends on the focus of the unit. You will see a wide range of patients on both units. Honestly, it's a wonderful area to start, because you will become familiar with a variety of conditions, medications and procedures. It's also a great opportunity to hone your assessment, time management, delegation and organizational skills. I hope that helps! Best of luck in your career!