most medical stuff

[palmpalm]

In what area of nursing does an RN do the most medical procedures? That is, where an RN spends the vast majority of their time performing medical interventions?

[Blackheartednurse]

I would think med-surg area

[susanthomas1954]

From listening to my colleagues, I would guess in a cardio ICU setting. One of my buddies works in the unit where the heart transplant patients go from surgery, and I think she does absolutely everything but the transplant itself! She does stuff we used to have to fly patients out for when I was a new nurse.

[webmansx, ASN, RN]

medsurg???!! Well, its supposed to be, but sadly most of the time you are busy answering phone calls fom family members, "talking" with 10 hostile family members at the nursing station, offering bedpans/rinals, dipers, fluffing pillows, serving coffee, dealing with an incompetent pharmacy, dealing with egotistical rude md's (and some nurses ), don't forget the needy, whinny, unpleasable pt who is constantly on the call light for everything from demanding a back rub to MORE pain medication (when they clearly know is not time for another dose yet, and they are happily laughing away at the dirty jokes the ex boyfriends-cousins'-dad is making at the bedside...oh sorry IN the bed with the patient:eek:), lazy unavailable CNAs, rude unhelpful unit clerks, pt, ot attitudes, lab tests, procedures, massive paper work!!! one can bearly get TIME to really enjoy and learn the "medical stuff" you are talking about

I would think a highly specialised area like the cardiac cath lab would be a better choice-one patient at a time and you really get to do and see some amaizing stuff...but any RN will tell you its good if you do some medsurg or tele for a year or 2 before that..just my silly

[loriangel14, RN]

You would not find a nurse performing medical interventions. Nurses perform nursing interventions.

[linzz]

Often it takes a nurse a while to work their way up to positions in the ICU. Sometimes new grads get to start there but it can be challenging because as a new grad, you just don't yet have enough nursing experience to really excel there right from the start.

Also, sometimes there just are not always jobs in the areas you want to work in. Nursing is a career where you have to pay your dues, like most other careers.

[GilaRRT]

You would not find a nurse performing medical interventions. Nurses perform nursing interventions.

Sorry, but this takes me back to my days in the Army. I remember the rangers had a really cool concept called "the ranger saline lock." In reality, it was nothing more than a saline lock. However, it was called "the ranger saline lock" because apparently the procedure was something special when performed by a ranger.

Procedures are procedures IMHO. It does not matter if a nurse places an IV or not. Nurses provide the same interventions that everybody else does; however, for some reason, we insist on placing "nurse" in front of the said intervention.

Two areas I have worked are rather procedure heavy and include:

1) Emergency room

2) Transport, specifically flight

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

Often it takes a nurse a while to work their way up to positions in the ICU. Sometimes new grads get to start there but it can be challenging because as a new grad, you just don't yet have enough nursing experience to really excel there right from the start.

Also, sometimes there just are not always jobs in the areas you want to work in. Nursing is a career where you have to pay your dues, like most other careers.

You wouldn't think that last line applies to newbies. They want to skip it altogether and go directly to expert.

They don't realize that even though they may have the title, they don't have the respect from others.

I just met an NP who was turned down for a cardiothoracic position because she had two years of med-surg.

Seriously. Did you think you would be able to put in PA lines and help monitoring and dictate orders when the bedside nurse has 10 years over you?

So frustrating.

[RNperdiem, RN]

The IV team at our hospital places PICC lines and peripheral IV's.

The nurses carry pagers and stay busy placing peripheral lines and PICC lines. I consider IV team to be procedural nurses.

[Blackheartednurse]

What about surgery...You must know your pathophysiology to work there and you learn so much during your time there.

[Hoozdo, ADN]

My vote would be interventional radiology or what is sometimes called "special procedures". You get to spend your whole shift doing all kinds of interesting procedures. And, as an extra bonus, if the pt codes a doctor is right next to you!