Floor Nursing?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2007

In my humble opinion, floor nursing is mentally, physically, socially, and politically tough. When working the floor, I am utterly dissatisfied with the terrible attitudes and behaviors that are being displayed by doctors, family members, and patients.

Doctors tend to be rude and snappish toward nurses because they have more education than us. In their minds, the nurse is stupid and inferior. I assume you're a man, and I have heard that male nurses are frequently treated better than their female counterparts.

Family members tend to be abusive toward nurses because they have an overwhelming sense of entitlement, with no regard for the other patients on the unit. In other words, when vulgar family members want something, you better conjure it up within the next 15 seconds or risk being threatened.

Patients tend to be demanding toward nurses because illness brings out the worst in people. They will bother you with housekeeping requests, such as asking you to fluff their pillow, dust the blinds, fold their sheets, run to the vending machine, call the pizza delivery place, and so forth.

Sorry for the vent, but I suppose it is time for me to transfer to night shift, where I won't have to deal with doctors and family members at least!

donsterRN, ASN, BSN · Jul 26, 2007

You came to the right place for information on all nursing specialties!

First, I would suggest browsing around and seeing all of different forums available to you. And than, just start reading!

I know it may seem that there are a lot of posts that make nursing sound unattractive, stressful and sometimes just plain ugly. Many people use this site as a venting ground, so please don't mistake those posts as representative of all nurses; you'll find lots of things that show the good, the bad and the ugly.

Welcome to the site!

veronica butterfly, ADN, RN · Jul 27, 2007

I love floor nursing, although it is very draining at times. But more often it's incredibly rewarding. Illness does often bring out the worst in people, but I find more often it brings out good things too. Most families and patients are incredibly appreciative. Most doctors are respectful and know we know the patient best and coiunt on our opinions. You will run your bottom off, that's guaranteed, but the shift will go by in what feels like two seconds.

I happen to like evening shift best. Days are horrendously busy and nights just don't work for my sleep and family schedule. On evenings I feel I get a little more time to spend with my patients and still get to do a wide variety of things like admissions, discharges, fresh surgicals, etc....

nursesaideBen · Jul 27, 2007

As the others have stated it can be very draining at times. On night shift, it seems you're always working short and when you have patients with sun downer's syndrome, alcohol dt's, a patient going critical, or several admissions throughout the night that all you're doing is trying to chase your tail in order to get caught up. Luckily on the unit I work on we're very close knit and work as a team every night so you never really feel like you're "on your own". There is so much you can learn through med/surg that if you can pull through the tough nights it really makes the good nights that much better. Good luck to you!

oldiebutgoodie, RN · Jul 30, 2007

I love floor nursing, although it is very draining at times. But more often it's incredibly rewarding. Illness does often bring out the worst in people, but I find more often it brings out good things too. Most families and patients are incredibly appreciative. Most doctors are respectful and know we know the patient best and coiunt on our opinions. You will run your bottom off, that's guaranteed, but the shift will go by in what feels like two seconds.
I happen to like evening shift best. Days are horrendously busy and nights just don't work for my sleep and family schedule. On evenings I feel I get a little more time to spend with my patients and still get to do a wide variety of things like admissions, discharges, fresh surgicals, etc....

I also like evening shift best! Days (and 12 hour shifts) were just too much for me. And I like floor nursing because I like the people I work with, the variety, and the pace (if not too nuts), I worked ICU for a while, and besides the unfriendly and petty coworkers, I found it boring to only deal with 2 patients. I like working in an environment with a good team who work well together. Now, it may take a while to find a med-surg floor like that, but they are out there.

Oldiebutgoodie

Creamsoda, ASN, RN · Jul 30, 2007

I started out on a surgical float pool. Did gen. surg, and ortho. It was a great learning experience, but it was chronically short staffed. The physicians tended to treat us like crap more often then not. Sometimes they were ok, but not usually. There was no time to read the chart...stuff like histories and stuff like that (thats where you learn alot), Alot of the patients were good, but alot of them werent. Whiny, annoying...it didnt matter if I bent over backwards to make them comfortable, they still complained....ive been asked to fluff a pillow.....seriously? Hospital pillows dont fluff! When ever I was about to leave a patients room and asked "Is there anything else I can do while I am here?" they would say no, then be on the call bell 5 min later for something stupid. Having to do total care for most of the patients and no help....in short...it was just draining knowing I couldnt do more for the ones I actually liked even though I tried my hardest.

I now work in ICU and I dont think I would ever go back. We are treated with respect by the physicians, I know more about my patients...we monitor them so close. I find it more rewarding to care for the really sick. What really annoys me is nurses who have never worked ICU making snide remarks saying, well you only have 1 or 2 patients, how hard or busy could it be? I like the atmosphere in ICU alot better. You are still run off your feet most days, but I find it more satisfying knowing I was able to provide the best care. I also think its the adrenaline rush that I like too...when things go wrong, they go wrong and it can be pretty exciting some days.

nursesaideBen · Jul 30, 2007

What really annoys me is nurses who have never worked ICU making snide remarks saying, well you only have 1 or 2 patients, how hard or busy could it be?

That is annoying, what they don't realize is yeah you may only have 1-2 patients but they are 1-2 patients that are falling all to hell.

NursingAgainstdaOdds · Jul 31, 2007

I'm a new grad nurse on a busy medical/telemetry floor, and I don't think it's half bad! Then again, maybe that's just because I don't know any better.

Honestly though, I worked in LTC during nursing school, so I got used to a lot of the challenges of nursing there. What I encounter on the floor is very different, but very similar, ya know?

I will say, on our floor MD attitudes have not been a big issue. There are certain docs that get snarky when you have to call at 0330 (because they told you to! :lol2: ), but for the most part I feel very respected by our docs. Honestly, on nights I think the docs feel the acute change in culture which occurs after 7pm. At that point, it's really our turf, and the lone hospitalist that has to come up to the floor at 0300 is sorely outnumbered. Heh. 7p-7a shifts are good. However, I think it is also a matter of the docs being generally respectable and professional people.

I do feel overwhelmed at times, but I have been expecting this for a while. I've mentally prepared myself for this job for the last 2 years! I found that it was very helpful to discuss the reality of nursing with other nurses in your practice area. That way you know you're not crazy or alone :lol2: , when you get out there and practicing.

nursekatie22, RN · Jul 31, 2007

When I was in school I SWORE I'd never do Med-Surg and now that I've graduated, that's what I'm doing and I like it. Granted, that's 100% due to the people I work with, because they're making the learning experience enjoyable, but it's not what I'd heard it was.

My last semester nursing instructor always said that if you can handle Med-Surg, you can handle anything, so I thought that that's where I "should" start. Turns out, I'm not sorry, like I thought I'd be, but it IS a lot of work.

Every time I work, I have an ongoing list of meds/procedures/conditions that I have to go home and look up but that way it's more like "detective work" :specs:and I don't mind it! I think it's a great place to start and I'll probably be doing it for a long time!:loveya:

jodi_cmsrn · Aug 1, 2007

In my humble opinion, floor nursing is mentally, physically, socially, and politically tough. When working the floor, I am utterly dissatisfied with the terrible attitudes and behaviors that are being displayed by doctors, family members, and patients.
Doctors tend to be rude and snappish toward nurses because they have more education than us. In their minds, the nurse is stupid and inferior. I assume you're a man, and I have heard that male nurses are frequently treated better than their female counterparts.
Family members tend to be abusive toward nurses because they have an overwhelming sense of entitlement, with no regard for the other patients on the unit. In other words, when vulgar family members want something, you better conjure it up within the next 15 seconds or risk being threatened.
Patients tend to be demanding toward nurses because illness brings out the worst in people. They will bother you with housekeeping requests, such as asking you to fluff their pillow, dust the blinds, fold their sheets, run to the vending machine, call the pizza delivery place, and so forth.
Sorry for the vent, but I suppose it is time for me to transfer to night shift, where I won't have to deal with doctors and family members at least!

Although this may be true sometimes, with some people, I am the other end of the spectrum and tend to love working med-surg. I know I am appreciated by some of the physicians (even had one request a patient be transferred to our floor when I was working), and have been told by several patient's and their family members how much they appreciate what we (nurses) do.

I have had several opportunities to transfer out of med-surg but have turned them all down because I really, truly like what I do.

NursingAgainstdaOdds · Aug 2, 2007

My last semester nursing instructor always said that if you can handle Med-Surg, you can handle anything, so I thought that that's where I "should" start.

I will keep your instructor's advice in mind next time I'm feeling overwhelmed! :) That is really helpful to consider.