new grad cardiac stepdown or med/surg?

[Ms.RN]

do you think its good idea for a new grad to work in cardiac stepdown unit or do you think they should start in med/surg unit? i'm asking this because i'm fresh out of school and isnt cardiac stepdown more of chronic care unit? do you think its going to be difficult for new grad to work in? do you think hospitals are looking for someone with cardiac unit experience?

[daisey_may]

It depends on what you are looking for. If you want to work in cardiac, then work there! Med/surg can kind be thought of as the catch all floor between medical and surgical patients. Med/surg can give you an awesome background if you are just looking for experience, but you will learn a lot on both units.

[bigsyis]

If you had strong Clinical Skills in Nursing School, and are willing to continue to learn daily (sometimes hourly) and like to be challenged, the stepdown unit is for you. It is where I began my nursing career, and I wouldn't trade anything for the exposure and experiences I had there. Good luck, which ever way you decide

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

I am a new grad on a cardiac step-down unit and so far it is a great experience! It's a step-down, so the acuity is a little higher than a regular med/surg floor. There are many chronic issues (just like there are on a med/surg floor) but the patients are acutely ill. They are stable enough to leave the ICU, but still have the potential to deteriorate. It can be challenging and intense at times, but there is so much to learn like different diagnoses, meds, and telemetry to name a few. Most cardiac patients also have comorbidities like diabetes, renal, pulmonary issues, etc, so there is plenty of exposure to other diseases and skills. There is a wide range in the ages of patients as well. Even if you don't want to stay in cardiac forever, the knowledge and experience you will gain will benefit you in any area. I say go for the step-down if you are interested in it!

Good luck!