New Grad wanting a Specialty Switch

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I started my job as a new grad RN on a Med Surg/Telemetry floor in July. I have been off orientation for a few weeks now and have come to the realization that Med Surg isn't my thing. I have always wanted to be an ER nurse and honestly Med Surg is too slow for me. I feel that my tasks are very repetitive and crave for emergencies to occur on our unit (not trying to sound morbid). I applied to the Med Surg unit for experience and at the time our ER did not have any positions available.

A position opened up in our ER and I placed my application. I made my manager aware and submitted a request for an Early Transfer. She wants to meet with me to discuss the reason for my transfer and expressed that it may not be approved. I have voiced that I'm not happy working in Med Surg and it's not the specialty for me.

I'm nervous that the request will not be approved and that they will fire me after I was honest and voiced that I'm not happy in Med Surg. I totally get her frustration for me placing my request early.

Do you think I made a mistake being honest and voicing how I truly feel?

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I don't think you'd get fired but it worries me that as a new grad that you're bored. You honestly don't know what you don't know and three weeks off orientation isn't enough to be competent.

Even on ER, you will likely be caring for the exact same population, just admitting and discharging more frequently. At least where I've worked, new ER nurses don't start in the trauma areas until 6-13 months after starting on ER.

Either way, best of luck and keep us updated

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Probably. Telling her you aren't happy was not the best way to handle this. I can't imagine any nurse on med-surg complaining that's it's too slow much less a new grad WEEKS after coming off orientation. You've dug a bit of a hole for yourself. Now if it isn't approved (and I bet it isn't going to be) you are really going to have to do some back-pedaling. Best practice your humble face and figure out how to make your current job work for you. It's probably going to get really bumpy. Sorry, wish I had something better to tell you but I'm just sitting here shaking my head.

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I don't think you'd get fired but it worries me that as a new grad that you're bored. You honestly don't know what you don't know and three weeks off orientation isn't enough to be competent.

Even on ER, you will likely be caring for the exact same population, just admitting and discharging more frequently. At least where I've worked, new ER nurses don't start in the trauma areas until 6-13 months after starting on ER.

Either way, best of luck and keep us updated

I agree with everything above. And, not only will you be caring for the same population, but also you'll have many patients who aren't sick at all.

The ER definitely has it's exciting moments,but in my experience can also be very repetitive and boring.

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Specializes in Adult and Pediatric Vascular Access, Paramedic.

Believe me the ER isn't what it is portrayed as on the TV shows. Most of what you do is also repetitive; chest pain and abdominal pain, and the nana with general malaise; get used to those because that is most of what it is, with an occasional code, trauma, or truly sick person thrown in. The last poster is right, that you don't know what you don't know!!

Give yourself at least a year in med-surg to learn how to prioritize and effectively multi task, learn when someone is not doing well, get used to different meds, and practice different skills.

I do believe you just burned a bridge, so you will have to do some repair work when you meet with your manager. You have to remember she just spent thousands out of her budget to train you as a new grad and now you are telling her essentially that it was of no benefit to her since you want to leave. So, yes I do think you made a mistake in not only voicing how you feel, but also thinking you are already ready to move on to another area after only being off orientation for a few weeks, and then expecting that another unit is going to want to train a new grad only to risk loosing them after a few weeks of being off orientation. You are setting yourself up for failure!

Annie

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To clarify: Prior to this I had been a LPN for 6 years on a Acute Rehab unit where I received almost the same patient population that I have in Med Surg. The only difference is I can handle IV's in the hospital.

Thank you all for the feedback!

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Specializes in school nurse.
To clarify: Prior to this I had been a LPN for 6 years on a Acute Rehab unit where I received almost the same patient population that I have in Med Surg. The only difference is I can handle IV's in the hospital.

Thank you all for the feedback!

Regardless, to your current hospital, you're a new grad who has been there less than 3 months.

Retract your transfer request if you can...

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To clarify: Prior to this I had been a LPN for 6 years on a Acute Rehab unit where I received almost the same patient population that I have in Med Surg. The only difference is I can handle IV's in the hospital.

Thank you all for the feedback!

Oh geez, that might be making it even worse. I'd really get ready to eat some humble pie.

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To clarify: Prior to this I had been a LPN for 6 years on a Acute Rehab unit where I received almost the same patient population that I have in Med Surg. The only difference is I can handle IV's in the hospital.

Thank you all for the feedback!

Null point. They still invested in you and are receiving zero return on it.

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Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

The fact that you see your role change from LVN to RN as only now being able to handle IVs is very telling.You are leaving out huge parts of your role as an RN and it clarifies what the problem is.I agree with the others and I think you now need to stay put for awhile now that you committed yourself to med=surg.In fact I would keep a diary and in a year compare the difference to assess your growth as I think it will be more apparent then.

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To clarify: Prior to this I had been a LPN for 6 years on a Acute Rehab unit where I received almost the same patient population that I have in Med Surg. The only difference is I can handle IV's in the hospital.

Thank you all for the feedback!

Then what made you all of a sudden realize med-surge wasn't for you? It seems like you should have known that by now.

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Oh geez, that might be making it even worse. I'd really get ready to eat some humble pie.

OP, Here's some Humble Pie coming right up.........................

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