New nurses, where should we go?

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Good evening! :typing I am going to be graduating in a few months and I am starting to look at various jobs. I was wondering what is a good floor to work on for a new grad.? I have heard Med-Surg, however, I really do not want to work Med-Surg. Is there another area that is not too high stress, where a new nurse can get her feet wet, learn the ropes and feel not too overwhelmed?? :eek: I know it's probably going to be hectic, but I am sure there are some floors that are a little calmer then others... like I should probably stay away from ER, ICU, etc. as a newbie. I would just like to get some experience under my belt in an environment that is not 'nuts' right off the bat. :bugeyes:

Thanks for sharing some advice....... have a good night! :tinkbll::zzzzz

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

I'm still new, and I don't care where you pick, you will feel overwhelmed, it's the nature of the beast. A lot of it depends on your personality. I'd rather look after 5-7 really sick people (tele/ICU stepdown), and get really good experience in critical care, than work LTC, where the criticality isn't as high, but the patient load can be 30, 40, 50, 60 people. I mean, I'd go nuts. If I have a real SOB (and I don't mean "short of breath") on the floor, they are eventually going home (earthly home or otherwise). If you pick LTC, they ARE home....and can be a thorn in your side for years and years....

Dr.'s offices seem to want at least a year or two's med surg, at least around here, and school nursing, well, the parents would drive me crazy, if they're like the families we have on the floor, except you're responsible for how many dozens of kids who need meds daily?

I don't know, some folks I graduated with sub-acute first and half seemed to like it, and the others went to med surg. 5 went to LTC, and they seem to like it. I went to tele/ICU stepdown, and one of my friends went in respiratory and is now a RT working on her RN (goal is nurse anest.) Now one of the med surg's is going to ER, and one's going to surgery. It's just a nice gateway, and you'll always be able to use what you learn anywhere.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I'm still new, and I don't care where you pick, you will feel overwhelmed, it's the nature of the beast. A lot of it depends on your personality. I'd rather look after 5-7 really sick people (tele/ICU stepdown), and get really good experience in critical care, than work LTC, where the criticality isn't as high, .

If you think that looking after 5-7 "really sick people" is "really good experience in critical care", then you're crazy. You're 5-7 "really sick people" are 5-7 codes/ MERTS on the floor that need help and you can't provide it, so we come to the rescue. In your "critical care experience", have you been the sole nurse assisting a doc in chest tube insertion? Are you one of 4 RN's in your facility that can insert TPA? There is NO facility that will think you have good critical care experience if you're supervising "5-7 really sick people". The problem with healthcare is that those 5-7 people are suffering and dying, and either they're in the care of people who THINK they know what to do (since a 5-7:1 patient ratio is critical care), or they have no access to the people who can really help.

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I'm still new, and I don't care where you pick, you will feel overwhelmed, it's the nature of the beast. A lot of it depends on your personality. I'd rather look after 5-7 really sick people (tele/ICU stepdown), and get really good experience in critical care, than work LTC, where the criticality isn't as high, but the patient load can be 30, 40, 50, 60 people. I mean, I'd go nuts. If I have a real SOB (and I don't mean "short of breath") on the floor, they are eventually going home (earthly home or otherwise). If you pick LTC, they ARE home....and can be a thorn in your side for years and years....

Dr.'s offices seem to want at least a year or two's med surg, at least around here, and school nursing, well, the parents would drive me crazy, if they're like the families we have on the floor, except you're responsible for how many dozens of kids who need meds daily?

I don't know, some folks I graduated with sub-acute first and half seemed to like it, and the others went to med surg. 5 went to LTC, and they seem to like it. I went to tele/ICU stepdown, and one of my friends went in respiratory and is now a RT working on her RN (goal is nurse anest.) Now one of the med surg's is going to ER, and one's going to surgery. It's just a nice gateway, and you'll always be able to use what you learn anywhere.

"If you pick LTC, they are home....and can be a thorn in your side for years and years....." I completely disagree. I am a new LPN for 6 months now I have learned so much. We have a skilled hall and a long term hall. On skilled we deal with pick lines, IV drips, taking care of hip replacements ect... I was 42 when I started, and I need baby steps. I have learned so much, and would have hated going to medsurg and to have been so stressed out with super critical patients. :twocents:
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Specializes in Geriatrics, WCC.
I'm still new, and I don't care where you pick, you will feel overwhelmed, it's the nature of the beast. A lot of it depends on your personality. I'd rather look after 5-7 really sick people (tele/ICU stepdown), and get really good experience in critical care, than work LTC, where the criticality isn't as high, but the patient load can be 30, 40, 50, 60 people. I mean, I'd go nuts. If I have a real SOB (and I don't mean "short of breath") on the floor, they are eventually going home (earthly home or otherwise). If you pick LTC, they ARE home....and can be a thorn in your side for years and years....

Dr.'s offices seem to want at least a year or two's med surg, at least around here, and school nursing, well, the parents would drive me crazy, if they're like the families we have on the floor, except you're responsible for how many dozens of kids who need meds daily?

I don't know, some folks I graduated with sub-acute first and half seemed to like it, and the others went to med surg. 5 went to LTC, and they seem to like it. I went to tele/ICU stepdown, and one of my friends went in respiratory and is now a RT working on her RN (goal is nurse anest.) Now one of the med surg's is going to ER, and one's going to surgery. It's just a nice gateway, and you'll always be able to use what you learn anywhere.

Another nurse that does not know the true workings of a SNF. Ours not only has long term care floors but, also a TCU (transitional unit). On that unit, you will have 10-15 residents that have just come from the hospital where in the "old" days they would still be in the hospital another week or two. They now come to us with trachs, PICC lines, wound vacs, G/J tubes, etc. Many times they are not stable. We also rely on each other as we do not have a doctor around every corner as in a hospital.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Hi, Congrats on your upcoming graduation!! I'd only suggest you follow your heart. Was there a floor that you loved when you were doing clinical rotations? That is how I picked where to start and have no regrets. Wishing you well.

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