Help!! New nurse that hates Med/Surg!

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Hello all, I'm a new nurse and miserable. I'm going to vent a little and seek any advice you may have. Sorry this is so long! :sorry:

I guess I should start off by saying I've always disliked med/surg throughout nursing school. The reasons I wanted to be a nurse were for pretty unconventional reasons: 1) I have a great interest in Medical Aesthetics because I'm creative and love to help people feel better about themselves 2) I've also had a great interested in the Operating Room/Recovery because having outpatient surgery as a child is what sparked my interested in wanting to be a nurse in the first place.

Before nursing school, I didn't write off bedside nursing completely because I didn't know if I would happen to enjoy it. However, as I mentioned earlier, while in nursing school I realized that I really disliked med/surg and working at the bedside. However, I also found that I enjoyed L&D and NICU.

When applying for jobs, I was told by every nurse around me that I absolutely needed med/surg and bedside experience for at least 1 year- the same tune that everyone normally sings. Aside from that, all the jobs that I truly wanted required experience in that field (OR wants OR experience, med spas in Florida want Nurse Practitioners for injectors with experience)

I couldn't find anyone willing to train a new grad in their specialty of choice so off to med/surg I went.

So, I've been on a med/surg floor for about 3 months now. And to no surprise at all, I hate it. I despise everything about it- I won't go into detail and list every single thing I hate, because it's truly everything. I should point out that my floor itself is not that bad, which, to me, really validates my feelings that med/surg is just not for me and not my niche. I'm currently on orientation as a full-time employee however I've been hired for a per diem position. Everyday I fantasize about the day I can leave and work somewhere that I'll be truly happy. I've started to get anxiety before work and what feels like a depressing state. I just want OUT! According the the employee handbook, I can transfer to another floor or facility (there are 4 other facilities) after 6 months of employment. If I find a position that I really want, do you think it would look poorly on me if I were to apply/transfer after 6 months of being on my current floor? Even though I'm staying within the same hospital/company?

Also, if you know of any other Nursing Jobs you think I'd enjoy please give me some ideas!

Specializes in Surgical, Home Infusions, HVU, PCU, Neuro.

I HATED med surg when I started, I would be bored out of my mind day in and day out, I get it. I also realize now, after some years of practice, I would not be where I am now without it.

Are you just going through the day to day motions or are you really understanding what is going on with your patients? What is causing their illness, what all is it affecting, what orders can you expect to see, what do you need to watch for, if something goes south what are you going to ask the DR for when you call, and why are you asking for it? I used these questions and then went digging, searching for what tied everything together, until I really understood it.

I would ask people every day if they had patients that needed new IVs, CAPD, Foley's, anything that I could help do to strengthen my skills. Take your work days as an opportunity to grow, connect the dots and master some skills sets. It will help you in the long run!

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I know many nurses chase OR or ICU because those patients are not able to talk back or set new call light records.

Not necessarily true.

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Having a year of med surg behind you certainly could NEVER be a bad thing. In fact, it's quite valuable experience.

I did a new grad residency in ICU, and 3 months in, I wasn't so crazy about it either. I felt like an incompetent idiot most of the time.

As hard as you feel you have it, sticking it out would actually benefit you. You will come out of knowing a LOT that will come in handy down the line.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Pediatric Float, PICU, NICU.

I don't think there's anything wrong with not liking Med-Surg and wanting to go into the specialties you mentioned. However, the specialties you mentioned usually require some sort of experience to start with. So with that said, I think you should stick it out for at least a year to gain that experience (and become more comfortable in general as a nurse). In the meantime do what you can to make yourself more marketable to to those specalties, whether that is through education opportunities, certifications, or volunteering. Plus take this time to network as much as you can as well to set yourself up in the future. Just think of this as a stepping stone to where you want to be.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Considering you're going to be per diem if you are able to transfer at 6 months I'm sure it will be fine. Also I've talked to a clinical instructor asking where all the new grads went since there are not as many job openings in hospitals anymore, mine is about half the size it used to be since we went to all private rooms, and she said many just start out at a clinic job. So I would just keep applying to the jobs you really want.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

Attitude is everything. OP claims that her experience has met her very low expectations. Viola! It came to be true. I don't think I ever worked with a nurse that wanted to work in aesthetics. Perhaps she should have become an esthetician. Most plastic procedures are done outside of the hospital and they are not particularly interested in RN's.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Peri-Op, Aesthetics.

Hi! First of all, congrats on becoming a nurse. You've entered a dope field. We can move to all kinds of places if we don't like where we are at.. that's one of the beauties of the game.

I am currently a nurse in the CVICU and I did start off on a general surgery/med-surg floor as a new grad. I did that for about a year and a half and was also charge RN on that floor.. HATED IT. Loved my coworkers but taking 6-7 patients and running around all day was miserable for me and that's ok. I will say I don't regret it because it helped me transition into critical care as far as tasks and doing things like inserting a foley, priming a line, inserting a PIV, etc. I didn't have to worry about learning all that once I started in CVICU and I imagine that would have been stressful for me if it went down that way. Granted, there are new grads who start on our unit and do have to learn everything, from charting to learning meds and the basics of nursing ALONG with trying to learn how to be and think like a critical care nurse. A lot of them are bright and get the hang of it, others take longer, and then there are just some who aren't cut out for the intense environment of the unit. It just is what it is.

With all that being said, I do NOT think it is REQUIRED to start on a med-surg floor as a new nurse, because I have seen new grads flourish and do really well starting off in the ICU and other areas, such as the OR. In nursing, you get your experience ON THE JOB. Many employers are aware of that and that's why they have new grad residencies. So I would suggest looking for residencies in your area, or even outside your state if you are willing and able to move. A lot of hospitals in major cities (Like ATL, where I'm from) have residencies.

Will it look poorly if you transition? Probably. But it's ok that you have realized you don't like where you are at. You have to take care of yourself before you take care of your patients. I have seen nurses who are miserable and it reflects in their patient care.. you don't want it to get to that point. Move on. Find something you enjoy and stick to it. And now that you have a little experience under your belt, it may a little easier to find a spot somewhere now than when you were fresh out of nursing school without having worked as an RN yet.

Even I have grown tired of the bedside and I'm already going to a different side of nursing (procedural area) while going back to NP school. It's just life! Best wishes and welcome to the world of nursing. It's a cool one.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Peri-Op, Aesthetics.
I know many nurses chase OR or ICU because those patients are not able to talk back or set new call light records.

Not true. I work in the ICU and all the things that you mentioned med-surg nurses do are things we do, on top of ICU delirium, doctors, family members and patients who speak abusively or even act with physical violence.

Not all of our patients are sedated and intubated.. and not all patients who are intubated are sedated.

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If you stay at the same hospital, it won't look bad. However, I challenge you to hang in there a little longer. Nursing is hard no matter where you go. You may as well get through the difficult parts of nursing until it becomes second nature before you go for your "dream nursing job". Once you decide to make that change, you will be well-prepared to learn new things. Med/Surg may not be your niche, but try to focus on how much you have learned since you started and keep on pushing yourself to learn even more. You will give yourself a strong foundation to be a great nurse in whatever field you choose.

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On the other hand, if you start out in a specific specialty and later want to, or need to, make a change, you may find your options seriously limited by your limited and specialized experience.

That was one of my concerns and one of the reasons I accepted my current med/surg position. Thank you for your advice!

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I'll be honest, are school clinicals truly enough to determine if you'll like something? It may be enough to determine that you like the 'idea' of something. The reality of it day in and out might be something else entirely. I'm not saying not to go for it- just don't be surprised if you find yourself not liking your 'chosen' specialty either. I simply see a lot of folks setting themselves up for grass is greener syndrome. Ideally, give yourself a year. Get your nursing skills down. Look at where you are as the opportunity it really is to learn a lot.

I agree with the above quote. After the 6 months, put in a transfer to another med-surg unit. Stay in med-surg at least the minimum of 1 year for that med-surge experience. Having the full year of experience truly does make a difference when wanting to transfer to another specialty. I would also recommend that you transfer to s general med-surg floor-one that gives you a bit of everything. Don't make it a sub-specialty med unit, such neuro or pulmonary. You also asked for nursing jobs outside of the hospital. There are so many. Patient teaching is a big issue these days-pre-op, diabetic, pain control, lactation, and more. Hospice nursing in a hospice in- or out-patient settings, being a camp nurse, cruise ships (the big ones anyway) have a nurse and doctor on board, school nurse, and out-patient dialysis come quickly to mind. Years ago I read in a nursing magazine, a nurse was able to get a job combining her love of nursing with her love of the theater working for a theater company. Also, occupational nurse in large businesses and factories. But first, get that year of med-surg in so your next unit will know that you know how to put in a foley, NG, and change dressing, etc.

I forgot to mention, I'm on a med/surg/oncology floor. Do you think that will limit where I can go even if I wait to transfer at my 1 year mark?

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I forgot to mention, I'm on a med/surg/oncology floor. Do you think that will limit where I can go even if I wait to transfer at my 1 year mark?

^^^^No.

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