Oh My God! Serious Advice Pls! Med-surg Or Icu Job???

KAW1962 · Apr 3, 2006

Your first year of nursing is usually the hardest...that's when you will be putting all those little pieces of the puzzle together and applying them in your patients' care. I would definitely recommend one year of med surg before going on to ICU. You will learn so many things and it will be a very valuable foundation for critical care. Of course, after working med surg, you may find you love it and not want to go into a critical care area for a while. There are so many different areas of nursing to choose from. Take your time in that first year to figure out what the best fit is for you. Good luck!

RN@34 · Apr 3, 2006

I have been a nurse for almost one year, so I don't know how dependable my advice will be to you. I have done some cross training in ICU over the last 6 months. I am generally on a med/surg floor. I knew after day one that I was not ready for ICU. Not enough experience on my part to make such quick rhyme and reason to situations when things go bad. That is just me of course. My almost year of med/surg has given me some much needed experience and has helped me learn to multi-task, time manage, and develop confidence that is much needed when things go wrong. I grow more comfortable with each passing day. I also made excellent grades in school, but school doesn't teach you the "real deal" when it comes to being a nurse. Just because you start out in med/surg does not mean that you will have to do that forever. It sounds as though you would have excellent support in the med/surg position you have been offered. Shadow someone in each area for about one week maybe that will help you make your decision. Good luck!!

Happy-ER-RN, RN · Apr 3, 2006

Go to ICU. If that's what you are interested in then go for it. Yeah, it will be terrible at first, but it's worth it. If you go to med-surg you might be bored after a few months if that's not your passion and then feel stuck there for a year. I hated my time on med-surg in nursing school so I went right to the the ED after graduation. Yes, it was pure torture for at least 4 months and I thought I was going to have a mental breakdown, but now it's been almost a year and I feel great about my ability as a nurse. I am SOOOO glad I never did med-surg. Some people like it though, it's just not for me.

Hoozdo, ADN · Apr 3, 2006

I graduate in May and have been offered three jobs;one in ICU and the others in a med-surge floor. I don't know what to do. I REALLY would love to go into ICU but don't feel quite ready right now...as in what i've learnt about ICU nursing...ICU is where i intend to specialize afterwards but just going in there as a new Grad scares me. No doubt I'm confident in my self and have maintained a 3.8 GPA up till now....Another part of me tells me to start off with med-surg and then move to ICU later on. Argh!! Infact one of the med-surg offers is from a place I did my med-surg II clinical and the director had been so very nice. She called HR and they got me officially in. I was just confused then, you know how you put in application here and there, i didn't know it would turn out to be this confusing. Has anyone been in this kind of situation before?? Pls help

Go where your passion lies. I graduated in December 05 and had the same dilemna. I had been externing in transplant (a stepped up med/surg and overflow med/surg) and planned on taking an RN position there. I decided on a whim the week before Christmas to apply for some ICU positions and I was offered two new grad jobs the same week. Needless to say, I went for what my passion is.........ICU. Yes, it is a rather steep learning curve...but I have a 6 month orientation. I honestly love it and am glad I made the decision to go to ICU.

LoriAlabamaRN · Apr 3, 2006

Since you are already comfortable with med-surg and familiar with the director, I would honestly start there. Working there would also give you a chance to gain confidence in your abilities, and you can always request a transfer to ICU once you feel comfortable with it. You don't want to get over your head initially- just mho.

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2006

Med/surg will give you the experience before you go to ICU. Then when you do decide the time is right to transfer, you will be able to concentrate on learning vents, reading monitors, and a few of finer points of assessment of a critical patient. I dont think you would be sorry for working med/surg first for a while.

HHW2006 · Apr 3, 2006

I graduate in May and am starting in ICU. If you are truly passionate about ICU go for it - find out what type of orientation you are given. The hospital where I will be working gives a minimum of 16 weeks during which time you are working 1:1 with your preceptor. You need to carefully weigh all of your options. Just remember that if you do start in Med-Surg and hate it, it might be a while before you can get into ICU. My hospital requires that you put in at least 6 months before you can transfer. Anyway - best of luck. If you have managed to maintain a 3.8 GPA all through school you will do great no matter where you wind up!!

jillyk*rn · Apr 3, 2006

hi,

i'm from the old times when you had to have a year of med-surg before you could do anything else. the experience is invaluable. however, if the hospital that you are going to offers an excellent critical care course, go for it.

good luck!!!

WVUturtle514 · Apr 3, 2006

Go for the ICU. When I started as a new grad in the CVICU the nurses loudly professed that they loved getting new grads because they didn't have to "break them of bad habits" and they could teach the new grads exactly what and how they need to be taught to function in the unit. I honestly didn't think I would like the ICU but I knew I needed it to get into CRNA school, but after being there for a couple of months I LOVED IT! If you really want to do ICU, then I think you might as well jump right in. JMHO. Good luck to you!!!

JazzyRN · Apr 3, 2006

you have to do what you want to do. tour both areas and make a decision about which area you'd like to work in more. i dont believe you need to do a year of med-surg 1st. with a good preceptorship program, you will learn everything and more in the ICU that you would on the floor. But you must be sure that you have a good and lengthy preceptorship. As I new grad I started in a pediatric float pool. Many told me not to do it because I should do a year of med surg before going to peds. and they said i shouldnt train in the picu until ive been a nurse for a year, etc., etc. it worked out well for me, i got training in both and now choose to only do picu because i prefer it. you have to do whats best for you. the optimal choice maybe a float position that goes btw the floor and icu, it worked for me. good luck.

rn/writer, RN · Apr 3, 2006

Going straight to ICU could be great IF you will be given a lengthy and well-supervised orientation, IF you will have good preceptors, IF the unit itself is supportive and nurturing, and IF you can weather those 4-6 months when you wonder what you have done to yourself.