iluvsnoopy

Hi. I like you wanted to do psych nursing right out of school but I was scared of losing my skills and everyone said to do med-surg first. So I ended up working on a medical floor for 10 months. On the plus side, it did increase my organizational skills and get me some practical experience in dealing with poeple who are "medically ill." It also made me realize that psych is where my heart is and I began looking for a job in psych. I now work on a psycho-geriatric unit & my medical experience helps. I don't regret going to the medical floor, I trusted my gut feeling that I needed to go there but I didn't put a time limit on how long I'd be there. For me it was the right decision. Good luck, I'm sure you'll make the right decision for you.

ashamed- hell no! getting my nursing degree has been my biggest accomplishment...

hi everyone. i am so glad to have found this forum, it is a great encouragement and support for me. i am a new grad who has only been working as an rn for about a month and a half. i am working on a medical unit (which i love, much to my surprise), and sometimes i definitely feel like their is too much work for little old me. i had two months orientation paired with a preceptor (one month surg, one month med). i am now on my own with 12 patients and an lpn to help me . i literally never stop moving during my 12 hour shift and sometimes miss my breaks just to keep my head above water. the nurses have been great to answer questions but i definitely feel my 12 patients is overwhelming at times. if a chest pain occurs- it takes me the rest of my shift to get re-organized after spending an extended amount of time with that patient. some of my little old lady patients take over twenty pills, 3/4 of which must be crushed and mixed in ice cream. family members can be down right rude when i give a maxeran due before lunch ten minutes late, and there are always bells, bells, bells. admissions, discharges, room changes. confused patients escaping from their magnetic restraints. i love it though and it is great to hear from some of you seasoned nurses who are passionately defending their choice to work the specialty area of "medical." i am the only one in my class of 28 who dared go to medical as it got a really bad rep as being heavy and not as glamorous as the critical care areas. thanx girls!!