bankssarn

I have worked on both a telemetry unit and a med-surg unit. Honestly, there is a lot of overlap. The types of patients you see are going to depend on the size and location of your hospital, and whether the hospital has specific med-surg units. For example, one of the larger hospitals in my town has several med-surg units. Each unit has a focus (renal, pulmonary, gastroenterology). Then there are the neuro units and cardiac units. On telemetry, most of the patients you see will have a primary cardiac diagnosis (arrhythmias, CHF, AICD placement, etc). If not a primary cardiac diagnosis, they will most likely have a diagnosis that affects their electrolytes or cardiac function (i.e. renal failure, dehydration, ETOH detox, etc.) A far as med-surg, most of the patients will be pre/post-op for common procedures such as lap choles, appendectomies, EGDs, etc. You may see some ortho procedures as well. Some of them may be on cardiac monitors due to a history of cardiac disease and/or electrolyte imbalance, but not all of them. Again, it depends on the focus of the unit. You will see a wide range of patients on both units. Honestly, it's a wonderful area to start, because you will become familiar with a variety of conditions, medications and procedures. It's also a great opportunity to hone your assessment, time management, delegation and organizational skills. I hope that helps! Best of luck in your career!

Indeed, they do... I'm 5 years in and I'm still waiting for it to get better, OP, out of curiosity, are you working day shift or night shift? Maybe try another shift and see if that's a better fit? In my experience, nurses that typically work days are much more cutthroat than nurses that work nights. Maybe if you're working days now, nights might help you to ease into the position? Just a thought. Best of luck to you in your career.

OP, this was my experience as a brand new RN. I was working as a QMA in a nursing home, so I continued working there as a RN. I had, on average, 35-40 residents/patients. Most were diabetics and/or required tube feedings. We also had several bariatric patients. And my nursing assistants vanished most of the time, so I felt like I was running the floor by myself. Let me just say that I understand just how you're feeling, and you are not incompetent. Your facility is expecting the impossible from you, and anyone that says otherwise is cutting corners (I have experienced this, personally). A previous poster mentioned possibly relocating... is this a possibility? I live in Northern Indiana and we have literally hundreds of RN positions open, many even offer sign-on bonuses. I wish you the best in your nursing career, and hope you can find something that works for you.

Thank you all for all of your suggestions!

I just accepted a position on a coronary intensive care unit. I'm a fairly new nurse, with two years of RN experience, mostly on telemetry. I'm excited about this new opportunity, but also a little nervous. I've never worked in an ICU before. I don't really know what to expect. It seems intimidating. There's so much to learn. I will be a member of the rapid response team and the code blue team. It's a scary thought right now! I know I'll learn in time. I'm just wondering, for those who have experience in this area, what can I expect? I want to learn as much as I can. Obviously, nothing trumps hands-on experience, but can you recommend any reference books or sites? Any pointers will be greatly appreciated!

I worked with a lady who was a nurse in the Phillipines and was only able to work as a med aide here in the states. If she wanted to work as a nurse, she would have to repeat her schooling. I am not certain what type of schooling she completed in the Phillipines, or if she was equivalent to an LPN or RN. This is a question for the state board of nursing. If you are able to take NCLEX-RN, you will have to apply for licensure in Illinois.

Congrats, but it's telemetry. :) I got my start on tele as well. Great experience. Good luck.

I got hired on a med-surg floor at 6.5 months along. I was obviously pregnant. However, my employer did not take me back after my maternity leave. Now I'm labeled as a 'job hopper' because I had 3 nursing jobs in one year. Sigh. Best of luck to you.

Best of luck to you! I received an offer from CICU (totally unexpected) right before the holidays. I'm not sure that I'm going to take it, though.

Absolutely. I only have my ASN and I had multiple offers right out of school. I've been a RN for about 2 years now, currently work FT in rehab and I have 2 offers that I'm thinking about. I've never had an issue securing employment. But like the others have said, it depends on where you're located.

Location - Northern Indiana Pay rate - 19/hr Area/specialty - Rehab License - RN Degree - ASN Experience - Two years Status - FT Shift - 7a-7p Shift diff - No Manager or supervisor - No

That's wonderful. In my case, I work on a rehab unit where I am primarily alone (no one to relieve me so I can take a break). I can't just leave my patients unattended.

I graduated in December 2011 and didn't get my ATT until early February of 2012. I sent in my app before graduation. I think it had a a lot to do with the holidays. Hope you get it soon.

No offense, but this seems trivial. You don't want to eat with someone you're assigned a break time with? At least you're getting a break... I have never worked L&D or postpartum, but when I worked med-surg, we covered our co-worker's 4-6 patients so they could take a lunch break. I think that's usually the way it works.

Every year since I've been in healthcare. I started at age 19; I'm 28 now. It doesn't bother me. I was raised in a Jewish faith. I pick up Christmas if I happen to have it off.