supergirl

Hello, I graduated from a BSN program in December of 2004 and took a job on a Telemetry Med Surg floor with a stepdown unit and I absolutely hate it! I've been there for 5 months and people keep saying it will get better. It's gotten easier but I still don't like it. I took the job knowing that I didn't really like Med Surg but I wanted to gain experience and knowledge. I like the elderly population, but the stress is just too much. It seems that all I do is give out medications. Working with nursing assistants is hell - they are just pissed off most of the time. I enjoy doing patient care, but it seems that so much of that is cut short because of giving out meds, answering phone calls, transferring patients to tests, and checking on unlimited MD orders, and getting interrupted 50 times a day. Are there any nurses out there who worked in Med Surg and switched to L&D or postpartum? What was your experience when you switched? Is L&D and postpartum as bad as Med Surg? I really enjoyed L&D when I was in school. I think I would enjoy giving emotional support and teaching to patients, which happens in Postpartum. I prefer lower acuity environments- like clinic or home care, but I want to go to grad school, and in NYC many hospitals pay for graduate education. Are you happy you left Med Surg nursing? Thank you for your input. Supergirl

Maybe it's just because I'm a new nurse, but I don't think it's a big deal to do continuing education hours at home. Nurses are lucky that they only get paid for the hours they work. Many people I know in different kinds of professions that are salaried have to work overtime for NO extra pay. They sometimes have to work extra hours or finish the work at home without compensation. My husband is a journalist and he often has to work extra time to get a story done. It's nice that your job gives you the option to do it at home. It may be more convenient for some people. I think I would rather do some of the continuing education credits in the comfort of my own home. If your job is still allowing you to do it at work, why complain? It's always better to have options that are more convenient for everyone. Also, continuing education is not just for the job. It is also for your own learning so that your skills are current. It may make you more marketable for your next job.