nursetvs

Then go. Leave nursing. Your situation sounds like a shame.

Hi Marcus, Will being a "doctor", or physician, be enough for you is another way to phrase this question. I will preface this response by saying that I am a nurse through and through. The nursing model is a big part of my life. To my nursing colleagues encouraging someone to seek a career in medicine because of their own frustrations with their current situation....consider leaving nursing if you aren't passionate about it or regret your decision. My advice, as an independent DNP prepared NP who owns their own practice and cares for 2000 of their own patients in NYC, don't hold one profession above another. If you want to earn money- both professions can bill and get near equal reimbursement. If you want to learn more about pathophysiology- open a textbook. If you want to focus on studying a disease-model and diagnose/treat human illness, become a physician. If you want to focus on studying a human illness-model and diagnose/treat the human response to diseases and conditions, become a nurse. I'm not afraid to mention that I earn as much as my physician colleagues in primary care. It wasn't easy. It wasn't handed to me on a silver platter the way a physician fresh out of residency can be offered a partner position in a practice. I had to earn it and still fight for it daily. However, I in no way feel "limited" in my practice. Trust me, being a health care provider in general is ENOUGH. Look within yourself and decide what you value- then make a decision. Don't rank one profession over another and decide which gets the gold medal in your opinion. At the end of the day patients are what matter. Choose how you want to care for them. All the best to you. -Tom

You are discrediting this type of nurses AEB all of your statements. We understand patho and can assess all 6+ of our patient without the use of invasive monitors. I have certified in both MS and CCRN. We all have RN after our name. Don't hold yourself on a pedestal because your patients are vented, monitored and you haven't likely taken a manual blood pressure throughout your entire critical care career. Respect your colleague. Everything we do is for our patients!

Med surg isn't for everyone. You weren't given an appropriate orientation period. That is unfortunate. No nurse should be let to go on their own and not feel confident. That is not your fault! Take that lesson with you for the future. All the best!!!

I specialize in med-surg and love it. I take care of 5-6 patients per shift. It is crazy at times, we don't get help from anyone and everything is expected of us. It isn't a speciality for everyone, and it is not always a place for a new grad. It is it's own speciality dealing with ALL aspects of adult health. It's for nurses who stand their ground and advocate for themselves and their patients. I hear your frustration with your current position- patients are very high acuity but aren't "sick enough" to be in the ICU. You have people pulling you in every direction. Advice- love that you have worked in med surg, remember all that you have learned and find another speciality that will provide you with an experience you enjoy. It isn't the acuity level- but the ratio on the unit. Find a unit that affords you the time to care for the patients you are assigned. Your unit sounds unsafe. Personally- a well run med surg unit is the place to be! Be well and never give up!!!

Hey all! I wanted to start a thread for med/surg nurses to explain what they love (and dislike sometimes) about the specialty of med/surg. Go for it:)

Shame on anyone of you who are talking down to Med/Surg and ICU nurses alike. We all went to nursing school, we all passed the NCLEX examination and at the end of the day, we are there for our patients! I am a RN who is trained in both critical care and medical/surgical specialties. I have my CMSRN credential, can take care of 6+ patients and have excellent assessment and management skills. I chose to specialize in medical/surgical nursing because I like the fast paced environment and patient interaction. I also enjoyed my time in MICU taking care of very high acuity patients and their families. The focus on each unit is different, the pace is different, the patient load is different, the acuity is different....but we are all nurses. ICU nurses are not smarter, they don't understand pathophysiology better....they have a specific interest and talent for working with very high acuity patients. Med/Surg nurses aren't always better at handling more patients and don't always work harder than ICU nurses on a given day.......they have an interest in working with many clients who have many unique medical conditions. These are two separate specialties within the same profession. We must stand our ground as professional nurses together. If you feel superior because you work in ICU or ED or OR, than I feel bad for you. Please do yourself a favor and leave the nursing profession. I became a nurse because I didn't feel like having ******* contests with my colleagues all day. I want my patients to go home to their families and get better. Remember where you came from please. If you need to see credentials or hear from someone how well they did in school or how well they know disease process based on their chosen specialty of nursing practice- then check your facts, I'm sure you will be surprised at what you find.