Question! Best and Worst departments to work in @ the hospital?

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Hello to all, I am currently in nursing school. I don't know which department will interest me just yet, but I would like to hear the experiences that some of you nurses have had in departments that you like and/or dislike and why. Or stories you've heard about certain departments from others. Please share... Thanks in advance.:)

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Specializes in Gerontology.

Everyone likes something different. It all depends on your personality.

I could never work ER. There are people here who will tell you its the best place in the world.

I work in a sub-acute setting and love it. Others will tell you its the worst place in the world.

You need to go into this with an open mind. What you find, may surprise you. When I started nursing, I was positive that I would go into NICU - I am now at the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

This business of one unit being better/worse than another is riduculous.We are all an important part of the health care system. I tell people, ICU may have saved the life of the stroke pt, but working in rehab, I helped them regain their ability to enjoy that life. We are both important.

Is one area a bit more exciting? Perhaps. There is nothing exciting about what I do - but that's why I like it.

So don't be influenced by stories of one area being "better" than other. Go with your heart.

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.

There is no "better" department. As the PP said, it all depends on what you're interested in. For me, that would be anything in peds or Mother/Baby. Right now I"m a school nurse,but I've done NICU, PICU, ER, and L&D. Every one of them were "the best" when I was working there. Now, certainly there are departments that don't appeal to me--cancer comes to mind. Any floor where I have to work with men (sorry guys,I"m sure you're lovely people, but... PTSD.) And OR--I've never met a surgeon that wasn't a pompous arrogant piece of ****. But that's me. YMMV.:nurse:

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.
When I started nursing, I was positive that I would go into NICU - I am now at the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

Hahaha I started off wanting to be a nurse midwife and when I got to L&D I thought it was the goriest, most scarring experience of my education :chair:. God bless those L&D nurses.

I also thought NICU was perfect for me, until I heard the neverending alarms. I can do ICU alarms, but man those babies have high and low alarms for SaO2. They never stop! :eek:

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Specializes in Cardiology, Critical Care, Cath Lab.

Depending on what you enjoy all departments have their pros and cons. The biggest factor in happiness in an area is the Charge nurse. A great leader will create a good environment. As for your interest, don't be afraid to try something different and interesting. I enjoyed ICU due to the variety of patients. Best of luck on your career...

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I was curious what dept you work in currently. I went straight to NICU from nursing school and realized I wasn't ready for it yet. So now I'm trying to figure out what area I would like. I'm a laid back type of person, who enjoys working with people and educating people. I've realized I'm not into the adrenaline rush of nursing (NICU, ER, etc). Just want to feel as though I've helped someone be the best person they can be.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, adult med/surg, peds BMT.

It is so individual. I started in inpatient physical rehab and found great joy in helping people work through their injury and along the long road of recovery- beware at 21 wjth a shortage of CNAs I first injured my back at 21- I then went to the NICU working with the little tiny babies and I worked in that field on and off for 9 years. I still love holding babies. I left the NICU because the patients didn't really communicate with you and the units could be very cliquey. I then went into pediatric bone marrow transplant. Although I never thought I could be a cancer nurse I never felt more like a nurse than I did in that position. It requires your utter devotion, and dedication to the craft and to really provide compassionate care to those in need. After a few years I felt like I needed to work with adults again before I could commit to a field of study as an adult practise nurse. So I went to an adult med/surg and oncology floor. My instructors always suggested we start out on med/surg and I wanted to see what it was like. What could this teach me I arrogantly thought. It taught me tons. Especially about juggling huge caseloads and doing end of life care. Since this time I did a stint as an assistant manager in a NICU and am now work on a peds heme/onc and bone marrow transplant floor. I'm more passionate about nursing than I've ever been. I've found smaller units I'm the university setting are better for me. So just gain experience. Think about what calls to you. I agree that a strong charge nurse/ leader can make am experience. There's not a place where being a nurse doesn't make a difference. My hats go off to med/surg nurses I learned a ton.

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Specializes in ER/Trauma, Corrections, Consulting.

I am a Trauma/ER nurse and personally that's my "nirvana" but it is so very individualized! You will see that each type of unit has a very distinct personality model. ER nurses tend to be "alpha dogs", wanting constant change and adrenaline rushes. ICU nurses are meticulous and detail oriented. Med/surg nurses are great time managers and very task oriented. OB nurses tend to kind of fall in with ER nurses in wanting thatconstant change and adrenaline rush but on a very focused scale. Peds nurses are usually the caring ones of the bunch :) OR nurses are no-nonsense, cut to the chase (no pun!) individuals. Cath lab nurses swoop in with the "S" on their chests to save lives ASAP. These are my observations but, when compared to nurses in those areas long term, I betcha I'm pretty darn close to par! Anyone agree?

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Specializes in L&D,Wound Care, SNC.
OB nurses tend to kind of fall in with ER nurses in wanting thatconstant change and adrenaline rush but on a very focused scale.

I agree with you on that one. We don't have a separate L&D triage so the L&D unit I currently work in is very much an ED for pregnant women >20 weeks. No one day is the same, which I love! In fact, when I was finishing up school I would have been happy working in either ED, peds, mother-baby, and L&D. I could maybe do ICU if I had a very LONG orientation.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

"Best" depends on your own expectations and ability to assimiliate into that unit's culture. I would never work in L&D due to hormone-high patients, but every L&D nurse I encounter would not want to work elsewhere. So - who knows?

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I am a Trauma/ER nurse and personally that's my "nirvana" but it is so very individualized! You will see that each type of unit has a very distinct personality model. ER nurses tend to be "alpha dogs", wanting constant change and adrenaline rushes. ICU nurses are meticulous and detail oriented. Med/surg nurses are great time managers and very task oriented. OB nurses tend to kind of fall in with ER nurses in wanting thatconstant change and adrenaline rush but on a very focused scale. Peds nurses are usually the caring ones of the bunch :) OR nurses are no-nonsense, cut to the chase (no pun!) individuals. Cath lab nurses swoop in with the "S" on their chests to save lives ASAP. These are my observations but, when compared to nurses in those areas long term, I betcha I'm pretty darn close to par! Anyone agree?

Love the discriptions :) I was thinking about doing the ER but I mite want something a lil more calm (now im not saying that there are departments that u don't have to work hard because all require a lot of hard work and critical thinking) and not too hectic. I guess I won't know until I actually start working in all the different departments.

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