Question for those who started or currently in Med-Surg

Nurses General Nursing

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I am graduating in May and right now I don't have a job yet but I am debating my options. I am interested in NICU and that is my top interest, 2nd choice is pediatrics, 3rd choice is OB, I am also looking into Med-Surg although that is not my top choice. I am looking at Med-surg as a chance to learn skills I have not yet learned in nursing school like starting IV's and inserting urine caths. I haven't even had the chance to insert an NG yet. I am doing my senior capstone in OB but am not quite sure if I will end up there after graduation. If I can get a job in my top interest which is NICU then I will go right for NICU but if not then I will probably start in Med-Surg.

The only thing that scares me the most is hearing about all the high nurse patient ratio's in the med-surg area. I am wanting to work nights because I am a single parent and have a 5 year old daughter and my parents agreed to keep her while I work.

What are your nurse patient ratios. I often hear that night shift nurses have 12-15 patients. Is that true? How in the world can you provide care to that many patients??

I REALLY enjoyed my med-surg clinicals but because we were required to only have one patient each and then we pair up with a buddy and share the second patient that probably makes all the difference in the world for either loving your clinical or hating your clinical.

Can someone share their experiences in Med-surg with me or going right into a speciality area.

Specializes in medical oncology and outpatient surgery.

Peaceful----I have worked med/surg/tele/oncology since I graduated 15yrs ago. Med/surg nurses are not "lower" than the other "specialties" Med/surg is a great place to learn as you stated. It gives you those basic skills to apply when you specialize. Think of it, if you know the basics all you have to learn is the special applications for your patient population, i.e. you know how to drop an NG already, now all you need to learn is how to apply to your pt. There are lots of pro and con argument regarding where to start. If you have a good base, and learn good organization skills in the process you can go anywhere and feel confident in just a short time. I happen to love med/surg so I stayed and now have held a certificate for almost 10yrs. I think if you opt to spend some time, even 6 mos to a yr in med/surg, you wont regret it. Good luck to you.

Med/Surg what a great, difficult, hair pulling, wonderful... All I can say is that in Med/Surg you learn sooooooo much..... Not for the lazy or weak at heart...

My first preceptor what a NURSE... Compassionate, tough, kind, difficylt... But likeable. Gave me the best piece of advice to this day. If you are going to work Med/ Surg make sure you grow some big balls. You will need them with surgeons...

I worked medsurg several years before specializing in adult critical care and it was a great place for me to really solidify my knowledge base, and learn where I wanted to go from there.

Some of my friends are still working medsurg and have specialized in that area. :)

Some look down on medsurg nurses (that old hierarchy rearing it's ugly head again) but I am convinced medsurg is still the backbone of the profession. I can tell you that a strong med surg nurse is welcome anywhere, any specialty because they are well rounded and capable. Medsurg is stressful...but most nursing jobs are...LOL!

Do what YOU feel will be best for YOU, not what others tell you you 'should' do...and good luck to you!

I don't think anybody is knocking med/surg nurses...but let's be honest here, it can be STRESSFUL, especially for a new grad. I am glad there are nurses who like to work in different areas. There is room for everyone....go for what you want. Not everybody needs to use every skill taught in school, and if you have a love for something else....DO IT WHILE YOU ARE YOUNG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I went directly into OB/GYN after school. NO regrets. I had no desire to be chewed up and spat out my first year of nursing. And that is just what med-surg would have done to me. Nope. I started where my interests lay and do not regret it one bit.

I have also thought that I was going to go straight to Pediatrics when I graduated, but I think I am actually gonna stay on the floor I work on as a PCA for a while until I get comfortable... Its and Ortho floor, but most patients have bunches of other things going on, so I think it would be fairly close to a med-surg type environment....

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