Reentering the Hospital: Which area to choose?

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Specializes in Home Health,MedSurg/ICU/School Nursing.

Hi Everyone! I am an RN, BSN who has been out of the hospital setting for 12 years but have remained active working in home health and school nursing. I have just completed the on-line portion of an RN nurse refresher course and must select a specialty area for clinicals which begin next month. I have an interest in alot of areas, but my advisor suggests either Stepdown/Telemetry or Med-Surg which will expose me to alot of different patients. I enjoy client interaction and teaching, but am nervous and anxious about my clinical skills. It's been a long time since I've done IV's, etc.! I'm leaning toward Stepdown/Telemetry (perhaps lower ratios and less hectic?), but am unfamiliar with drips, etc. My advisor discourages other areas such as pedi, psych, ER.

I am in central Texas and am considering either St. Davids or Seton. I would really appreciate any and all input! Thanks!!!

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

Why is your advisor discouraging peds, psych or ER? It seems with your school nursing experience peds might be a good place for you. ER is great if you like face paced work, and you would see everything from kids with ear aches to heartaches, strokes and trauma. ICU is great if you like to be autonomous and take care of very ill or injured patients. Med - surg might make you wish you were back in home health. They often have the highest nurse:patient ratios. Tele is a good place to learn basic critical care meds and skills. Have you considered joining the float pool?

Good luck and welcome back. ;)

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Specializes in Home Health,MedSurg/ICU/School Nursing.

Thanks for the reply! My advisor is encouraging me to work with a wide range of patients and their health needs. Working in the ER, peds, psych, etc. might be too narrow of a focus. I guess I just need to jump back in and get my feet wet. I've been reading about the horror stories of med-surg.... is it really true that in many cases, today's med-surg unit is like that of the ICU 10 years ago? I loved home health.... except when it came to the hours of paperwork.... UGH!

Have a great one!

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Thanks for the reply! My advisor is encouraging me to work with a wide range of patients and their health needs. Working in the ER, peds, psych, etc. might be too narrow of a focus. I guess I just need to jump back in and get my feet wet. I've been reading about the horror stories of med-surg.... is it really true that in many cases, today's med-surg unit is like that of the ICU 10 years ago? I loved home health.... except when it came to the hours of paperwork.... UGH!

Have a great one!

I don't see how working in an ER would be too narrow of a focus. ER will expose you to all age groups and all diagnoses. Peds would limit you to an age range, but it all depends on what you want. Med-surg units today experience very high acuity and I have heard nurses say that it is like the ICU of years ago, but I have only been a nurse for about two years.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Capacity/Bed Management.

Med-Surg is... hectic to say the least you get anything and everything. Sometimes you may have a load of 9 pt. Tele is nice since most people are ambulatory. I would have to say do ICU or ER. ICU you will have 2 or 3 pt MAX and if you do Medical ICU you see a lot of different stuff and as for ER you will see EVERYTHING... frequent flyers wanting their fix to gunshot wounds to severe trauma. Its all your choice but Med-Surg is for the strong of heart lol

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