Rehab Nursing?

Specialties Rehabilitation

Published

Hi,

I'm a newly graduated nurse of 3 mos and I am considering applying for a position in a rehab hospital. Can anyone give me some advice about this nursing speciality? Advantages or disadvantages? I am currently working on a busy surgical unit and I enjoy the rehab aspect of it.

Thanks,

Rose

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Specializes in Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

Two advantages:

You will see a lot of chronic pathology; adventitious lung and heart sounds, dialysis AV shunts, PEG tubes, skin issues, ostomies.

And you will often be able to care for the same patient group for multiple days and be able to monitor their progress over time (as well as have multiple opportunities to practice a variety of procedures instead of getting to observe these once every few months)

Good luck whatever you choose!

Chaya

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Specializes in jack of all trades, master of none.

Continuity of Care was one of my favorites. Usually had the same patients for their stay, so it was nice to be able to really get to know the pt & be able to pick up very subtle changes.

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Specializes in RN CRRN.
:nono: ;) very true about seeing alot, and you get to be a part of getting them better -or the best they can be. I want to say you have more time to teach but with a higher pt ratio than other floors and many confused pts that need alot of time, so you still have a lot of time management to conquer. I just remember, I can always chart later, when i need to be in pts rooms now. You will see Gtubes, trachs, piccs, wounds, TBIs, amps, CVAs, SCIs,. I remember trying to take sutures out of a kid who was confused and with a little bit of help you get through it without poking them with a suture remover (after going thru 3 of them cuz they are so dull) you will learn how not to agitate an already upset pt (240 lbs and mad as heck) and how to calmly take a little old lady to the BR 3 xs an hour because the stroke affected her left side (i have seen that it tends to affect their bladder-makes it irritable). You patience may wear thin but at the end of the day you get to go home, they don't. You will find it very rewarding. MOST IMPORTANT be good to your aides help them out-most of your pts are 2:1 transfers. When you tell them to get another aide to help them, remember that other aide also has 7-9 pts who are 2:1 pts. It behooves you to help them out in the end. DONT pi** them off:nono: . When you respect them they respect you and it wont be like pulling teeth to get them to do anything
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