Should every new grad nurse start out on the Med/Surg floor?

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I would like your honest input, please.

Specializes in OB.
rpbear, I have some questions too hope you don't mind answering them! :)

how hard was it to start out in l&d?

How long was your orientation?

How many do you care for at once?

What's a typical night like?

Thanks!!

Michelle

It was not hard to start in L&D, it was what I wanted from the moment I started nursing school.

I had 12 weeks of orientation on a very busy unit, it was more than enough orientation, but if you get hired on a smaller unit you may need more time on orientation, the unit I work on now the new grads get 16 weeks.

I care for 1-2 labor patients at a time, depends on where they are in labor.

There is no such thing as "typical" in L&D. Our nights vary from no patients at all, to all 13 rooms full, and someone delivering in triage. This has all happend in the last 3 weeks! Each unit is unique, the last hospital I work did 6000+ deliveries a year, the one I work now does about 1200+ a year, a big diffenrence in staffing and pt flow.

If L&D is what you want then go for it!

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No, unless you actually want to work in med surg

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Specializes in step down/progressive care.

NO! Unless, of course, you want to work on med-surg.

I think if you want to progress to ICU or a specialty (peds, L and D, etc) then it's not good for you. Sure, you get your "time management" down, but I don't think it's worth it. I don't think it makes you a better nurse.

I started in a step down/tele unit, and although I was overwhelmed at times (we took trachs, vasoactive drips, etc) it was great for me to get the experience. I would have been bored on med surg, and I can't imagine caring for four or more patients. It's just not me.

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Specializes in Peds, PICU, Home health, Dialysis.

I am still a nursing student (not much longer until I graduate) and already have a job lined up in the PICU. I currently work on a general pediatrics floor as a nurse apprentice, and will have almost an entire year in before I move to PICU as an RN.

I have no intentions of working on a med/surg floor -- mainly due to the fact that I despise working with adults.

However, there are certain students in my class that should probably work in med/surg upon graduation. I think those students who are very weak in clinicals and those students who have no idea where they want to work should probably start off in med/surg.

Also, the only reason I am starting out in PICU rather than general ped's is because our hospital has a 6-month education/orientation program for the ICU setting. And I can already tell from working as a nurse apprentice that a general pediatric floor will get very boring very quickly as an RN.

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Thanks for all of your input. I still can't decide on what I want to do. The hospital that I'm going to be at is in a small town so, there are options, but not a lot of them. And a lot of specialty areas don't hire new grads. They just flat out tell you NO before you even go in for an interview. It's frustrating because I don't want to work on the Med/Surg floor when I'm done but that's almost my only option. I worked on the medical floor for a year and a half as a CNA and didn't really care for it. Any more suggesstions???? Anything helps! Has anyone started on the Med/Surg floor and regreted it?

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Specializes in M/S, Infectious Dieases, Pediatrics/NICU.
I would like your honest input, please.

GO with your heart.

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I would like your honest input, please.

Hi ok, M:heartbeaty suggestion is you should go ICU first, as you can learn alot and just take most to most 2 patients.At least 2 to 3 years experience in icu can move to any other area,eg: speciality or OT or EMD. But look through first and follow your heart. Good luck.

My experiences are OT,Renal medicine,Dialysis,Clinical teaching, General surgical.Rehabilitation nursing and now in medical/surgical intensive care unit, total experience in nursing 26years, so enjoyable in every area.:nurse::yeah:

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
Also, the only reason I am starting out in PICU rather than general ped's is because our hospital has a 6-month education/orientation program for the ICU setting. And I can already tell from working as a nurse apprentice that a general pediatric floor will get very boring very quickly as an RN.

Just wanted to let you know I thought the same things about general peds... but when you are the nurse instead of the student or even the nurse apprentice... it is a LOT busier and crazier. But I hope you enjoy PICU, it's a fascinating place as well. Good luck!

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I would love to start in the ICU, and applied there, but the hospital that I plan on working at, does not hire new grads into the ICU. So that option is out.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.

I think its a good start, it allows you to get your skills down really good before specializing into what you want. The nurses I know who started straight into the specialty of their choice can not insert an NG tube or do wet-dry dressing changes, etc. Its a personal choice and its different for everyone. But I started out on Med Surg and am so glad I did. It gave me a good base to move forward with.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.

ICU is a great place to start too. BTW, :)

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