The New Grad Delima

medsurgrnco, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2008

I feel for you. Most new grads are pretty miserable, so suggest you give it more time and consider whether it's the current unit you are working on that is a large part of the problem. I tolerated med/surg for several years before I went into psych, but am glad I had some med/surg experience and I really stand out when interviewing for psych positions now. Your issue has been discussed several times in this forum recently, so I suggest you read through past threads with headings that appear relevant. And you may want to read through all fairly recent past threads anyway, just to get a feel for psych nursing if you have the time - the threads are very informative and quite interesting.

Jules A, MSN · Oct 24, 2008

I feel for you. I knew I couldn't do any time in med-surg and weighed my options. In my area at least in the near future it seems that the nursing shortage allows for great orientation programs in different specialities should I ever want to switch gears. The great news for me is that for now I can't imagine ever doing anything too different, maybe corrections or school nursing but thats about it for me. :)

Caffeine_IV · Oct 28, 2008

I know EXACTLY how you feel op. I'm just two days out of orientation on med/surg floor and ready to throw in the towel. First night I had 9 patients to myself and finally somone came in at 11 to take some of the load off. So I had six for the rest of the night. We are obviously understaffed.

There is a psych position open that is calling my name BUT I really did want a good medical base before I got into something else. I'm also interested in the OR or ER. Tonight will be my second night and hopefully it's better!

Good luck!

IamRN08 · Oct 30, 2008

You are so totally not alone! I started at my new job, and hated it 6 weeks in. I wanted psych but got sucked into that thought that we need med/surg first. Well, I quit during my 6th week. They kept calling me to come back. I started back and now a dream job in psych came through and I am not debating if I should just start again at the psych place or stay at the med/surge. I should have just stuck with my heart and started in psych from the start.

lsvalliant · Nov 21, 2008

I'm glad to know I'm not alone! Its been a month since my post and I am still as miserable and stressed out as ever on my med surg floor. VENT>> I'm so affraid of losing my license if I screw up, the doctors are so rude, and the night nurses speak their native language instead of English in my presence (really rude). To top it off, the hospital cut back and took away the aid!

nursedani08 · Nov 23, 2008

I'm right there with you guys. Only I'm 3 weeks from graduation and I hated my last clinical. I was on the stepdown unit and hated it! I dreaded dealing with mean nurses and doctors and always feeling like I'm not good enough. I currently work at an adult foster care home and I love it. I'm thinking of going on for my masters in social work so I can be a counselor but you need two years of experience in a human service field to do that apparently. So now I'm thinking of applying for a job on child psych where I live. I'm worried about giving up med/surg stuff forever too.

If you want to switch into an area that's not psych or psych-related in the future it might be difficult. I would suggest getting that experience if you think it's a possibility. I just have to decide if that's a possibility for me or not. :crying2:

good luck to you!

jpRN84, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2008

When I graduated RN school almost 3 years ago, I was in the same situation as you. Some of my instructors said to get some Med-Surg experience first, others said if you really truly know that you want to work in psych and that is where your heart is, go for it. Well when I graduated I applied for med-surg, and didnt get the position, I applied for at a couple different psych units but they didnt want to hire a graduate nurse, so I was already a CNA at a nursing home, which was just like med-surg, so I worked there for 3 months, then I worked at another nursing home for 3 months after that, and even though I hated doing it the total of 6months experience between the two med-surg like nursing homes was great, I got alot of experience with assessments, peripheral IVs, central lines, wound care, and supervising LPNs and CNAs. So I am glad that I had 6months experience of medical nursing before I went into the psych field as I have at least some medical experience to draw on. Also, dont worry about knowing things, you can always look it up if you dont know something, or ask your co-workers, or ask the doctor. No one knows everything. But yeah, I think having at least 6 months of medical experience would be a good idea.

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Nov 26, 2008

If every nurse went straight into psych, it would be detrimental to the unit. Granted, we are not talking about "every" nurse. Yet, if I were a hiring manager, I would court the med-surg nurse making the switch to psych over someone who did not have that experience, all other things being equal.

One day you might be charge on a psych unit. The buck will stop with you. Won't it be great to be able to draw on your med-surg background when the situation warrants it? Remember Maslow's hierarchy. The physical has to be addressed first. Psych patients are not immune to maladies of the physical realm. Medical clearance is often a joke. You will find psych residents and physicians often woefully lacking in the physical department. You might be the first line of defense and the mentor of new grads who went straight into psych who also need to draw on a med-surg RN's experience.

It sucks now. I know. If you can give it a year, you won't regret it. You will feel confident and competent. It will inspire confidence in your colleagues too.