Transfer advice please

DookieMeisterRN · May 15, 2012

Hey, everyone.
I need to get out of med/surg (am desperately sick of it) but I'm not sure where I might fit, so I wanted to ask some opinions. My only other experience is back in school, and here's what I'd found:
In med surg, love bedside procedures and dressing changes. Used to be scared to death of codes, but got ACLS certified and the only code on my shift since then I jumped into, knew what the docs were talking about and was able to anticipate what would be needed (at least, until they threw out the algorithms and just started trying any-and-everything) I actually liked that one, once I knew what was going on.
In school, loved ICU, OR, Endo and IR.
HATED Peds, Home Health and ER (maybe b/c the ER's I was in was small town, mostly clinic work)
Was bored stupid with Clinic and Dialysis (though I was told those were slow days?)
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, especially if WHY that area would fit my interests could be given? Thanks all.

Ask to shadow in departments you're interested in. Honestly though, in my neck of the woods it's almost impossible to get into a specialty besides M/S without a good 2 years of experience.

Only YOU truly knows what would best fit your interests ,which are really hard to determine from the little information you've given here.

AnonRNC · May 15, 2012

What are you sick of? Are you bored? Is it the patients? The families? Management? Answering those questions may help you find direction.

ninja-nurse, BSN · May 15, 2012

Bored. To death. I've given it 2.5 years (when I wasn't really interested in the first place) and now I desperately want OUT.

iluvhrts · May 16, 2012

Why don't you apply to a specialty area? Sounds like a simple solution?

amoLucia · May 16, 2012

What about wound care?? Do the programs for wound care certification and you'll still be at the bedside.

ninja-nurse, BSN · May 16, 2012

Why don't you apply to a specialty area? Sounds like a simple solution?

That's what I'm trying to look into, I just don't know enough about them to figure out what would be a good fit for me. So I'm trying to talk to different people about their jobs and see if I can find something that sounds right. I just posted here as another avenue of research.

ninja-nurse, BSN · May 16, 2012

What about wound care?? Do the programs for wound care certification and you'll still be at the bedside.

I didn't even think about that - but you're right. All the fun stuff without the 12 hours of pillow fluffing... I may look into that.

Good Morning, Gil · May 16, 2012

If you're somewhat of a control freak and like somewhat of a routine, then you'll probably like ICU. ICU is feast or famine. You can have a slower night that is more routine even if your patients are critical, or both your patients could be unstable or even just one of them. In that case, it is still "organized, controlled" chaos since you are still caring for your same 2 patients throughout your shift. (I work in ICU and enjoy the depth of knowing everything about my patients and being able to suggest things to the physicians). I also like the continuity of care (in general) in coming back the next night and being assigned the same patients (unless they're transferred, etc).

You'll like the ER if you enjoy no routine whatsoever. Have never done ER, but they see a variety of patients all night long, something different every day. I, on the other hand, enjoy being able to see my patients' care to completion (not always completion, but in the ER..they stabilize, and then send out), and ER nurses prefer it that way since they can't stand taking care of the same patient.

Just sounds like you need a change of pace overall, and any change will be a positive one if you're bored.

Jenni811, RN · May 16, 2012

you sound alot like me!!! :) Im still in med-surg though. i have my days where im like "this isn't so bad" and majority of my days are "I HATE WORK!! IM NEVER GOING BACK. THAT WAS TERRIBLE."

i'm wanting to go to urgent care i think. Clinic hours (sort of, with some saturdays thrown in) but hospital pay :) Can't get better than that.

PennyWise · May 16, 2012

Hey, everyone.
I need to get out of med/surg (am desperately sick of it) but I'm not sure where I might fit, so I wanted to ask some opinions. My only other experience is back in school, and here's what I'd found:
In med surg, love bedside procedures and dressing changes. Used to be scared to death of codes, but got ACLS certified and the only code on my shift since then I jumped into, knew what the docs were talking about and was able to anticipate what would be needed (at least, until they threw out the algorithms and just started trying any-and-everything) I actually liked that one, once I knew what was going on.
In school, loved ICU, OR, Endo and IR.
HATED Peds, Home Health and ER (maybe b/c the ER's I was in was small town, mostly clinic work)
Was bored stupid with Clinic and Dialysis (though I was told those were slow days?)
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, especially if WHY that area would fit my interests could be given? Thanks all.

I was right there with you a couple years ago. I started in the M/S field, was told it was the best place to start and to learn a variety of skills but was not warned how once you are there and have experience, they like to keep you there.

To get out of the M/S cycle, you may have to go to a Tele. unit first. Some, not all, specialty units prefer some of your experience to be from a more acute setting than M/S. ICU especially, depending on the manager, will look at your backgroung and wonder if you will handle the transition or not.

I investigated different specialties through a number of avenues and compared the adice I got. Word of mouth reports told me ICU can be rough and you have to have a thick skin, sort of "earn your way" before you are accepted onto the team. OR is very regimented, lots of routine, and you have to know how to handle doctors (a skill in itself sometimes). Step down tele units tend to be very busy and reflect the M/S setting in a lot of ways, but with more accuity. I heard the same things already mentioned here regarding ER........some nights you have no idea how you are going to manage, hence it is definitely for the "alpha gene" personality. Home Care also offers more routine than M/S, but with big surprises sometimes.

Me, I still haven't landed where my nitche is. I'm on a tele unit, a transplant unit to be more specific, but its not where I'm going to retire from. I'm thinking the OR will be where I land once all is said and done. For now though, I'm sticking with the unit and manager who I know doesn't mind working around my school schedule.

ninja-nurse, BSN · May 16, 2012

Good Morning, Gil:

I was sort of leaning towards ICU, but you're right about needing a change of pace. I'd be willing to take just about anything to get out of med/surg.

Jenni811:

Good luck honey. If you're anywhere NEAR as desperate to escape as I am, good luck. Though mine's not so much "that was terrible" as it tends to be "that was pointless. All that running around and NOTHING got done." (well, things got done, but nothing that should have justified the chaos. A few nursing things and LOTS of pillow fluffing.) Let us know if you get where you want, and how it turns out for you.