Trauma Floor

[snickers17]

I'm a new grad and I have been offered a job on a trauma floor at a Level 1 trauma hospital. The manager explained to me that the patients would be the ones who were stable enough to leave the ICU. I am very interested in trauma, but I'm thinking it might be just like a med-surg floor with a different label. I might be completely wrong, so I am interested to hear of anyone's experience/advice.

Thank you.

[zoidberg, BSN, RN]

Its probably a trauma med surg floor. just ask. still will be a good place if that interests you. Trauma patients have to go somewhere once they are not being operated on or need sticu care. maybe you want to work in the ED?

[nella197]

I work on a floor like that right now at a Lvl 1. When I applied, I was told it was a step down for trauma/burn. It's more like a specialty med surg floor. We get stable trauma/burn patients with overflow med surg patients. You should ask if they do shadow days to get a good picture of what the floor is like. I wish I did lol

[Buckeye.nurse]

Definitely ask if you can shadow before accepting the position if you are unsure about whether or not you want to work on that unit.

Whether your floor will be purely trauma patients is a function of the volume of traumas your hospital receives. If you are the only level 1 trauma facility for a 200 mile radius, and you live in a high population density area, then chances are high that the vast majority of your patients will be traumas. If not, then you will most likely also get general surgical, neuro, general ortho, or similar overflow.

[whop94]

I work on a trauma gen care/IMCU at a level 1. In a lot of ways yes, it's a lot like other med-surg units, however it is still very valuable experience! Trauma patients, especially at a level 1 trauma center are very tenuous, secondary complications sometimes weeks after the initial trauma happen frequently and these patients often require very aggressive pulmonary hygiene and aggressive therapies to even get to a place where discharge to a skilled nursing facility is plausible, these patients crump quick and crump often. There are also numerous psych/social issues that often times don't get addressed until after the ED, OR, ICU etc. when the patient begins waking up or the reality of the "new norm" sets in for loved ones.

Personally I love it! If you want to get your feet wet in trauma I think its a great first experience!