What is the best unit to work in and why?

LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN · Mar 7, 2011

personally for me, any unit that will hire me!!

I loved the ED as a CNA and miss it terribly and want to return as a RN, but I will take any unit in a hospital setting, SNF is not for me

Katie5 · Mar 7, 2011

There is no best unit to work on- the people make or mar the unit.

TonyaM73, ASN, RN · Mar 7, 2011

Thus far in my career, MedSurg. You get a fairly stable set of patients, but a lot of them. Lots of differenct diagnosis, history, etc. I love the group that I work with and the management is great, so if those two things were not in place....I probably wouldn't be as enthusiastic about my job. I think someone else said this farther up, but anywhere that has good teamwork and management backing you would be okay with me to work except Psych and kids. :)

emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Mar 7, 2011

For me - ER. Never know what's coming through the door, different pts every shift, see everything, my pt age range has varied from 2 days old to 104 years, get to see immediate results of your interventions and what more could you ask?

Note: I have great co-workers, awesome management and easy to work with docs. Makes life good.

melmarie23, MSN, RN · Mar 7, 2011

For a new grad I would have to say telemetry. You get a touch of med/surg, cardiology, and some things you may see in an icu. You also get exposure to some drips.
As others have said, the best unit would definitely be the one you enjoy going back to day after day and supportive/helpful coworkers are definitely a must.

I have an interview for a per diem position on a telemetry unit tomorrow (and am a new grad). I was also just offered a per diem float position between an acute rehab and med/surg units (that I accepted). The telemetry position kind of intimidates me, but I know I will learn a ton! I am just happy that they are giving consideration with an interview!

General E. Speaking, RN, RN · Mar 7, 2011

ICU rocks! :cool:

shoegalRN, RN · Mar 7, 2011

Of course ER! Gotta love the drama, the trauma, and everything else in between. Love the fast pace, not having to deal with pts very long, and having the docs RIGHT THERE!

Give me a trauma, a STEMI, and an ETOH pt and I'm rocking and rolling! :lol2:

GHGoonette, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2011

Op, ignore them all! THEY ARE LYING TO YOU!! :heartbeat PACU!!!!:heartbeat

And NEVER forget what I've told you!!!

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2011

Yeah, OR and PACU rocks! I can't wait to go back :)

Caffeine_IV · Mar 7, 2011

I always say the units that never have openings must be the best...endo, OR, pacu, outpatient surgery/ambulatory surgery.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Mar 7, 2011

My first love was community. I would probably still be working it if not for a need for a more flexible (NOT Monday-Friday) schedule. I loved the variety I got working at the community health center - our focus was on migrant farmworkers, but we took care of just about anyone who needed it. We did cradle-to-grave care and I got good at all manner of peds care, diabetes education, IV starts, ingrown toenail removals, and STD counseling. We also saw things pretty specific to farmworker health - green tobacco sickness, for example. And we tried to save people trips to the ER if we could. Of course, things like DVTs and appies we had to send, but if we could treat a gastroenteritis pt with some IVFs and PR phenergan, we did it. We also went to migrant farmworker camps to do education/screenings. I LOVED that. So....that's my favorite.

I work mother-baby, antepartum, and nursery now...and I love that too. It's busy, it's mostly fun, and I do learn something most every day I'm there. So, whoever said ask a hundred people, get a hundred answers, they were right! :)

diana2520 · Mar 8, 2011

i agree with Armywife !!!!!!!!!!Emergency Department!! I love it because its fast paced and high energy ..iam a nusring student in my last semester andi must say out ofall the clinical rotations since nursing school i Love the ER. andi hope to work in there one day