WHat floors are more fun/social??

[ER1010]

I am looking for a fun place to work when I graduate. What I have realized from nursing school is that who you are working with is the most important factor in liking your job.

So would like your opinions on where I might find a social/fun atmosphere...preferably not all women!

Med/Surg?

ED?

ICU'S?

OB?

Specialty units such as peds, or nicu?

[ariel5120]

Not trying to flame anyone here, but the social lives of the people you work with should be at the bottom of your list. Why not look for a specialty that interests you? It scares me that the nursing part of your job search is secondary to looking for a good party atmosphere.

I agree with this, I have only been an lpn for 14months, and my biggest thing is that I never sit down b/c I'm constantly making sure that all of my residents needs are met to the best of my abilities and it makes me wonder b/c I see so many nurses sitting around chatting, and I can't figure it out. I take my job very serious, b/c these are people's lives you're dealing with, not some party place and that's coming from a 27year old, who does have a life and likes to party, but there is a time and place for it and yes it is good to get along with the people you work with, but to a point of professionalism.

[Larry77, RN]

I agree with this, I have only been an lpn for 14months, and my biggest thing is that I never sit down b/c I'm constantly making sure that all of my residents needs are met to the best of my abilities and it makes me wonder b/c I see so many nurses sitting around chatting, and I can't figure it out. I take my job very serious, b/c these are people's lives you're dealing with, not some party place and that's coming from a 27year old, who does have a life and likes to party, but there is a time and place for it and yes it is good to get along with the people you work with, but to a point of professionalism.

Yikes you maybe aren't understanding what most of us are talking about here. I would NEVER sit down and chat when a patient needs something or is falling apart...but I DO love to have fun with my co-workers at work and after work at times. I often have pt's asking for me because I have fun with them and tend to lighten things up a bit. I think this is healthy and should be practiced by more around this profession that tends to burn out people with an attitude like you have voiced...Good luck dear and smile and laugh more you will live longer :)

[MNlpn]

I am looking for a fun place to work when I graduate. What I have realized from nursing school is that who you are working with is the most important factor in liking your job.

So would like your opinions on where I might find a social/fun atmosphere...preferably not all women!

Med/Surg?

ED?

ICU'S?

OB?

Specialty units such as peds, or nicu?

I think your best bet would be to get into the hospital float pool. That way you end up going to almost all of the units and you can then easily see how the staff interact with one another.

[SmilingBluEyes]

What floors are more fun/social?

the DANCE floors

(just a joke)....

there is no set rule here, some units are more "fun" than others, but it would appear not much to do with specialty, but rather, morale and the types of people working there. I enjoy working in my OB unit. I really do work with a great group of nurses---not all of them are "fun", but they ARE VERY reliable, caring and generally good-hearted people. That is what matters to me.

[NurseCard, ADN]

Not trying to flame anyone here, but the social lives of the people you work with should be at the bottom of your list. Why not look for a specialty that interests you? It scares me that the nursing part of your job search is secondary to looking for a good party atmosphere.

I agree here. I'm going to say this while trying to be as nice sounding as possible, but heck with it, it's probably not going to sound very nice. The people on my floor who seem to be there to socialize and have fun have been, for me, the most unpleasant to work with. Why, you ask? It's hard to explain without sounding jealous, or sounding like a stick-in-the-mud.

I guess maybe I can put it this way: I'm there to WORK, and I've developed a strong aversion to socializing with the people I work with (OUTSIDE of work I mean... I'm certainly always as nice and friendly to everyone AT work as I can be). It's for a couple of reasons that I've done this, I think: One, because my job is stressful enough, and I see these people ENOUGH. I think that when I'm not AT work, I want to get away from thinking about work as much as possible. 2) There has always been a "clique" where I work. It has changed members over the years, yet one particular person has stayed the same. When I work with the "clique" (which isn't very often; they don't work the same nights that I do), I come away every morning feeling depressed because of the overwhelming social pressure, plus the knowledge that I'm NOT part of the clique.

Now, to actually ANSWER part of your question. Because like you, I do prefer to work with a little more of a gender mix... ER and ICU are good places indeed to find that, not to mention PSYCHE (If no one has mentioned that... haven't read all of the posts yet). I work Med/Surge and there do tend to be VERY few men, though I also work with Respiratory Therapists which happen to be mostly men. I do tend to get along better with men in general, and have found a great friend in one of our current therapists.

Anyway, so sorry to be so long winded in this post. Your post just VERY much struck a tender nerve with me. The people who work on my floor who like to "party"... are the ones who have made my job the most miserable, when I have to work with them. So, look for an area of nursing that you LIKE, and if you happen to make some friends, let that be your BONUS. Because if you are only looking for fun... you may actually only alienate people and not gain a whole lot of respect (because let me also say that the "clique" on my floor are also the ones who get gossiped about the most... I swear I don't see how their ears aren't burning their pillows up on the nights that they aren't there).

[Larry77, RN]

I agree here. I'm going to say this while trying to be as nice sounding as possible, but heck with it, it's probably not going to sound very nice. The people on my floor who seem to be there to socialize and have fun have been, for me, the most unpleasant to work with. Why, you ask? It's hard to explain without sounding jealous, or sounding like a stick-in-the-mud.

I guess maybe I can put it this way: I'm there to WORK, and I've developed a strong aversion to socializing with the people I work with (OUTSIDE of work I mean... I'm certainly always as nice and friendly to everyone AT work as I can be).

Your post just VERY much struck a tender nerve with me. The people who work on my floor who like to "party"... are the ones who have made my job the most miserable, when I have to work with them. So, look for an area of nursing that you LIKE, and if you happen to make some friends, let that be your BONUS. Because if you are only looking for fun... you may actually only alienate people and not gain a whole lot of respect (because let me also say that the "clique" on my floor are also the ones who get gossiped about the most... I swear I don't see how their ears aren't burning their pillows up on the nights that they aren't there).

One, just because some nurses may like to have "fun" at work does not mean that they are partiers--I for one love to have a good time at work but this is with my patients just as much as with my co-workers and more because I absolutely LOVE being a nurse.

Two, I am one of 3 men who work on a surgical floor and people with sour attitudes like you seem to feel alienated but not because of cliques but more for their negative, cranky attitudes.

Three, sounds like your name fits your personality...like I said to an earlier poster, SMILE AND LAUGH YOU WILL LIVE LONGER!

[startmeup]

There seems to be two sides to this...and they're both right.

Here's my view as of today (tomorrow who knows!),

I'm an RN student graduating in May '06. I'm 42 years old. Switched careers (2004) cause I couldn't stand the people I worked with. I had a great job and loved what I did, but the people and the decisions they made created a depressing situation. You should also know I was laid off in 2002 from a company that I'd worked for 13 years. I made good money...more than I'll make as an RN...starting out anyway. Long story short, for me, it's the people I work with who'll make the difference.

I take my responsibilities seriously. I like to work with good, smart people who take their jobs seriously. I also like to feel I can relate to these people in a personal way as well. It sure has a way of easing the stressful situations we run into at work.

So for me, it's the people who'll I'll be working with that ultimately decide where I work when I graduate. The type of work...well that's an extremely close second place.

P.S. I always had the policy of work and play separate when I was younger. I regret that know. Good friends are hard to find.

[LEL]

Not trying to flame anyone here, but the social lives of the people you work with should be at the bottom of your list. Why not look for a specialty that interests you? It scares me that the nursing part of your job search is secondary to looking for a good party atmosphere.

I totally agree with you.

[Brotherbob, BSN, RN]

Good friends are hard to find.

And I totally agree with you. I am happy to make friends, wherever I can.

[military spouse]

I don't know that I've looked for fun/social units, but I certainly have looked for units with a friendly/cohesive feel. I believe life is too short to work with a unit full of grumpy people. When things tank on the unit, it's good to know your co-workers well enough to know they will help. That being said, I'm always there for a co-worker. Also, I believe the mgt. team affects the culture immensely.

[vamedic4, EMT-P]

I agree with everything you said Nurse Ratched. Looking for "fun"? I get that at home. I go to work for the money.

Nahhh...I go to work for both :) What good is a job if it's not fun or rewarding??? For me, it's the PEOPLE I work with that bring me back 3+ nights per week. The money helps, but if the fun factor isn't there - it's not even close to worth it.

[ariel5120]

I was talking about what other nurses do, not what I do, I would never sit and chat while someone needs something, I take my job seriously, even though I try to liven things up with the residents as well.