Where to get more patient interaction?

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Specializes in Med surg, cardiac, case management.

I'm presently doing med-surg in an inner-city hospital. It's tough, but I'm managing so far. I only plan to work a year or two on this floor, then transfer to another unit (perhaps MICU) or maybe to another hospital (this one has a bad reputation).

I've been thinking about what I've seen over these first 4 months in nursing, and I've found that there are some things I like:

Teaching patients

Talking with patients

Caring directly for the patients (wound care, etc)

And some things I don't like:

Trying to get through the med pass on time

Lots of charting, often driven by fear of management or lawsuits

Lack of control

Conflicts with other nurses.

Thinking about this, I've noticed that I seem to like patient interaction and would probably like a position that would involve more of that than I'm presently getting.

Any fields that come to mind? Besides inpatient psych, that is?

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.

ICU wouldnt be the best because most patients are the three ateds: intubated, ventilated and sedated

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Home health, definitely.

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If you dont mind the pay decrease I would definatley recommend home health. I am doing pediatric home health right now. I spend all day with my little patient and get to do all their treatments and the charting is very minimal cause you're only charting on one patient! I absolutely love it.

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Specializes in LTC/hospital, home health (VNA).

yep - home health. we do just about everything that is done on a med-surg floor - but it's one at a time. the emphasis is on teaching - the meds, diagnosis, managing their health needs at home. there is alot of paperwork though - but if you are organized, once you learn it, it's manageable. lots of wound care - you'll become a wound care expert! not all the hh agencies out there are good ones though - ask to do a ride along with a hh/vna nurse for a day and ask LOTS of questions. check out the hh forum here too. good luck to you

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If you want to work in a hospital, I would say the ICU. You would only be taking care of a couple patients at a time and it is more hands on and focused. If you are willing to leave the hospitl, home health sounds good. I personally enjoy the ICU. However, there is still lots of charting (although on less patients), lack of control (more control than on a med-surg floor), and conflict with other nurses.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

Dependent upon where you are in your life and profession I would suggest hospice. The patients are increasingly diverse and complicated wounds, tubes and stomas of all types are increasingly common. The teaching is intense...you are preparing a person for a journey and a family to be the caregivers...in a relatively short period of time. It is quite autonomous and the money is not stellar, so it is not for everyone. It is, however a wonderfully rewarding field which needs more men at the bedside.

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Hi there. I agree with Tewdles. I just started hospice nursing three months ago and I absolutely love it. You definitely have tons of interaction with your patients as well as their families. It's never boring because you never know what might happen each day. I love being able to plan my own schedule and spending as much time as I think is necessary with each patient. No one is looking over my shoulder telling me to get my patients out the door. I think the pay is excellent and so are the hours. I am so honored to take care of my patients at this time in their life but they always wind up thanking me for taking care of them. I come home happy and fulfilled every day. This is why I became a nurse.

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I'm presently doing med-surg in an inner-city hospital. It's tough, but I'm managing so far. I only plan to work a year or two on this floor, then transfer to another unit (perhaps MICU) or maybe to another hospital (this one has a bad reputation).

I've been thinking about what I've seen over these first 4 months in nursing, and I've found that there are some things I like:

Teaching patients

Talking with patients

Caring directly for the patients (wound care, etc)

And some things I don't like:

Trying to get through the med pass on time

Lots of charting, often driven by fear of management or lawsuits

Lack of control

Conflicts with other nurses.

Thinking about this, I've noticed that I seem to like patient interaction and would probably like a position that would involve more of that than I'm presently getting.

Any fields that come to mind? Besides inpatient psych, that is?

I like the ED. There is a lot of teaching and talking to patients, the charting isn't as lengthy as the floor, oodles of autonomy: the doctors listen, and respect the RN's (I work at a teaching hospital), hand's on care, great teamwork, and meds are given as ordered; not 50 0900 meds. ~ Diane

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As others have mentioned, home health.

Hospice is another area with lots of Pt/family contact. Plenty of teaching to be done, and generally you are really appreciated.

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If you want to interact a lot take a look at rehab nursing. As you have found out med surg is just passing med's and keeping them safe. Home health would be very good if you want to be a road warrior. If you are having trouble with passing meds on time I would stay away from ED and ICU is just talking to a flower pot (you feed them, and water them and see what grows)

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Specializes in ER.

Emergency nursing has lots of patient interaction but not always the therapeutic kind!

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