Why does everyone groan when I say I'm going to take a neurosciences position?

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I'm a new grad and will be starting on a Neurosciences Intermediate Unit (4 to 1 ratio) in the fall. When people ask me where I'll be working I tell them Neuro and they groan. Have I made a mistake?? Can you all tell me your experiences in Neuro...the good and the bad. I just want to know what to expect. Right now I don't have a clue?:uhoh3:

Specializes in Neuroscience/Neuro-surgery/Med-Surgical/.

I have worked neuroscience/neurosurgery for the last 8 years and I love it!

Its challenging and interesting...and I am always learning something new. I work in a teaching hospital downtown chicago, so we get some truly rare diagnoses, surgical procedures, and many traumas.

People groan, because this population can change so quickly! Just yesterday, i had to help a fellow RN call a Stroke Code on a patient that had suddenly lost all movement on her left side of body, facial droop and now was dysarthric (15 minutes before she was completely neuro intact). Then I got to observe the neurosurgeon/neuro interventionalist perform a 'Merci' retrieval of the clot in her brain that was causing the stroke! Fascinating! looking forward to taking care of this patient again to see the outcome!

Because neuro is physically/emotionally taxing...i welcome being floated to another floor since those floors are easy in comparison. Another bonus!

You can do it!!! Best of luck!!!

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I am not a neuro fan. I have floated a lot to the neuro ICU, and take a good number of head injured patients.

Neuro is depressing and tragic. More depressing than the surgical patients, and sometimes more tragic than Burns.

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If you said it to me and I gave you my honest reaction I would probably give you the same. When I think of a neuro unit I think of confusion, quick declines, dementia, young, active, normal people stunted by tragedy, chronic pain and pain med addiction...seizures. Yeah, I would groan. However I have never worked on a neuro unit so that might be a totally distorted view of the general patient load. And you can see that many nurses LOVE it. You might get in there and totally find your niche, or get in there and determine its not for you. Its all a learning experience, take it in and make it work for you. Good luck!

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RNPerDiem - Neuro ICU and a neurosciences unit are not necessarily the same. We do have tragic situations but we don't have the hugely depressing factor like the ICU. I don't think I'd ever want to work ICU. Neuro stepdowns are much more rewarding.

Here's my 2 cents again...I've been in neuro less than a year. I took my job originally because I was somewhat interested in neuro as I'd grown up around a couple of neurosurgeons but just REALLY wanted to get started in nursing and there were no jobs here. I thought I always wanted to do pediatrics. Enter my neuro unit...and 10 months later I don't want to leave. There are the days when you get ETOH w/d patients and you just want to go home and scream because of all the assessment you have to do (and usually ETOHers are just like your psych patients), and most of your patients will require frequent checks especially if they are true neuro patients. We get people in restraints frequently. We get the dementia/alzheimers patients, and like I said before, some of the psych patients too.

The best moments of your job will be when you DO get those TBIs on your floor, and see them go from not speaking and just staring out the window to having a conversation with you and walking around the unit. You'll also see the opposite and that's the tragic part. I love when we see a stroke patient helped by tPA or a lami with fusion that can finally stand up straight after years of pain!

Guess long story short, what I'm trying to say is that if you give it a try you might really love it, and you will learn SO much in such a short time that if neuro isn't for you, you'll be able to go somewhere else pretty easily.

I hope you give it a shot! :)

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More power to you for taking that position. I think it takes a special person to do neuro, and I am not that type of person. LOL I can't stand taking care of neuro patients. Give me my cardiac folks and their balloon pumps any day of the week and I am a happy camper.:yeah:

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Specializes in IMCU.

I did a clinical on a neuro unit last semester. I found it really interesting, VERY busy, and yes some cases were particularly tragic. My first patient was a nurses barely out of nursing school. I still wonder about how she is doing.

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Specializes in Neurosciences, Med-Surg-CNA.

I just got the call that I have been offered a position on a Neuro stepdown floor!!! I am a new grad and I never thought I would get a job but I have one now!!!! This has been my dream for as long as I can remember and it is finally coming true!!!

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Specializes in cardiothoracic surgery.
More power to you for taking that position. I think it takes a special person to do neuro, and I am not that type of person. LOL I can't stand taking care of neuro patients. Give me my cardiac folks and their balloon pumps any day of the week and I am a happy camper.:yeah:

I feel the same way. Honestly, neuro scares me. I love my cardiac patients. You are certainly going to learn a lot working in neuro. Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.

I am a new grad on a neuro floor and it does have its challenges. We get a mix of everything! Strokes, back surgeries, MS, TIA's, Head injuries, brain tumors, dementia, alcoholics, drug addicts and CRAZY PEOPLE ! Most of our patients have other med surg problems so you will be well rounding and prepared when you move on one day.

We get alot of prisoners and anyone else that the other floors in the hospital do not want. Its a challeging unit and alot of the new grads are already wanting to leave. It takes a special person to work on that floor. I really don't have a problem there. I have worked on a psych unit for 5 years and worked in a nursing home with dementia patients. Good Luck and hang in there! Go in with an open mind and learn to laugh! There is never a dull moment on a neuro unit!

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Congratulations on your new job in neuro!

What to expect? Two words: families and poop. You will learn to deal with all kinds of both.

Cheers!

GCS15

A Neuro Trauma ICU Nurse

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Specializes in Quality Nurse Specialist, Health Coach.

Thanks everyone for your replies! I definitely feel better! I know it will be a challenge, but it will be worth it to see my patients progress! I've been a physical therapist assistant for 5 years and some of my most memorable patients were neuro patients! I'm looking forward to the challenge!

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You need a job, the market is slim pickings for New Grads in soooo many areas of the US, I know you are happy to just be employed....take the groan's with a grain of salt, you may love it- or not, it won't be the last RN job you'll have!

I have learned that areas of specialty for RNs are like yard sales, one man's junk is another one's treasure! :)

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