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

[GoECU]

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?

[SoundofMusic]

I sort of wandered onto a neuro/stroke/tele unit after graduation. I thought it would be easy . . .LOL.

Our floor is just usually a total nuthouse. We have so many of Altered Mental Status folks who are just so crazy. It's amazing how we just sort of walk and work around them, not even flinching anymore at some of their bizarre behaviors.

And I agree about the poop.

I've been beat on, however, and had chairs thrown at me -- been pulled, scratched, kicked at also. You have to be tough, but you really learn how to handle patients who are out of control. I think it bodes well for anywhere you go.

However, now I'm actually excited when someone comes up from the ER in 4 pt restraints. I actually go into high gear nurse mode and it's very satisfying to get things under control with that sort of patient.

I have seen some amazing things and I've also learned a lot about cardiac, too, as we are a telemetry floor also.

We will get medical pts also, so it's been a very well rounded experience.

Seizure patients are a handful. I had one who came up from the ER one time w/ no past history. AS soon as I flashed the light in her eyes to check her pupils, she went into a full grand mal, frothing at the mouth. She was a very large woman, so it took 4 or 5 of us to keep her on the bed. Her family was there, going crazy -- that was my first seizure patient to deal with.

I'm not sure what it would be like for me to go to a regular floor where people were all aox3, walking and talking and not out of control. I'm not sure how I'd react. Might be a little on the boring side for me . ..LOL.

Our hospital has a strict neurosciences unit, a designated stroke unit, as well as a neuro ICU. There is a lot to see and do in neuro at our hospital, and cardiac is woven into it. I could probably stay there for years and become a very good neuro nurse, but it's also very demanding. I'm not sure how much longer I can do it -- but I've learned a ton.