Why do so many of you hate working med/surg?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello everyone!

Just curious--I have read SOOO many posts on this website and see that many nurses hate(d) working med/surg. Why exactly is it so terrible? I haven't even started nursing school yet, but I'd like to have a "heads up."

Thanks,

Jennifer

One other example to my previous post for you ICUers who don't like med-surg for good reason. Last eve shift (7-11 p) I was charge nurse, I found out when I got there at 7 pm. There were supposed to be four of us (RNs). One read her schedule wrong and went to the movies with her husband. So I took 12 pts, another took 11, the third took 10 (because of areas and empty beds with possible admits in their areas--my area was nearly full). There was no one extra to come in to assist until the nurse got back from the movies, answered her page (thank goodness she had one), and came in by 10, in time to take an admit and help with meds. And if she hadn't called back we would have just finished the shift like that (or rather, I would have finished the shift after the beginning of 3rd shift.)

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One other example to my previous post for you ICUers who don't like med-surg for good reason. Last eve shift (7-11 p) I was charge nurse, I found out when I got there at 7 pm. There were supposed to be four of us (RNs). One read her schedule wrong and went to the movies with her husband. So I took 12 pts, another took 11, the third took 10 (because of areas and empty beds with possible admits in their areas--my area was nearly full). There was no one extra to come in to assist until the nurse got back from the movies, answered her page (thank goodness she had one), and came in by 10, in time to take an admit and help with meds. And if she hadn't called back we would have just finished the shift like that (or rather, I would have finished the shift after the beginning of 3rd shift.)

Oh, man, sean....this ties into my post on the "why do nurses put up with understaffing" thread. And my answer is: "I DON'T". I simply refuse to accept a higher assignment than I can handle, period. I sometimes take a higher load than I LIKE, but that's different than an unsafe load, which is what you're describing. I just don't do it, and neither does another nurse I work with. How does it pan out? Since putting my foot down, I have never taken on that load again. Period. You know what? Staffing somehow always finds another nurse, either floating someone or convincing another to stay for extra $$. This weekend I had a higher patient load than I was happy with, but still within my personal limit. That I can take, because there are also times when the census is down and I have a better load.

But taking 10, 11, 12 patients? I'd refuse. Not on my license!

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I have been working in med-surg for the last few months. It's been my first job since nursing school. I have been a paramedic for 7 years so I have interest in critical care medicine. I am doing this for experience to hopefully get to the ICU. I feel having 7 patients is too much - I can't deliver high quality of care to all of them. I have to cut my standards to get everything done. I agree - I am lonely too. No one asks to help out if I get slammed.

I offer to help others when I am caught up. The aides are few and far between at night and they are often too busy to help me. I want the closeness of coworkers and to feel we did something good, even with a bad situation. I hate feeling like a bastard at a family reunion because I work the night shift. I never hear anyone compliment each other - just stab one another in the back.

Signed - "can't wait to get to ICU..."

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Specializes in ICU-Stepdown.

I'm with RNsRWe -no way would I accept 10, or 11 (certainly not 12) patients in the hospital setting -thats just plain nuts! No way can it be considdered 'safe' by ANY streatch of hte imagination!

Not on MY license you dont!

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Specializes in ICU/ER/TRANSPORT.

Never Worked Med Surge Floor Before. But I Hear And See What Goes On Out There At My Hospital. And I Know I Couldnt Stand It. I Just Don't,, Wait Let Me Correct Myself, I Know It's Not Safe To Be Stuck With 8-12 Pt's By Yourself, And As Soon As All The State Nursing Boards Realize That And Do Something About It, More People May Open Up To The Idea Of Medica/surgical Floor Nursing. It's A Shame Some Of The Best Nurses I Know Are Med/surg, But I Hear The Way They Get Ran Ragged For 8 To 12 Hrs Every Day. I Work Prn/part Time At A Small Rual Hospital In One Of The Local Counties In The Er, I Told Tham I Was A Er/icu Nurse Not A Medical Nurse. Well One Night They Pulled Me To The Medical Floor, And Assisgned Me 14 Friggen Pt's With 1 75yo Cna.... I Told The Nsg Sup. To Kiss My Tail And I Resigned On The Spot. It's A Shame Cause It Was A Sweet Er Gig.

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... I Know It's Not Safe To Be Stuck With 8-12 Pt's By Yourself, And As Soon As All The State Nursing Boards Realize That And Do Something About It, More People May Open Up To The Idea Of Medica/surgical Floor Nursing...

Nah, the state boards are too busy with real problems, like abolishing the title "petnurse"

seriously, it's each nurse's responsibility to stand up for the 10 pt load insanity...

In AZ, one can refuse an assignment d/t perceived danger of the assignment...

just say no

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Specializes in ICU/ER/TRANSPORT.

Well Here In Back Water Mississippi Where Our Board Of Nursing Are More Concerned About Raising Cain About Pa's Coming To The State, And Making Sure People Who Apply For Thier Boards Don't Have Dui's, To Care About How Many Pt's You Get.....i Keep Hoping The Jacho Nazis Will Address This Issue.

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BULLYDAWGRN - I find it hard to read when each word is capitalized. :(

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Specializes in ICU/ER/TRANSPORT.

Jjjoy- Just Take Your Time And Concentraite.;)

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Fabulously put. I'm a CNA, considering nursing, and did a clinical in Med-Surg, and knew I wouldn't like it, (the whiners, and the lack of comraderie). But, everyone has to find their place.

I like the way you articulated working in Med-Surg to a life guard at a busy pool. I felt like wait staff when I did a clinical, someone wanted the nurse to check the drip, get me a sandwich, where are records so I can leave, blah blah blah. Lol.

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Why do I always hear you can't get any other job until you do med-surg for at least a year? Is this true? And if it is, is this carved in stone? I can think of many other types of nursing I would much rather do. Every job has its specific skills. Is med-surg the "mother" of all nursing jobs? And that's not a swear!

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I personally decided against it, because where i work, it's the dumping ground. Nurse-pt. ratio is 1:7, acuity is rarely factored in that.

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