Why do so many nurses seem to dislike working in Med/Surg

nbnurse95 · Mar 26, 2005

I've been working on a surgical floor since graduation, 9.5 years ago and I LOVE it. I can't imagine going anywhere else. I have floated to other units from time to time and I was supervising for about a year so I have some experience other than surgical. At one time, medicals were not allowed to be admitted to our floor but now with bed shortages they are admitted. It makes things more difficult at times but also more interesting. It may seem to an outsider that we work in a hectic environment, and at times that may be true, but it's organized believe it or not. We work at a fast pace but at the end of the day I feel a satisfaction in all that I've accomplished in one single shift. That's not to say that you shouldn't feel satisfied in whatever area you choose work. I feel that nursing is rewarding and that everyone has their niche and med/surg is mine.

PMHNP10 · Mar 26, 2005

What? I thought psych nurses were? Or they are not consider nurses at all?
-Dan

Yes we are considered the bottom of the food chain by some, and the grossly ignorant would probably say we aren't nurses at all. Fortunately I could care less about such ignorance, because I love my chosen specialty and take pride at what I get to do. Psych nursing isn't for everyone, but what's really unfortunate is when a lifelong m/s nurse (or ER or ICU, etc.) is totally burnt out of their specialty and want to suddenly become a psych nurse because of the perceived simplicity of the job. Not that anyone will listen, but please don't, because you won't make a good psych nurse/coworker.

snowfreeze, BSN, RN · Mar 26, 2005

Med-surg is the last step before being placed back into society. Patients go from, all needs cared for and rules that are not altered, to med-surg where they need to learn to care for themselves again, after they obviously goofed up on the caring for self in the past. Patients are scared and they fight having to care for themselves as much as they can. Hey, I would love to have all meals delivered to me, a bath given by someone else and my nails trimmed and my meds delivered at the correct time. Why go back to full self responsibility? And why should families have to care for someone who doesn't want to care for themselves? Grandpa just sits in front of the TV and wets himself and never asks to go to the toilet and fights and scratches when we try to take him. But of course we don't hear this story until grandpa is ready to be discharged, the family is so into having a life free of the burden that they didn't mention it earlier in the hospital stay. The family just figures we will see that grandpa needs a nursing home and we will pay for it cuz we recognized the need.

Oh and yeh, on top of that 2 hour discussion and follow-up I need to medicate 6 other people and talk to at least 3 other families.

Do I still love my job, yes, because I really can make a difference. I have the skills and knowledge to help families and patients in their decisions. I know how and when to get the social worker involved, how to contact home care that is reliable in your area, what each medication does and what to look for to know if it is working. How to get your own glucometer so you can take care of your newly diagnosed diabetes.

Med-surg nurses are the stepping stones patients utilize in getting "back to life".

LPNer · Mar 26, 2005

Med-surg is the last step before being placed back into society. Patients go from, all needs cared for and rules that are not altered, to med-surg where they need to learn to care for themselves again, after they obviously goofed up on the caring for self in the past. Patients are scared and they fight having to care for themselves as much as they can. Hey, I would love to have all meals delivered to me, a bath given by someone else and my nails trimmed and my meds delivered at the correct time. Why go back to full self responsibility? And why should families have to care for someone who doesn't want to care for themselves? Grandpa just sits in front of the TV and wets himself and never asks to go to the toilet and fights and scratches when we try to take him. But of course we don't hear this story until grandpa is ready to be discharged, the family is so into having a life free of the burden that they didn't mention it earlier in the hospital stay. The family just figures we will see that grandpa needs a nursing home and we will pay for it cuz we recognized the need.
Oh and yeh, on top of that 2 hour discussion and follow-up I need to medicate 6 other people and talk to at least 3 other families.
Do I still love my job, yes, because I really can make a difference. I have the skills and knowledge to help families and patients in their decisions. I know how and when to get the social worker involved, how to contact home care that is reliable in your area, what each medication does and what to look for to know if it is working. How to get your own glucometer so you can take care of your newly diagnosed diabetes.
Med-surg nurses are the stepping stones patients utilize in getting "back to life".

I know this happens in med/surg because I have seen it all too often, but.... it happens a lot more in the rehab unit. I do not work that unit, did once and asked never to return! but they are on the same wing/floor of the building we are, so what goes on there is pretty noticable to all of us. And oh, they run into that ALL the time! Talk about frustrating! Glad I don't have to go there, not that I will never get pulled there again, but it's not as likely as med/surg is to pull me.

I feel for all who work these units and like I said before, my halo isn't big enough anymore to get me through that full time. Kudos to all of you!

TCC/RN student · Mar 26, 2005

I have been doing my clinicals this semester in Med/Surg and love it, of course I dont know any better yet

PFDGB · Apr 1, 2005

I've never worked anywhere but ICU. At this point and time, I know I will never work anywhere but critical care. I chose critical care because of the 1:1 nursing that takes place there. I like knowing every-up-to-the-minute-detail about my patient's condition, where they may be going, where they've been, and the impact of what I do has on them.
I also like the comraderie in the ICU. Doctors and nurses and other members of the healthcare team work shoulder to shoulder with the same outcomes in mind. We make plans and solve problems together. My experience and opinion counts. I also admit that I prefer my patient's NOT on a call light for every single little thing and actually like them sedated and intubated. :stone
I have no way of knowing for sure, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't work this way on the floors.
To each their own. I really admire great med/surg nurses. It's a tough, tough job.

I'd like to know how you handled ICU as a new grad back when. I've been told that med-surg is the place to start as a new grad but I'm concerned that if I go there as a new grad it will be hard to get out. Also, as a student I found it challenging in med-surg however I was seriously concerned over meeting the needs of all of my patients given the 1:10 ratio here on L.I. Besides Telemetry and ICU what other areas would you reccomend that would be a great place to work. I'd like to be able to give my patients what they need. I have been seriously considering Oncology. What do you think ?

scooterRN52 · Apr 3, 2005

I'd like to know how you handled ICU as a new grad back when. I've been told that med-surg is the place to start as a new grad but I'm concerned that if I go there as a new grad it will be hard to get out. Also, as a student I found it challenging in med-surg however I was seriously concerned over meeting the needs of all of my patients given the 1:10 ratio here on L.I. Besides Telemetry and ICU what other areas would you reccomend that would be a great place to work. I'd like to be able to give my patients what they need. I have been seriously considering Oncology. What do you think ?

I have put many years into med-surg and learned many skills, such as:

prioritizing, organization, patience, always check your fresh post-ops first or

most unstable patients first, immediate meds, and check your monitors at the desk. I have been in oncology for the last 10 years and plan on staying w/ it, this is most gratifing to me as a nurse. I work in a specialty hospital

which is all cancer pts. We do many surgical procedures that are not done elsewhere. I currently work on a stepdown unit my pt. load varies anywhere from 2- 4 patients, so I have the time to give good care.

I have worked w/ many icu nurses they are very good in the icu but some have trouble w/ time management on a meed-surg unit only because they are used to a more focused setting and less patients. They have more specialized skills which are needed w/ higher accuity patients and are trained to handle patients that are unstable hemodynamically. They see things

that you may not. Med- surg is a good start, then move on to the unit and

stay there, I starrted nursing late and never really worked icu, other than to help out. the stepdown is where I'm happy now. By the way, cancer pts.

are the most grateful population of pts. I have ever taken care of.

good luck :)

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Apr 3, 2005

Too many pts. with high acuity, and unsafe ratios.

That one surgeon who would request his post op pts. to be sent to a specific floor, when the pt. was a good candidate for the ICU. So a nurse who already have 6 pts. would get that pt. as their next admission.

We got the pt. that were detoxing. And they were violent and going into other people's rooms.

Our floor turned into a nursing home in the winter time.

Frequent Flyers.

You were scheduled to leave @ 1530, you actually get out the door at 1830.

When the ER coordinator would call with a new admission, you might as well had been playing "Guess What's Behind Elevator Door #1". For two reason, one, it was a toss-up on what was going to come off of the elevator, and two, usually when we GOT that phone call, the pt. was being wheeled by the desk at that very moment!

(Just the reasons why i decided to go for another dept.)

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Apr 3, 2005

Ironically, though, if i were to go back to med-surg, i'd apply for oncology.