Why is Med-Surg so hated?

Updated:   Published

Whenever I have told a fellow newer grad that I want to work in a hospital, they ask 'where?' And I say 'probably Med-Surg' and then they crinkle their nose. I just want to get my start in acute care and heard that's a good place to start. One of this area's hospital groups seems to have such a hard time hanging on to RNs willing to work in Med-Surg, that they will pay *experienced* RNs several dollars more per hour than in more sought after specialties. Is Med -Surg really so terrible or different from other acute care floors?

Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.

I did 2 overtime shifts as an admissions nurse on a unit different than my own. It was nice to have a change from having patients on the floor but I cant imagine doing it full time.

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

There are many units that rotate the position of Admissions/Discharge nurse on their own unit. They just pick someone who is on the schedule that day. It speeds up the discharges making pt's happier. Also, the admissions questions are asked right away and not 8-10 hours down the road when the pt wants to sleep. However, the bottom line is more important than pt happiness/comfort/safety, unfortunately.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

I do charge nurse on my med/surg floor and do the discharges. The other nurses like it, because they can focus on the patient that is staying. However, when we are short, I'm still expected to take a patient load of 3 patients, and do ALL the dc planning, typing of the discharge, presenting to the patients and writing a note. Somewhere in that mess, I'm expected to take care of my own set of patients, staffing, and be a support to the other nurses.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
ashleebaby02 said:
Med surg is definitely not an easy floor to work. Burn out is extremely high, if it werent for my amazing coworkers I don't think I would last much longer. Our patient load usually runs 1:4-5 usually with 3-4 discharges and 3-4 admits, surgeries, or transfers. We get tons of detoxing pts who can be combative. We also get a ton of confused pts who get dumped on our floor because their care center refuses to take them back. When I leave at the end of each shift if I'm not nearly in tears then it was a good day.

I'm pretty sure you work with me, lol! I'm proud to be a M-S nurse, and disappointed we don't get the recognition we deserve as our own specialty. My best friend went directly into L&D, and when we gossip about work she tells me she's thankful for her insulated little kingdom. I never stop walking, talking, or thinking from the time I clock in til I clock out. Being the unofficial step down unit of my hospital doesn't make the barbs from the critical care nurses dig any less though.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg and Neuro.
CountryMomma said:
I'm pretty sure you work with me, lol! I'm proud to be a M-S nurse, and disappointed we don't get the recognition we deserve as our own specialty. My best friend went directly into L&D, and when we gossip about work she tells me she's thankful for her insulated little kingdom. I never stop walking, talking, or thinking from the time I clock in til I clock out. Being the unofficial step down unit of my hospital doesn't make the barbs from the critical care nurses dig any less though.

They can have their critical care. It doesn't appeal to me at all. I like the task-oriented nature of MS, and I like to educate patients. And I really like not having to deal with the unpleasant MD's that are always milling about the ICU.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, Acute care.

@OP, many people crinkle their nose at med-surg nurses/nursing because of the less than positive experience they've had or heard about. As a med-surg nurse, I can tell you that I've had about all I can handle. Some days, it takes all my self control not to just kneel in the middle of the unit and scream in frustration until I become hoorifice. My unit has 6 patients per nurse and we can go up to 7 (either shift) when we're severely short staffed but that hasn't happened in a long while and for that I'm thankful. We never have enough aides, on a good day, the aides have 14 patients a-piece, but sometimes it's 20.

Our patients are so sick that most of them need step-down care at least, and then we're constantly berated for not being good customer service reps. I love being a nurse but I keep stretching myself thin and wonder if I'm actually making a difference. I hate that I can't spend quality time with my patients and that I run around like a headless chicken, making sure everyone gets their meds on time, no one falls, everyone is clean, no med errors are made, numerous family members are catered to (for the sake of higher customer service scores). An example: You answer two call bells ringing simultaneously, one is for a PRN pain med not due for at least 15 minutes and one is an impulsive fall risk who remembered to call this time. So you answer both but attend to the fall risk patient first because she'll get up by herself if you don't show up immediately. By the time, you finish with her, it's 5 minutes after the due time for the PRN pain med, so you go pull it and go in to give only to be cussed out for not bringing it right when it was due (we're talking 5 minutes after!). You are reprimanded and told you should have given the pain med right when it was due. No one listens to your attempts at an explanation, because the patient, sorry, the customer is always right!. It is exhausting but not the good kind of exhaustion, and there's no improvement in sight so...

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
hecallsmeDuchess said:
@OP, many people crinkle their nose at med-surg nurses/nursing because of the less than positive experience they've had or heard about. As a med-surg nurse, I can tell you that I've had about all I can handle. Some days, it takes all my self control not to just kneel in the middle of the unit and scream in frustration until I become hoorifice. My unit has 6 patients per nurse and we can go up to 7 (either shift) when we're severely short staffed but that hasn't happened in a long while and for that I'm thankful. We never have enough aides, on a good day, the aides have 14 patients a-piece, but sometimes it's 20.

Our patients are so sick that most of them need step-down care at least, and then we're constantly berated for not being good customer service reps. I love being a nurse but I keep stretching myself thin and wonder if I'm actually making a difference. I hate that I can't spend quality time with my patients and that I run around like a headless chicken, making sure everyone gets their meds on time, no one falls, everyone is clean, no med errors are made, numerous family members are catered to (for the sake of higher customer service scores). An example: You answer two call bells ringing simultaneously, one is for a PRN pain med not due for at least 15 minutes and one is an impulsive fall risk who remembered to call this time. So you answer both but attend to the fall risk patient first because she'll get up by herself if you don't show up immediately. By the time, you finish with her, it's 5 minutes after the due time for the PRN pain med, so you go pull it and go in to give only to be cussed out for not bringing it right when it was due (we're talking 5 minutes after!). You are reprimanded and told you should have given the pain med right when it was due. No one listens to your attempts at an explanation, because the patient, sorry, the customer is always right!. It is exhausting but not the good kind of exhaustion, and there's no improvement in sight so...

That sucks to be cussed at for being minutes late. I think this is more of a hospital wide problem though, because customer service problems are everywhere and in every department. Emergency room ICU, it doesn't matter the families all expect the same immediate care

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

It all depends on your floor,shift and hospital. I am a new grad working on a med surg/orthopedics/surgical step down floor on the night shift. I love the variety. I feel as though I am living my dream and take pride in my floor. We also have a lot of patients on telemetry monitors so it's great. Patient ratio is 5-7 most days 5. I have a great charge nurse which really tries to balance ratios and the director that makes sure we are staffed.

I chose night shift and I am happy I did. Less meds, still have tasks to do but I love the teamwork at nights and I don't always feel like I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I get admissions but rarely any discharges unless a pt wanted to leave at 8-9 ish due to a specific reason.

Like previous posters I like the fact that my patients are conscious. Yeah it's a lot to do at times and sometimes we only have 1 PCA for the entire floor but I love it so far even the bad days. I don't even think I can do ICU anymore I would rather do ER or another specialty. I love the variety but I've always loved med/surg from nursing school days

But it just depends some bigger hospital I've been to patient ratio was more like 7-9 which is insane. I wouldn't do Med surg with those ratios. No thank you. My hospital only has 244 beds.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg and Neuro.
hecallsmeDuchess said:
@OP, many people crinkle their nose at med-surg nurses/nursing because of the less than positive experience they've had or heard about. As a med-surg nurse, I can tell you that I've had about all I can handle. Some days, it takes all my self control not to just kneel in the middle of the unit and scream in frustration until I become hoorifice. My unit has 6 patients per nurse and we can go up to 7 (either shift) when we're severely short staffed but that hasn't happened in a long while and for that I'm thankful. We never have enough aides, on a good day, the aides have 14 patients a-piece, but sometimes it's 20.

Our patients are so sick that most of them need step-down care at least, and then we're constantly berated for not being good customer service reps. I love being a nurse but I keep stretching myself thin and wonder if I'm actually making a difference. I hate that I can't spend quality time with my patients and that I run around like a headless chicken, making sure everyone gets their meds on time, no one falls, everyone is clean, no med errors are made, numerous family members are catered to (for the sake of higher customer service scores). An example: You answer two call bells ringing simultaneously, one is for a PRN pain med not due for at least 15 minutes and one is an impulsive fall risk who remembered to call this time. So you answer both but attend to the fall risk patient first because she'll get up by herself if you don't show up immediately. By the time, you finish with her, it's 5 minutes after the due time for the PRN pain med, so you go pull it and go in to give only to be cussed out for not bringing it right when it was due (we're talking 5 minutes after!). You are reprimanded and told you should have given the pain med right when it was due. No one listens to your attempts at an explanation, because the patient, sorry, the customer is always right!. It is exhausting but not the good kind of exhaustion, and there's no improvement in sight so...

And yet, if you had done the opposite and said patient fell while you were giving PRN meds, you'd get the opposite lecture: how could you possibly leave a fall risk for PRN meds? Sometimes there is no way to win.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Quote
I have worked a variety of departments and I kept going back to med/surg. I always found something "wrong" with the other department such as not using my critical thinking skills or monotonous/assembly line care. One day I realized that I'm a true blue med/surg nurse.*

I'm in the same. Coming from critical care back to my medical unit. New grads need to see how it is elsewhere and they will realise any problems with medical surgical nursing are the same elsewhere. Where I am med/surg is not looked down on as much as specialty elderly care wards or nursing home.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

some people think it is lower level care and do not want to be associated with that. Wrong, of course, but that is how some people think. Those who work there know it is HARD work. Every patient is different and many are demanding, especially if there are a lot of hurting post-op patients. It is a real challenge.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
hecallsmeDuchess said:
@OP, many people crinkle their nose at med-surg nurses/nursing because of the less than positive experience they've had or heard about. As a med-surg nurse, I can tell you that I've had about all I can handle. Some days, it takes all my self control not to just kneel in the middle of the unit and scream in frustration until I become hoorifice. My unit has 6 patients per nurse and we can go up to 7 (either shift) when we're severely short staffed but that hasn't happened in a long while and for that I'm thankful. We never have enough aides, on a good day, the aides have 14 patients a-piece, but sometimes it's 20.

Our patients are so sick that most of them need step-down care at least, and then we're constantly berated for not being good customer service reps. I love being a nurse but I keep stretching myself thin and wonder if I'm actually making a difference. I hate that I can't spend quality time with my patients and that I run around like a headless chicken, making sure everyone gets their meds on time, no one falls, everyone is clean, no med errors are made, numerous family members are catered to (for the sake of higher customer service scores). An example: You answer two call bells ringing simultaneously, one is for a PRN pain med not due for at least 15 minutes and one is an impulsive fall risk who remembered to call this time. So you answer both but attend to the fall risk patient first because she'll get up by herself if you don't show up immediately. By the time, you finish with her, it's 5 minutes after the due time for the PRN pain med, so you go pull it and go in to give only to be cussed out for not bringing it right when it was due (we're talking 5 minutes after!). You are reprimanded and told you should have given the pain med right when it was due. No one listens to your attempts at an explanation, because the patient, sorry, the customer is always right!. It is exhausting but not the good kind of exhaustion, and there's no improvement in sight so...

I feel the same way. It is time for a change, I just have to figure out how to get out! The "customer service" thing was just the icing on the cake. I have always had compliments from patients on how nice I am, but now they have scripts they want us to use. Enough is enough

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion