Ok, so nursing school is wrapping up (yay!) and I am faced with some decisions. I have been working at a hospital on a rehab floor as a tech. I LOVE my coworkers and my boss. I feel very comfortable on the floor and we always have fun (while getting the job done). I know I could stay on the floor when I graduate and I know the nurses would be super supportive of me as I learn. BUT, being an acute rehab floor, I wouldn't get to do as many nursing skills. Like, we don't have many IV's, no tele monitors. . .and our patients are typically not that sick. I have floated as a tech to lots of other floors and I see just how different it is. I also see a lot of scary floors with lazy nurses that I don't want to be on!
So, my question is (and I have been asking lots of people this with lots of great answers and advice) do I stay on a floor where I know and love everyone and where I truly do enjoy the work but where I may not actually learn a lot/get to practice skills, or do I go to a more challenging med-surg floor to truly jump in and get my feet wet in a challenging, fast-paced setting which may not always be easy or fun but will likely prepare me best for a career in the fun and crazy world of nursing?
I truly look forward to hearing your advice. Thank you.
JoEllen
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February 4th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
This might age me, but when we graduated, it was a requirement that a new nurse worked med-surg before they could work any specialty units. It can be quite scarey for a new nurse to have all the responsibilities that you would have on the med-surg floor. On the other hand-you would get a great variety of experiences which will help you be more comfortable in your new role as a nurse. The most important thing to look for is the type of orientation program the future employer has. Is it 2 weeks long or several months? Do you have a proctor/mentor assigned to you to coach and guide you? What is the staffing ratio? What kind of turnover is there? If you stay in the unit you’ve been in, what would be the difference in your role? Think about whether you want the comfort of your old unit versus the excitement of many new learning experiences. I can still recall my first year working on a med surg unit doing things like preparing patients for surgery, starting IV’s, passing meds, doing dressing changes, placing NG tubes, helping cast patients, performing CPR for the first time, attending someone’s death and so on. From what you wrote-I’m predicting that you really want to jump in to the expansive opportunities you would find working med-surg. Go for it!
February 5th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
I totally agree with Lulu. My first nursing job was on what our hospital called, Medical Specialties. It incorportated many different specialties like derm, gi, optha, endocrinology, and pulmonary. I worked there for 2 years and learned more than I could have possibly learned anywhere else. It was a very rewarding job, though very stessful (which is why I’m not there anymore). I would totally recommend getting that all around experience first. You’ll probably find a specialty that totally interests you and you could move on!