A Career Built In Med / Surg - Nicole Keane

When I first had started nursing school, being a medical-surgical nurse was not something I was very interested in. I had heard many stories and rumors that once you started in med-surg you wouldn't be able to leave or transfer to a different specialty. Having heard these rumors and completing my clinical rotations, I was not looking to apply for a Med/Surg job upon graduation. I loved the fast pace feel of the ICU and the thought that I was helping the sickest of the sick in getting better. My recruiter informed me that getting a job in an ICU straight out of college was very difficult. These few positions are often coveted by many graduates at once and can become very competitive. I was crushed that I did not get an offer but my recruiter told me about a med/surg unit that had a few positions open as well. I took the position and was well on my way to starting my career as a nurse. I quickly learned that being a med/surg nurse was not a bad thing, as I had been led to believe in the past. I learned to develop confidence in my abilities with the assistance of my colleagues, many who have years and years of experience behind them. These nurses helped me to master many of the skills that I would not have otherwise had the time to utilize in a different setting including: trach care, NG tube placement, drain care/education, body mechanics, how to start/run a code, etc. I was able to learn the basics and built a solid foundation in my nursing career that has allowed me to grow into many different positions and specialties if I so choose.?

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As a med/surg nurse the most important thing I learned was how to properly establish a good bedside manner and rapport with patients and physicians alike.?Physicians are not present on the floors 24/7 as they are traveling from unit to unit to see all of the patients on their service. In an ICU setting the MDs are at the bedside or located right on the unit at all times.??By not having the doctors readily available, I had to learn how to respond to difficult situations and learn to escalate my concerns to others appropriately. It helped me to gain some autonomy and critical thinking skills that are so crucial to new nurses.?

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In the ICUs many of the patients are sedated and on ventilators. They are unable to interact with the staff and when they are medically cleared to come off of these medications and machines, they are transferred to the floors to make room for the next critical patient.?The mental and emotional toll of caring for the seriously ill until they are able to be moved to another unit or until they pass away can be very overwhelming and tiresome.?Having worked with many ICU nurses, most do not remain at the bedside for very long.?They are not able to see these patients come to the floor and learn to walk again, hug their family members, or regain their independence enough to finally go home. As a med/surg nurse, you are an active member in their care plan, helping them to achieve the little victories and ultimately discharge from the hospital. It is very rewarding to see your patients overcome some of the most difficult days of their lives and know that you made an impact on those very days.?

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As a medical-surgical nurse, you learn great time management skills. Now you most certainly learn this in other specialties across the hospital as well, however, taking care of 6 patients at one time really forces you to learn how to prioritize and plan your day accordingly. Although floor patients are not as acute, managing the care of six patients at once is difficult and something that takes practice to become proficient at. ICU and SDU nurses have a hard time learning this skill as they often feel overwhelmed caring for so many patients after working with 1-2 on a daily basis. By caring for several patients at one time, you are almost guaranteed that each day will be a new and different adventure.?

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While med/surg nursing may not be the flashiest or most appealing for new grad nurses, starting my career in med-surg has really helped me to become the well-established nurse I am today with many possibilities in my future nursing career.??