Critical Care or Med/Surg Nursing?

Greetings my fellow Nursebros and Sisters, so todays topic is about my thoughts on new grads either going straight into Critical Care or getting experience on a med/surg floor first?

My personal experience was actually starting on the med/surg floor first, this helped me receive my time management skills down and have the ability to rationalize appropriately for my patients.

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[shaneo]

Hey new grad RN here just off orientation. I wanted to do ICU when I was in nursing school, but I decided to take a job in the progressive care unit (PCU) at a really great community hospital that was close to me. Anyway, I'm grateful that I took that PCU position as a new grad because it's giving me a foundation for critical care environments and I'm learning how to be a good nurse. I'm not sure if I will go on to an ICU position after my year in the PCU, but I know that after doing PCU I will have a lot of opportunities and options because of that experience. Thanks so much for your video nurse bro!

[juliaannrn]

I work in a small hospital, the floor I'm on is Oncology/Med. Surg./Hospice/and in patient. I float to the Emergency Department and Cardiac Unit regularly. I'm halfway through my first year and getting amazing experience!

[toratora]

I spent 10 years as a Med-Surg nurse. When I tried to go to another speciality I couldn't because I was considered "unqualified" to go to ICU or surgery or ER or anything because I was just Med-Surg. I basically had to beg for my position in PACU (where I've been for 4 years now). Total crap because the mentality is Med-Surg nurses aren't good enough for anything else. Do I seem bitter? It took me 2 YEARS to get into another area. Good luck to all ya'll nursing students.

[Las]

I did med/surg for a year, now I have just about a year on stepdown. I am just now starting to feel a little more comfortable with everything. Boy, does that take a while! I should be starting my critical care class towards the end of summer and then start training in our hospital's ICU. Always learning, every.single.day.

[MissMegB]

I've heard so many different things from both my professors and nurses at my clinical sites. ER is my love and where my little ol nursing heart is at lol. My acute care clinical instructor said to get med Surg experience, but then my med Surg professor (who was an ER nurse at LA county) said go for the ER right out of school. I think it all just depends on what makes you happy and where you want to be at in the hospital.

[TheSwoleNurse]

I agree. When your a new nurse. The more experience you can get the better. Just recently went into Urgent Care a few months ago and I Love it.

[diplomat]

I am currently in my last semester of Nursing School and I was torn with this decision for a while. I completely understand the dilemma. I was torn about working Med Surg first or the Step Down first to get my feet wet and THEN step into the ICU or do I jump right on in the ICU fresh outta school? I have decided to jump right on in it. I have worked as a Nurse Tech (like a CNA) on the floors and now I'm working in CCU which I love. I am also precepting in CCU, for I am about to graduate. Again, I have decided to go ahead and start in CCU. Because listen to this folks, whether you starts on the floor or starts in the ICU/ ER you will still be a baby to that environment. It will be a new challenge either background. Med Surg nursing and ICU/ER nursing are two different things. True on the floor you'll learn time management skills, NG tube placement, starting an IV, and much much more. And frankly some of the nurses who are in CCU who have a background of floor nursing are pretty awesome and diligent. But that doesn't change the BIG challenge one would face entering into the brand new world of Critical Care or Emergency Nursing. Because again, floor nursing and ICU/ER nursing are indeed different. I hope this makes sense and helps some of you make a decision. Best wishes!

[allicat]

I start an internship at a Level 1 Trauma Center tomorrow! I am very excited and hoping this opens some doors and allows me to go straight into ER with a little bit of experience.

[marcilla]

This a very timely video! So I recently graduated from RN school already a LPN, just waiting for boards. I actually got a scholarship to train to transition to critical care, also did my practicum in Step Down/ICU. One of the question that has been on my mind since my practicum is whether I should try Medsurg and get that experience first or go straight to critical care specialty. I guess, I'll just have to figure it out when I get there.

[John-xiej]

meg surg is far more fast pace than CC imo there was a lot of sitting around in CC especially if your pt are stable

[KaptureRealmCosplay]

10/21 will mark my 2nd year as a Med-Surg nurse, been a tough ride but i know i still need to get my time management skills down. other then that i love this field!

[maite]

Thanks so much for this video!! It helped a lot!!

[GIRLNEXTDOOR]

+nursemendoza my number 1 is hospice but someone who is a hospice nurse and told me to make sure I investigate and don't let people scare me about that job, which made me question what that all meant. but my 2nd & 3rd would be labor & delivery and pediatrics lol or even geriatrics.

[michwebb]

I want to do ER right out the gate. Ppl keep saying nooo do med surg for a yr lol. I'm like nah man I know what I'm going for 😉👍🏻

[JayKayHicks]

Great video! I'm perusing CRNA school and they require Critical Care experience so they made that decision for me lol

[bunnycat]

I was considering med surg, but then I toured a NICU.
Even though med surg is practical, I would be waiting the whole year to be with neonates and their families.

[RonH]

I want to do Peds and work with the children and the families. I am nervous because I do not like Med-Surg at all. I don't mind getting the experience, but I really would not like that to be my first job. So I applied for Med-Surg positions just in case because that is the only hospital I see myself working.

[misterl]

Well I'am on the finish line on my ICU/Anesthesiology courses! ;)

[azouz]

im a new grad three more shift and ill be done with my one year internship at king Faisal specialist hospital & research center Saudi Arabia Riyadh during my internship i have been in ER for 6 months two months clinical rotation one month elective rotation and three month target area and now every body telling me to go to the floor even the recruiter saying im not letting you go to critical area before taking the critical course im frustrating right now but thank god the program director doesn't mind me bing there and she recommending already also the surgical ICU want me i feel like im ready and i was in a strong programme i feel competent to be ER nurse as a new grad from now all i need to know is how i can convince the recruiter that im fit

[savtime]

Thank you for this information. I am a nursing student graduating in December of this year. Most nurses I've come into contact with tell me to go to MED-Surg first, however I do have a contact in an ER after I graduate so i'm torn. I love Er medicine and have always wanted to be an ER nurse I just don't want to not be prepared with my skills.