To med surg or not to med surg? That is the question.
While you were in nursing school, did people often tell you that MUST start on a Medical Surgical floor once you finish school?
Did they emphasize how important it is to start on this floor and without it you stand very little chances of becoming successful?
Well I am here to tell you that this is completely untrue. Medical Surgical nursing is a good floor for many new graduates but however it is not necessary for your success.
If you are fortunate enough to already know what type of specialty you want to go into once you finish nursing school then please by all means do it. Follow your PASSION.
Nursing is not an easy career so if you can find something about it you already enjoy then go with your gut. Your passion will lead to your success.
The reason why Medical Surgical nursing is usually recommended is because it provides a general foundation of what nursing is. You pretty much see everything on this kind of floor. You work with post op patients, patients with chronic illnesses, elderly patients from skilled nursing facilities, rehab patients, young patients, bariatric patients, patients with psychiatric problems, and sometimes you deal with emergencies for patients in rapid response or code blue situations. Nearly everything you can imagine.
Medical Team Working On Patient In Emergency Room
Medical Surgical nursing is the floor that will teach you the most about time management and prioritization. If you don’t know what interests you the most in nursing, a Medical Surgical floor is a great stepping stone to help reveal to you what this may be. You will also gain many hands on clinical skills from working in this area of nursing as well as critical thinking skills. Thus making this the traditional floor for new graduates.
The reason why I am not advocating it as a requirement to start your career is because it’s not for EVERYONE. There are many nurses who will already know during their rotation that it’s not the specialty they want to do and some who will be forced to during a difficult economy.
My overall best recommendation is that if you can find a hospital with a great residency program in the specialty you enjoy, take it. Do not put it aside because of the negative stereotypes you’ve heard during nursing school.