Transitioning from ICU to med surg is a huge step as you are moving from a high stake’s critical environment to a much calmer environment. You have mastered the art of critical care and now you want to expand your skills as a MedSurg nurse. This transition can be intimidating as every shift as a nurse has its own challenges and triumphs. If you are confused and nervous then you have got this! In this blog we will guide you on how to transition from ICU to med surg nurse and what are tips to succeed as a Med Surg nurse.
What is an ICU nurse?
ICU nurses are specialized nurses who take care of critically ill patients that need constant monitoring.
What do ICU nurses do?
The role and responsibilities of ICU nurses are as follows:
- Continuously monitoring patient vital signs such as heart rate oxygen levels etc.
- Administering medications such as sedatives, pain relievers etc.
- Managing life support equipment’s such as ventilators.
- Performing CPR during critical conditions.
- Ensuring infection control.
What is a med surg nurse?
Med surg nurses, also known as medical surgical nurses, take care of patients with a variety of medical conditions but these patients are not as critical as ICU patients.
What do med surg nurses do?
- Medical surgical nurses provide direct care to the patients and assist them in daily activities.
- Assess and monitor patients and document if there is any change in their condition.
- Provide patient education.
- Wound care and dressing changes to the patient.
- Provide post operative care to the patient.
ICU vs Med surg Nursing
If you are an ICU nurse and want to transition to the med surg nursing, then it is important to understand the difference between ICU vs Med surg nursing. Both focus on patient care but the level of care provided in both settings is different.
Level of care:
ICU: The patients in ICU needs intensive care as they are in serious condition and facing life death situation.
Med surg: The patients in med surg unit are stable and less critical but still need continuous monitoring.
Type of patients:
ICU: The types of patients found in ICU have serious and life-threatening conditions such as heart failure, trauma etc.
MedSurg: The types of patients found in med surg unit have variety of medical conditions but are not life threatening such as infections, diabetes etc.
Patient population:
ICU: The patient to nurse ratio is low in ICU which is 1:1 or 1:2.
MedSurg: The nurse-to-patient ratio is higher in the med surg unit as nurses take care of 4 to 6 patients at the same time.
Medical equipment’s:
ICU: ICU nurses use advanced medical equipment’s such as ventilators, cardiac monitors etc.
MedSurg: Med surg nurses use basic medical equipment’s such as oximeters, IV pumps etc.
Environment and pace:
ICU: High stresses fast paced environment.
MedSurg: Usually busy but not as high stressed as ICU.
Transitioning from ICU to med surg nursing
If you are an ICU nurse who is considering a career change and wants to transition from ICU to med surg nursing, then here are some strategies and tips on how to do that successfully.
- As an ICU nurse you were taking care of 1 or 2 patients at a time but once you transition to med surg nursing learn to manage higher patient load. As in med surg units you have to take care of multiple patients with various medical conditions.
- ICU nurses deal with patients who are in critical condition but in med surg the patients are stable. Therefore, focus on assessment of patients and educate patients about their treatment plans.
- With critically ill patients, you had less chance to educate them as you were more focused on critical care. Once you transition to med surg nursing you can use your communication skills and educate the patients and their families about procedure, discharge plans and care process.
- Stay up to date with med surg protocols.
- Trust your team and be confident in delegating tasks to your team members.
- Ensure holistic care of the patient by collaborating and communicating with other healthcare team members.
- Focus on patients physical, emotional, social wellbeing.
- Cultivate emotional resilience.
- It is not easy to adjust to the new environment. It requires time and guidance. Seek guidance and feedback from other healthcare members to easily adjust to the new environment.
What challenges do ICU nurses face when floating or moving to med surg nursing?
Some challenges that ICU nurses face while floating from ICU nursing to med surg nursing are:
- Increased patient load in med surg units.
- Less monitoring technology as compared to the once in ICU.
- Med surg nurses should learn how to manage time and prioritze tasks as they have to take care of multiple patients at one time.
- Adapting to documenting and reporting as in ICU accurate and detailed documentation is required whereas in med surg there is less critical and more ongoing documentation.
- Another challenge for ICU vs MedSurg nurses is that med surg nurses have to address a wider range of medical conditions.
Can ICU nurse work as MedSurg nurse?
Yes! ICU nurses take care of critically ill patients and when they transition to med surg nursing, they take care of less critical and more stable patients. The only difference is that in ICU they take care of only 1-2 patients whereas in medical surgical nursing they have to take care of multiple patients with variety of medical conditions.
Is ICU nursing harder than med surg?
Both ICU vs Med surg has their own challenges. ICU nursing requires intensive care due to the serious condition of patients whereas in MedSurg units, nurses have to deal with high volume patients with variety of medical conditions. Both jobs are physically and mentally demanding.
How many patients do ICU nurses have?
The nurse-to-patient ratio in ICU is less, which is 1:1 or 1:2. ICU nurses take care of one or two patients at a time.
What is the MedSurg nurse to patient ratio?
MedSurg nurses take care of 4 to 6 patients at a time. The MedSurg nurse to patient ratio is higher than ICU.
What are the different types of med surg floors?
There are different types of med surg floors which are as follows:
- Medical surgical unit.
- Orthopedic unit.
- Cardiac unit.
- Oncology unit.
- Respiratory unit.
- Urology unit.
- Surgical unit.
- Post anesthesia care unit (PACU).
- Palliative care unit.
Conclusion
Transitioning from ICU nursing to MedSurg nursing provides the chance of growth and opportunity to expand nursing skills, but this transition is not that easy as it comes with its unique challenges. Bot ICU vs MedSurg nursing focus on patient care but the level of patient care, the patient population, and medical equipment’s use is different. ICU nurses work with one or two critically ill patients whereas MedSurg nurses take care of 4 to 6 patients with various medical conditions at one time. These patients are stable and are not as serious as ICU patients. In this blog we have provided you with tips and strategies on transferring from ICU to MedSurg unit successfully.
Whether you are an ICU nurse or MedSurg nurse, SkillGigs will help you land your dream job. If you want to become a travel nurse, then download SkillGigs app now where we match you to the top trending jobs that give you higher pay. So why wait, join now, and become a Travel Nurse with us.
