I get why people have very polarizing opinions of floor nursing, you usually either love it or hate it. I started on the floor and stayed there for about 7 years before moving on. I was taught you go get your med/surg floor experience and then branch out into other areas. Again, another very touchy subject as some people swear by it and some argue it is not necessary. Although I have seen it play out both ways, I am very happy with the path that I chose.
So, let me share with you my 7 reasons why I love floor nursing:
- The greatest learning environment. I have worked in many different areas of nursing over the years and although I learned a lot in each area, none compare to floor nursing. You have a core group of nurses who you work with day in and day out and that level of comfort with your coworkers can allow you to grow and flourish. Sure, I have worked with nasty coworkers, we all have, but for the most part I was able to evolve into a strong knowledgeable nurse while on the floor surrounded by positive influences.
- You develop a relationship with your patients. I was able to calm the pre-op patients, educate the newly diagnosed diabetics and show them that they do have power and do have options when they felt out of control. I was able to bring a smile to a patient who lost her hair after chemo, and I held the hand of a dying patient when the family could not make it in time. While I recognize that nurses develop relationships with their patients no matter the setting, there was just something about the ability to get close to and affect change with an inpatient patient.
- Education. One of my favorite parts of being a nurse is the education aspect. I love when I can see the lightbulb go on for a patient about medication, diet, exercise, their diagnosis, or connect them with resources they did not know existed. I loved seeing that my actions led to positive change in others. It gave me a higher sense of purpose.
- Weekend and holiday comradery. You generally have to work every other holiday and every other weekend, or some form of rotation and that crew is usually the same. Meaning: my weekends were spent with the same people unless someone switched. We did things like potlucks and secret Santa and because we were working with a skeleton crew, everyone made sure to help each other out. Having those sorts of experiences made being away from my family easier.
- It opens doors. I hear other nurses talking about how it is not necessary to work on the floor first to advance their career and I would agree, it is not 100% necessary. However, I cannot remember one job interview or one job application that did not ask if I had any Med/Surg. experience. I will never know if door would not have opened for me had I not started on the Med/Surg. floor so obviously I cannot compare. However, I really believe in my heart that my start on the Med/Surg. floor is what helped shape the type of nurse I became and helped me end up where I did.
- Helps define and refine your strengths. I remember just getting out of nursing school and feeling like I did not know ANYTHING! The stress you feel in your first 6 months to a year is real and I completely understand why people leave nursing in the first year. But if you work on a floor where you feel comfortable, it can make that process feel less painful and you will quickly realize where you excel. For example, I was great at skills. I could put in a Foley, NG or IV when no one else could. I was really good at educating. Helping my patients and my coworkers helped me get stronger and I was seen as a resource and “expert” on things which really helped boost my confidence in other areas when I may have felt unsure.
- A great way to dabble in advancement. Although all areas of nursing could have the potential for some form of advancement, the floor has many different options for you to advance. Acting in the charge nurse role gives you a level of leadership without the 24/7 accountability that a manager has. You can grow into your voice and this could give you an idea if leadership can be a good fit for you. Become a super user for something you excel at or offer to give an in-service on a topic that interests you. This could give you some insight if a career path in education may be right for you. Offer to be a new nurse or student nurse preceptor. This can also advance your career in the direction of leadership and or education. Offer to work on the vacation calendar for your nurse manager or ask them if they have any project ideas they would like worked on or even suggest ideas of your own. Taking on additional responsibilities may seem like extra work at first, but it will be noted come annual review and when you apply for other positions to advance your career.
Obviously, I know you can do all these things while in other areas, but these are my reasons for why I love floor nursing and feel that my career was enriched because I started on the floor. My goal is to share some positive things about floor nursing and reasons why you may want to explore that option.