What worked well
My floor offered flexibility with scheduling and generally allowed nurses to choose their preferred days and weekends, although adjustments were sometimes necessary. The nursing team was incredibly supportive, and many of my former coworkers remain close friends. Nurses consistently helped one another, so you never felt as though you were struggling alone.
Assignments for the incoming shift were distributed using an acuity system. This helped prevent one nurse from receiving several high-acuity patients while another had a significantly lighter assignment. When used effectively, this reduced workload imbalance and burnout.
What could be improved
At times, assignments reached up to six patients, which felt unsafe and made it difficult to provide the level of care I wanted to give. More opportunities for incentive or bonus shifts could also have helped address staffing shortages. There were occasions when I was willing to work an additional shift for bonus pay, but the shift was not approved and the unit remained short-staffed.
Advice for future nurses
This is a very busy floor, but the clinical knowledge and experience I gained there were unmatched. Working in med-surg gave me a strong foundation that prepared me to work in many different nursing environments. The physicians and residents were also approachable and easy to work with.