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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Are there any nurses here to answer a question about training..?

5 replies

Roseyposey1 · 08/07/2025 10:19

Hi

I’ve been offered a nursing associate apprenticeship (yay) but I’ve just found out my base placement is on a gastro/surgical ward which is like nothing I have ever worked in before. My current job is on an acute paediatric inpatient ward so while I have experience of surgical patients, it is specifically in the child health care group and almost never gastro. I’m so nervous and tempted to withdraw because I just do not know what to expect and it’s an area I have never had an interest in, although general surgery appeals to me. Does anyone have any experience or advice for me to consider? I really want to be excited about this opportunity which has taken me literally years to get, but I just feel very overwhelmed at the thought of 2 years on an adult gastro surgical ward!

OP posts:
SomethingDifferentBloomed · 08/07/2025 12:39

Bumping for you ☺️

I’m not a nurse but I am medical, and I would say there’s a fair overlap between gastro and general surgery, in terms of the types of patient and the conditions you’d be seeing, so if general surgery appeals to you then you might enjoy gastro as well.

If this is what you want to do, remember two years is only a short portion of the rest of your career and even if you completely hated it, you could move on after that. On a lot of wards it’s the team that makes or breaks it anyway, rather than what specialty it is. Chances are there’ll at least be parts of the job you enjoy, and you might love it, you never know!

Hopefully someone with some more experience will be along in a bit with some more advice but I’d say go for it ☺️

hellohellooo · 08/07/2025 12:40

My sister works in a gastro ward
She loves it

Much prefers it over elsewhere too

Best of luck op

Roseyposey1 · 08/07/2025 15:23

Thank you both for your lovely replies! I have done more research and spoken to a friend who is a surgical nurse and decided to go for it :)

OP posts:
Seahorsesplendour · 08/07/2025 15:29

Well done you!! Dp is an NA the training was challenging at times but very worth it and not regretted doing it!!

As pp said it’s 2 years of your life… if you don’t love working with adults you can apply for NA job with kids after qualifying!!

good luck and I hope you enjoy it!! I love being a nurse!

SomethingDifferentBloomed · 08/07/2025 15:36

Roseyposey1 · 08/07/2025 15:23

Thank you both for your lovely replies! I have done more research and spoken to a friend who is a surgical nurse and decided to go for it :)

Amazing! Good luck with it ☺️

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