switching to another area in nursing

[Rivka P]

Hi Everyone! Sorry I have not posted in a while. I wanted to reach out to you about something I have been thinking about lately, in terms of my own personal nursing practice.

I am working in the float pool of a smallish community hospital in Maryland. It's very flexible and incredibly close to home, yet I am feeling like I want to branch out and do something else. Sure, I float between the med-surg floors including ortho, oncology, neuro and then I sometimes end up in the intermediate care unit, observation unit and rarely in obstetrics. I just feel like I want to explore another kind of nursing but I am not sure how to go about finding such a job. Any of you have experience switching to another nursing field and have some advice? (I have a BSN from Johns Hopkins and have been working on and off since 2007)

Thanks so much in advance! -Rivka

[medic09]

I think it is as simple as finding out where there are openings, and talking to the folks in charge. If it is something really specialized like Cath Lab, they'll want you to commit to them. They won't want to train you up, and have you leave after 3 months or some such. Otherwise, you can just approach an unit manager who has an opening and talk them into hiring and orienting you in many (most?) cases.

I have not moved; but several times I've had CCU and ICU managers chatting with me when I deliver a patient and offering to take me in.

[achot]

Rivka, I have always had a very different attitude about my career, Everyone is different, and it could be I had the luxury of more employment choices back in the mid 80's. I always chose employment according to my families needs, i.e. close to home (but not too close that they will call me in to fill every call-out), ability to take vacations when my family needed it (not that they appreciated it!) , ability to leave work and not be falling off me feet too much ( although the kids have made Purim Shpiels parodying my level of exhaustion after a hard shift...) etc. I have always said I work to live, I dont live to work!! (May I be tested with winning a lottery so big I can retire and just volunteer!). My personal feeling is that one can do amazing nursing work in any setting, it is up to the individual nurse.
I do think that Medic has good points, you have to decide how committed you can be and convince the managers of that. BTW I too have had offers made to me, I understand the need but dislike the managers who act like ambulance chasing lawyers. I wonder if they would drop me as easily as they tried to attract me. I usually thank them for the compliment but tell them if I was looking for a move, I would call them.
Good luck and may Hashem send you the right venue in the right time!