I have been losing sleep over this question for the previous three weeks, so I figured I would post it here to see what the community thinks!

I graduated from nursing school in 2010. I moved to a different state shortly after finishing school. I immediately started looking for work, passed my boards, and then....I couldn't find a nursing job in a hospital to save my life. No one was hiring new graduates at the time. I bounced around a little bit within community-based nursing before landing in corrections. I worked in a jail for four years; two years full-time, two years per diem while I was working as a public health nurse for the county. While all of this was going on, I was pursuing an MPH. I graduated with this degree in December, 2014.

I was recently accepted into a CDC program for new public health grads. It is a two year program and while I am excited about all of the opportunities I will have in this program, I have this nagging sense that I am making a mistake and will be unable to find a job in nursing once the program is complete.

So my question is this: is two years too long to be out of the nursing field especially for someone without acute care experience?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

If you're aiming for an acute care job, it would have a negative impact. Frankly, I know many large acute care systems that simply will not hire any 'experienced' (>12 months of nursing work) staff nurse that does not have acute care experience. The acute care environment is in a constant state of flux.... Today's work environment is very different than it was 2 years ago. With the ongoing pace of change, it will be dramatically changed in 2 years time.

But - acute care is not the only branch of nursing that is worthwhile. It seems as though you're already established on a career in public & community health. Maybe that is the path you should continue to pursue.

Thank you so much for your thoughts!