Afraid to make a change

[admiralqueenie]

I have been a nurse for 4 years and I got a job with an allergist straight out of nursing school. There are many opportunities to work with hospice in my town and I've had some clinical experience with palliative care. And I really enjoyed making a difference and helping people in that way, but I'm so afraid to make a total 180 turn in my career. I'm definitely doubting myself since I haven't practiced certain nursing skills in 4 years. Doubling my ability to be by myself in a critical setting. Basically I'm comfortable where I am, I know how to do my current job, and I'm afraid to start over. Any advice from nurses currently handling or have been through the same situation?

[J.Adderton, BSN, MSN]

I was out of the hospital for over 18 years. I accepted a job as a staff nurse and discovered I did not lose what I had learned and technology is easy to pick up. Hospice would be a great change.

[Thanksforthedonuts, BSN, RN]

I can't speak from the point of a career change and how making that transition would be like. However, I love hospice! I feel like it's a great environment to learn safely and so many hospice nurses are just great at teaching! On hospice I see that it is really about honing in your assessment skills and picking up on the subtle changes in your patient. I'm not a hospice nurse (I'm LTC) but I've done so much hospice the past few months in our facility. I truely enjoy it.

Why just not take the plunge and try it? You can always change your mind later.

[nuangel1, BSN, RN]

After 30 years of working in a hospital setting :Step down,CT surgery ,ICU/CCU,ED,Telemetry,Dialysis,etc.I decided I needed a change.I start a full time Hospice position Monday.My husband passed away in 5/2017 of Stage 4 cancer after a 2 year battle.The nurses in patient ,outpatient and Hospice were all exemplary.The Hospice position is a Casemanager in out patient settings.