anyone choosing or chose NOT to go into the HOSPITAL??

[LevitateMe]

anyone choosing NOT to go into the HOSPITAL?? or chose not to a while back??

Why? and how do you think it will affect your future in nursing? what is your idea of your future in nursing??

I'm not terribly interested in the hospital, but I'm young and early in my career and worried how not having that experience will affect my future in nursing. I'm still not 100% sure where I want to be in nursing though.

?????

Thanks

[NurseKatie08, MSN]

I'd really like to know what skills people think they "lose" not working in a hospital setting. I work on the rehab unit of a SNF, and use plenty of nursing skills--foley insertion, IV insertion, using PICC lines & other central venous access....the list can go on, but I certainly don't just push pills all day. Every area has its own skill set--no area of nursing is less valuable than another!

I am currently undergoing coursework for my MSN in Nursing Education...get asked every day if I'm going to leave my specialty and "move on to a hospital". Unbelieveably to some, I plan at this point to become a unit based educator at my facility, if such an opportunity could work out.

[SweetseRN]

I honestly never imagined that I would want to work in a hospital when I graduated but when I did finish school, that is pretty much all I applied for. I ended accepting a job in the hospital and I cannot wait to start! I really want to get in at least 1 or 2 years of solid medical surgical experience. I see this time in my new career as an extension of my education and I hope that it will help in my pursuit of advanced degrees. I know that I want to continue on with as much school as possible but I am not sure what exactly I want to specialize in, so I am hoping my hospital time will help me narrow things down a bit. The hospital is also paying for my BSN and will pay for grad school too. They also offer tons of other certifications for free so that is another bonus for me. :)

[Marshall1]

I recently posed a question on here about hospital nursing..look up the responses under my screen name Marshall1. It's a question if hospital nursing is really that bad..the majority of the responses have been yes.

I have been an RN-BSN for over 20 yrs. Worked some home health, few other things but mostly the hospital. I agree with several others on here that getting you skill experience is not limited to the hospital any longer. Patients are being sent home on vents, with foleys, IV's etc. They are being sent to LTC facilities with these as well. Hospitals are no longer paid for having the patients hang out for days or weeks, medicare and medicaid as well as some private insurances are paying a set fee for a diagnosis and that's it - the patient who stays in the hospital for a week w/CHF costs the hospital money whereas the patient who comes in, has outpatient surgery and leaves is who makes the hospital money.

Getting up early, working 13-14 hr shifts because that is actually what a 12 hour shift is now, does not appeal to me anymore. Tho' the businesses of a hospital floor is nice, the under staffing and high turnover of patients and high nurse to patient ratio based not on acuity but on number of patients on unit, is, for me, unsafe. I spent too many years in school and worked hard to get my degree and license to lose it over poor management. I am currently going back into home health and am considering a hospice position as well. I'm not going to say I would never go back into a hospital but not now. As far as "having" to have hospital experience to get your skills, be a good nurse, no, that simply isn't accurate. Many nurses have never worked in a hospital setting and could hold their own, if not do better, than some who are in the hospital. Nursing schools kinda push new grads in the hospital setting...just look around at all the opportunities and decide from there. Hospital nursing will always be there but it does not have to be your first/only choice. Good luck!

[LevitateMe, RN]

Thanks guys, I think I'm going to try for the clinic. I have over a year of pedi private duty, including trach and vent certification, but the same thing with the same pt every day all day is getting old. And I agree withthe commuter I think "outpatient" is the future of healthcare. Wheather it be clinics, home health or day surgery centers. And with my private duty experience I'm pretty sure I could get back into home health at anytime. And that seems to be where all the money is right now at least. Now I really hope they call me back!

Thanks again!