Non-acute nursing jobs. Suggestions?

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Hello! After graduating nursing school in Fall 2012 I applied to literally 100+ positions (hospitals, doc offices, surgical centers etc) and finally landed my first nursing job in a Pediatric Doc office Spring 2013. The office is small- only 2 Docs (no NP or PA). The pace is steady. I feel like i have learned some really good skills including vaccines, strep & flu test, pku, urinalysis, phone triage, hearing/vision screen, vitals, and breathing tx.

However...The pay is extremely low and my hours can vary from 20-30ish hrs a wk. My schedule can range from working 3-5 (on occasion 6) days a wk. I have very very limited benefits. The work environment is often very negative--several people in the office are very difficult to work with and talk bad about other staff/patients and i often feel like i am secluding myself b/c i do not want to be involved in the negativity.

My plan was to stick it out for a year-gain some knowledge and some experience. I am now ready to start looking for a new position but I am feeling very lost and unsure of where I want to go. I defiantly know i don't want hospital/acute care/LTC/Hospice. I honestly do not see my self ever wanting to work in those fields of nursing. I really like the slower pace and low stress environment. It is really important to me to have a job that does not require you to work holidays, nights/evenings, and weekends--i want the 9-5 type job. I know there are MANY areas of nursing out there that would allow me to pursue that but i am just not sure where to look. I have been looking into school health but really do not know much about it at all. I also have been looking into health dept nursing but again I have no idea what type of Nursing Jobs the health dept offers. Health screening/biometric screening jobs seem interesting too- i have a background in fitness and nutrition and would love to use those skills too, but again do not know much about this area or how consistent the work would be.

I know this post is getting way to long! Sorry! If anyone could share their opinions, suggestions, knowledge i would greatly appreciate it!

Specializes in Medical Surgical.

If you have a BSN non-acute Nursing Jobs that are not any of the jobs you mention above will be easier to get. If you have a ASN you might need to be willing to live in timbucktoo.

I have a Bachelors of Science degree in Public Health and an Associates degree in Nursing.

Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

How about school nurse, either permanent or substitute? Pediatrics experience is welcome, no weekends, amazing benefits (at a public school).

I'd be looking more into the Public Health side of things if I was you.

Maybe a different doctors' office might work? The pay is going to be low, and MAs have taken over most of the office jobs nurses used to do. Low stress and a slower pace has a few tradeoffs and sometimes it is worthwhile.

Actually, 9-5 non-clinical, no nights, weekend or holiday jobs are very much the exception in nursing. A lot of nurses are looking for those jobs and it takes time to land one.

A relative of mine has managed an outpatient psych facility for the past 30 years. There are 6 nurses working there. The most recent hire was 12 years ago.

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

As far as Nursing Jobs go, An ADN + any other degree = ADN. Any job meets all of OP's requirements will probably pay much lower than the more demanding jobs on OP's "do not want" list. It's a trade-off. I would imagine that a larger, multi-specialty clinic would have more structure & benefits, particularly if it is associated with a healthcare system. But since the 'customer friendly' trend has already migrated to those environments, those clinics are providing extended & weekend hours now also... so they may not be able to provide that M-F, 9-5 schedule.

I totally understand that the pay will be less in the areas of nursing im looking to pursue. To me it is more important to be happy and enjoy what I do then to have a huge pay check. I just am not sure where to look or what to do, I just feel lost....

"i defiantly know i don't want hospital/acute care/LTC/Hospice"

Was defiantly a Freudian slip ? ;)

Have you studied the job boards? They can give you some insight as to what is available. Public Health does seem to be the way to go.

I was offered a position at the county level, the pay was abysmal.

Follow the openings on the government websites to get a feel for what they are looking for.

Good luck, have a feeling you're in for something great.

Outpatient endoscopy!! Love, love love it!! Weekdays only, no holidays and my hours are 7ish to 4ish. I have an ASN and had just over one year of experience when I landed this amazing job. I do make a few $ less per hr than the hospital RNs, but I'm still happy with my $30 per hour.

Also, I do understand that ASN + any other degree= ASN, however I have really been able to capitalize on the fact that I have a BS in Psychology. Just have to know how to package it all! My best advice is to apply to smaller places and write a killer cover letter detailing how you can help the employer. I always let the interviewer know that I understand that I am representing them and want to uphold their reputation.

Good luck!!

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