Public Health nurse to Hospital Nursing

In my experience you do not get much if any interest from the acute care sector if you have not done acute care or been out of it for any length of time. Networking or finding a place that has trouble getting nurses would be your best bet.

Hello amv89 - is it possible I could ask you some questions via email, or if you prefer here on allnurses? I am getting ready to graduate from the University of Kentucky with my BSN and I really want to be hired as a public health nurse in Alaska. I'd love any information you'd have to offer about the application/interview process, moving to Alaska (assuming you weren't originally from there), what you thought of the job, how the orientation process was, etc. I have spoken a few times with the nurse manager in Bethel, Alaska. Thanks!

Hello I have been a Public Health nurse in rural alaska for about 2 years now, starting as a new grad. Flying to villages, teaching a lot of health education, assessments and clinic work (TB, STDs, and prenatal). i was wondering how easy it would be to switch to hospital nursing,and what I could put on an application to make myself a stronger candidate? Should i take a refresher course? Has anyone made the jump? thanks![/quote']

Are you looking to move to Anchorage, or stay rural? If you stay rural I'm sure you can emphasize your problem-solving skills as part of the nursing process. It seems that the hospitals in bethel or Dillingham are always looking for staff. Same with the facilities in Sitka and Ketchikan. If you're moving to Anchorage, try ANMC or St. Elias. They may be easier to get into then Prov or Regional.

Hi I live in California and my sister takes part in the hiring process at the NICU she works in and she told me a while ago they hired this AMAZING nurse from rural Alaska because of her ability to creatively problem solve and her stories of how she worked with such minimal resources. They were just so impressed with her rural experiences that they knew she could make good judgements and come up with good solutions. Anyone can learn "skills" with a little training. Judgement and problem solving is not so easily taught. Anyways hope that helps if you get an interview!

Hello,

I realize this OP is over a year old, but I'm wondering if you did make the switch to a hospital setting? And if so, how is it working out? I am a new grad RN in public health and feel like I might want to work in acute care at some point in the future.

Hello,

I realize this OP is over a year old, but I'm wondering if you did make the switch to a hospital setting? And if so, how is it working out? I am a new grad RN in public health and feel like I might want to work in acute care at some point in the future.

I am wondering the same thing. I have been working in public health for a year an possibly wanting to work in acute care in the near future.

I am curious to see the outcome too.

I am curious as to why the OP/some commenters want to leave their public health nursing jobs?!

Well, I'm not the OP, but I'll give you all my update. I left my public health job in January and have been working on a neuro/stepdown unit at a level 1 trauma hospital. I left public health for a few reasons. Some days after a chaotic night shift, I think I was crazy to leave my Monday thru Friday 8-5 job. But then other days, I'm reminded why I left. My coworkers on my floor are amazing, and I've learned so much in 6 months. I feel like I'm growing as a nurse and also as a person (sounds so cliche, but it's how I feel!) I'm still nervous pretty much every shift, but it sounds like that's normal for the first year of nursing.

I personally felt I wasn't being challenged enough in my public health position. I enjoyed it, I enjoyed working with the patients, but it became very routine to me very quickly. To be completely honest, I was bored most days. I think it was just the particular division I was hired into. There was a lot of down time. I don't sit still well, never have. I also owe quite a bit in student loans, and needed the opportunity to pick up extra shifts. I couldn't do that being a salary employee at my health dept. I tried to look for a PRN position in a hospital setting so I could stay in public health, but no one wanted to hire a new grad RN and spend all the time and money to train them for a PRN position.

I have much respect for public health nurses as the work is not easy. I don't think an "easy" nursing job exists. Maybe I'll return to it someday when my back can't take bedside nursing anymore. But for now, I think I'm where I need to be.

Well, I'm not the OP, but I'll give you all my update. I left my public health job in January and have been working on a neuro/stepdown unit at a level 1 trauma hospital. I left public health for a few reasons. Some days after a chaotic night shift, I think I was crazy to leave my Monday thru Friday 8-5 job. But then other days, I'm reminded why I left. My coworkers on my floor are amazing, and I've learned so much in 6 months. I feel like I'm growing as a nurse and also as a person (sounds so cliche, but it's how I feel!) I'm still nervous pretty much every shift, but it sounds like that's normal for the first year of nursing.

I personally felt I wasn't being challenged enough in my public health position. I enjoyed it, I enjoyed working with the patients, but it became very routine to me very quickly. To be completely honest, I was bored most days. I think it was just the particular division I was hired into. There was a lot of down time. I don't sit still well, never have. I also owe quite a bit in student loans, and needed the opportunity to pick up extra shifts. I couldn't do that being a salary employee at my health dept. I tried to look for a PRN position in a hospital setting so I could stay in public health, but no one wanted to hire a new grad RN and spend all the time and money to train them for a PRN position.

I have much respect for public health nurses as the work is not easy. I don't think an "easy" nursing job exists. Maybe I'll return to it someday when my back can't take bedside nursing anymore. But for now, I think I'm where I need to be.

How did you find this job? Did you relocate? Did you get training?

I'm the exact opposite situation, I worked the floor for 6 years and grew tired of it really fast. I got my Masters in Public Health nursing and am having a hard time getting a job. I Currently live in Arizona but am trying to apply up in Anchorage AK. fingers crossed.