About to make a switch

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · May 3, 2010

If you want a hospital go directly to the hospital. Hang in for the right job.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · May 3, 2010

If you want to try a long term care place, pick one with a subacute floor...tons of experience.

You were lucky to get a job straight out of school as a school nurse. In Massachusetts you have to have a BSN AND be certified in school nursing to get a job in the school system.

Good luck

nyteshade, BSN · May 3, 2010

They said to bring in an ACLS card for LTC? Did you apply for a LTAC (long term acute care)? Reason being, I understand LTAC is like long term ICU type patients, and LTC is geriatrics. A hospital may be more likely to take you into ICU with that kind of experience. And remember...network, network, network!

rn-jane · May 4, 2010

You might want to try geting a casual job for one of the med surg floors. You can always get your foot in the door for ccu once they see you are doing well. Express your desire for telemetry nursing and how eventually you want to work critical care. Gl to you. Most hospitals will give you a 6 months to a year to get your acls through them.:redbeathe

cb_rn · May 4, 2010

You might want to try geting a casual job for one of the med surg floors. You can always get your foot in the door for ccu once they see you are doing well. Express your desire for telemetry nursing and how eventually you want to work critical care. Gl to you. Most hospitals will give you a 6 months to a year to get your acls through them.:redbeathe

I don't know about the job market there but here you probably wouldn't be able to get a casual job on med surg with no experience because you'd be on orientation forever learning the mechanics of things you've probably not done in school nursing. Mgmt will want a return on their investment and you'd have a better chance, here at least, of taking full time and usually they want a committment of a year. Good luck OP, you can get to the ICU eventually, if not now then with some experience on a floor with less acuity.

Regarding your ACLS:: I would not recommend ACLS prior to having some experience, especially in ECG strip identification. Going to class without a good base on calling the rhythms on the fly is stressful for you, frustrating for people that are more familiar with the material, and also pretty much guarantees that your focus won't be on learning the proper alogorhithms for long term memory because you'll be too busy trying to get the ECG thing figured out. I'm not saying you are doing this but I just want to insert a mini rant that I hate when people skirt by in ACLS because when it comes time to use it I sure as heck want people around that are familiar with what's going on. Not that you have to be some kind of expert to respond to a code but its important to have a working knowledge of what is going on, what meds you can anticipate being requested, etc, etc

HaveFaithRN · May 4, 2010

thanks to everyone who respondid to my thread....but it seems like everyone says wait for hospital to open up!

to capecodmermaid yes...it was god that landed me this job. but i miss working only 3days a week. i work monday -friday from 7:15-to 5:15. i just feel that i am loosing my skills that i work so hard to obtain.

but i will be pressing on towards that goal...phil 3:14

thanks again...god bless you all! thank you so much for your wisdom!