Acute rehab to med-surg?

[juicykins]

Anyone have success with transitioning from Acute Rehab (in a hospital) to med-surg? I have a year left in my contract and then I want to move to a more acute area. I feel like I am losing my skills (I worked in med-surg the first 6 months out of nursing school, then moved and signed a 2 yr contract with acute rehab - the only job I could find). On my floor, we don't draw blood, we rarely start IV's, we don't do telemetry, we don't even call doctors! How can I keep my skills sharp? What can I do to make myself more attractive to med-surg in another 12 months? I'm afraid that even if I get a job in MS I won't be able to do it because I will be so lost. . .all of the tests and labs and skills I don't do these days. . .how will I be able to cut it?

Oh and I can't get a PRN job in MS right now because I have an infant at home.

Thank you for all advice.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

Well, my first thought is what skills you WANT to keep. No nurse keeps them all post- school (and those are primitive on graduation). I'd be a horror on an OB floor, and can't read a strip to save my life (though I do know enough to yell for someone to take a look at the monitor while I ran to look at the patient ). I spent years away from acute care (like in psych or alcohol/drug rehab, or LTC) and returned to acute care without any issues :). It's hard to forget why you're down between someone's legs with a silicone tube lubed up and hooked onto a bag. OR where that sharp pointy metal thing with a plastic sleeve, that will be attached to a clear tube leading to a liter of clear stuff is going to go ..... don't worry. By the time you get done orienting at a new place, you'll have gotten back on the horse :)