Afraid to make a change

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I have been a nurse for 4 years and I got a job with an allergist straight out of nursing school. There are many opportunities to work with hospice in my town and I've had some clinical experience with palliative care. And I really enjoyed making a difference and helping people in that way, but I'm so afraid to make a total 180 turn in my career. I'm definitely doubting myself since I haven't practiced certain nursing skills in 4 years. Doubling my ability to be by myself in a critical setting. Basically I'm comfortable where I am, I know how to do my current job, and I'm afraid to start over. Any advice from nurses currently handling or have been through the same situation?

Specializes in Clinical Leadership, Staff Development, Education.

I was out of the hospital for over 18 years. I accepted a job as a staff nurse and discovered I did not lose what I had learned and technology is easy to pick up. Hospice would be a great change.

Specializes in PMHNP-BC.

I can't speak from the point of a career change and how making that transition would be like. However, I love hospice! I feel like it's a great environment to learn safely and so many hospice nurses are just great at teaching! On hospice I see that it is really about honing in your assessment skills and picking up on the subtle changes in your patient. I'm not a hospice nurse (I'm LTC) but I've done so much hospice the past few months in our facility. I truely enjoy it.

Why just not take the plunge and try it? You can always change your mind later.

Specializes in CT ,ICU,CCU,Tele,ED,Hospice.

After 30 years of working in a hospital setting :Step down,CT surgery ,ICU/CCU,ED,Telemetry,Dialysis,etc.I decided I needed a change.I start a full time Hospice position Monday.My husband passed away in 5/2017 of Stage 4 cancer after a 2 year battle.The nurses in patient ,outpatient and Hospice were all exemplary.The Hospice position is a Casemanager in out patient settings.

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