Am I crazy?

[kheemooy]

Am I crazy if I switch my specialty from NICU/Paeds to Adult ICU?

I've always had this inner battle in my mind. I've been working in NICU for 4 years. 1 year being purely NICU 2B-2C, and 3 years working as a float between 2 hospitals both in paediatrics and NICU. Don't get me wrong I love what I do, I love my patients I like taking care of neonates and pediatric population. However, I'm getting tired of being thrown everywhere. Being a float is very challenging, especially now that management has been cost cutting everybody is being burnt out, a lot of sick calls and people leaving the department. And the sense of belongingness in one department is non existent.

While getting a full time NICU position is near to impossible too, because seniority is always followed. I don't want to leave my hospital since I don't want to lose my seniority (and the fact that Canada is laying off nurses).

Ever since, a part of me also wants to try out adult and try other department. I've always had desire to try critical care or ED. I've done continuing education courses like Cardiology Nursing 1 and 2, ACLS and now I'm currently doing Introduction to Critical Care.

Now my hospital has opened 12 FT lines with educational sponsorship for the whole Critical Care Nursing Program 14weeks paid education. This is something my department doesn't have--Educational support for staff. I feel like ICU and ED has so much educational support and budget.

Has anybody tried this major change? or went from Adult ICU to NICU. What were the biggest challenges that you've encountered, aside from holding a 900g premie to moving a 200lb adult (vise versa).