Career break in nursing...

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It's been my dream to just go and travel around the world for a year or two, right around that range. Not a lot of people do this, especially in the American workplace environment, and I haven't met any nurses that I know of whether at work or online who did this. I've only met one nurse, who worked in emergency and critical care, and decides to leave his job and live in Europe for a year just at the height of the economic collapse which started in 2008. Since then that nurse has found a job as an educator for some company going from hospital to hospital teaching. Well that nurse had a lot of experience to begin in.

Even now, getting a job in nursing without experience is rather difficult. I've talked to many new nurses who have applied to so many places and it has taken them 4 even 6 months just to get hired. But they were eventually hired. And the ones that managed to get in, and get their 1 year experience were easily hired in other places.

I've been an RN since '06. Work in a general nursing department, med-surg/tele/step-down. It's hard work, seen a lot of new nurse come and go just after 6 months to a year. Definitely it's not easy to get hired anymore, no guarantee whatsoever despite the experience, sometimes it's who you know in the inside that can help you, all about connections. Nursing shortage? It doesn't even exist anymore, because there's no money.

So as i prepare to leave my job for a career break to travel around the world, with no guarantees as to what the future holds and if I can easily land a job again after I come back, I wonder if I'm tarnishing everything I worked so hard for. Well definitely yes of course I am, hahaha. But I have been saving up and preparing, and it feels like the time has come to do it.

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I like to travel for 6 weeks at a time once a year, but I'd really like to take some time off to live abroad for a few years. The time isn't right yet, but I have a 5 year plan to make it happen. I know a time will come when I have to come back to the U.S. and find work, but I'm not too worried about that. I can take a refresher course and start putting the feelers out there. Fortunately for me, I've never burned any bridges, so I'm eligible for rehire at a few different places. Or who knows, maybe I'll want to try something entirely new?

I think you're courageous to take this risk to follow your dreams. I truly hope it all works out for the best for you!

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@Stargazer wow 6 weeks, that's pretty good. But yeah go for it too, start saving. I've been saving like crazy. Thankfully I dont have mortgage, a car payment and kids to deal with. I usually take 2-3 weeks off twice a year and just leave the country. But it doesn't fill that wanderlust in me. I know even if I take a career break and travel around the world for a year, it still wont satisfy me. But it's been something I wanted to do, and it's really hard to describe why I am doing this, lol.

I didn't even know about a refresher course, that is something I will have to look up and do when i come back from my travels. Thanks for mentioning that.

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You don't have to describe it to me. I get it. I hope you have an amazing experience!

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

Enjoy and go for it!

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Why do you feel that even if you take a year off to travel the world, it still won't satisfy you? Are there other unmet needs besides travel that you need to work on? What is it you are trying to find?

Have a financial plan for when you get back in case you are slow to find a job. Go, and enjoy the world.

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Specializes in Home Care.

When one door closes another one opens.

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