change specialties

I am trying to understand why you would want to do this? Have you decided you just can't live without bedside nursing? So, many nurse's out there and myself with them would love to make the change to some place beside bedside...

I am an OR nurse (circulator) and I have been nursing for 36 plus years.. write me..

Three important reasons - I will be going into semi retirement in about 10 years. It will be far easire for me to work part time as a clinician as opposed to administrative nursing. Secondly, I am planning on achieving a lifetime profesisonal goal of participating in a medical mission experience. I am looking at Mercy Ships international. There is not likely a need for an administrative nurse on a medical mission. Thirdly, there is greater job security in clinical nursing than in administrative nursing. I lost a job just over two years ago and now see the possibility of dorporate downsizing in my current position. There is not a lot of that in clinical nursing. When you are in administrative nursing, you cannot simply walk out of one job and into another in the same community. In my specialyt, if I lose my job it will probably mean another long distance move to find another job. There is much greater security in clinical nursing than in administrative. And after 14 years of sitting in front of a computer, burnout is very real.

I was a "stay-at-home" mom for over 6 years, and I decided I wanted to change directions in my nursing career when I was finally ready to return to nursing.

I took a RN refresher course.... which allowed me to update my clinical skills, network and obtain professional references (from instructor and fellow nurse refresher student), and most of all got my confidence level up to where it had to be to go on interviews.

You can do anything you set your mind to! Best wishes to you on your journey... it sounds so interesting. Good luck.

I find as I get older doing the bedside is getting harder everyday.. I think it's definitely easier when you are younger..physically anyway.

It's a different world out there than when I went into nursing 1975...much harder. Lot's more stress, can't hardly keep up with the increase patient load and all the equipment. These days it's more like a glorified hotel.. at least this is what the families think...

I wish you luck in whatever direction you talk ... you do know you can easily get into an insurance job.. so much "care" is going out of the hospital..