Dont wanna be a floor nurse..

[Meese.C]

So i know this may sound horrible coming from an RN but i am not into direct patient care. I am planning on going back to school for a masters in nursing leadership and management. But as of now, i have my associates and i have been working in telemetry for 2 months (im a new grad). So my question for all my other nurses out there is, are there any positions i can apply for (once i hit the 6 month mark) that arent in direct patient care that i wil qualify for i mean without a masters degree yet. I just want to start getting my feet wet in the area i want to be in. But for a new nurse, will they accept me in like case management or quality control or SOMETHING. Can a 6 month experienced nurse possibly get a position in a non pateint care area of nursing?

[FLArn]

No personal experience in this issue but with the current economy and the difficulty a lot of new grads are having getting any job; I would guess the chance of moving into areas you describe with less than at least a year's experience would be slim to none. But I guess you don't know until you try.

[ArtsyGal]

Public Health

An ounce of prevention...

[SweetheartRN]

More than likely not unless you know someone.

[HIPAA]

If you work in Tele, try to hold out a year. It would open a lot of ICU/PACU/CCU doors, and possibly even ER.

[Flo., BSN, RN]

I doubt it. I have over 2 yrs experience and I can't get away from the bedside. Now they say they want 3-5yrs experience, when I first started everyone said 1-2 yrs and you could get off the floor.

I think that you are still really new though, hold on a little longer. It gets better. the transition from student to nurse can be overwhelming at times. Stay strong.

[SAHMStudent]

Many non-bedside nursing positions posted (from what I've seen in my area) in public health or case management or even school nursing require a BSN/MSN.....OR one year experience in exchange for those higher degrees. Stick with it longer than 6 months. Just get that 6 month mark out of your mind and expand it to at least a year. Sign up for any and all free education your facility is offering, ACLS, PALS, etc, and get those certifications. If it's not really where you want to be, you'lll be able to apply for new areas with a clear conscience, and department directors will take you seriously. Jumping after two months will make them wonder if you would do the same to them after such a short time.

[AnonRNC]

Perhaps you could get a job in the out-patient setting. There is less "hands-on" care, although it is still direct patient care.

Personally, I think if you're interested in management, you need some time "in the trenches" to earn the respect of your future employees. I would have a hard time respecting a manager who never did what I do - or only did it for less than a year.

[FlyingScot, RN]

Perhaps you could get a job in the out-patient setting. There is less "hands-on" care, although it is still direct patient care.

Common misconception. Most outpatient are settings, with the exception of doctor's offices, want way more experience than the OP has. In my clinic (oncolgy), believe it or not,we look for nurses with critical care or ER backgrounds.

BTW...totally agree with your last statement. I would have a great deal of difficulty garnering any respect for someone in management with minimal bedside experience no matter how much schooling they had.

[MomRN0913]

5 years ICU bedside, then 6 months nurse manager experience (a job I got by reccomendation of an ex-manager and a pulmonologist I worked with who was the medical director) and I was out of work for 6 months trying to find something in case management and away from the bedside. I interviewed for a CM position at a hospital because it was a favor to my uncle...... they basically told me unless you have experience in CM, a hospital will not hire you. They told me to start in insurance CM.

Last week I started as a Outcomes Manager, which is basically PI/QA for the cath and vascular lab. I got this job by being at the right place at the right time (during the CM interview)

I think to get in the positions you specified, you are going to be have to put in more clinical bedside time.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

I agree wholeheartedly with the poster who stated that to gain the respect of your future employees that you need to have more than 6 months bedside experience. You will not have their respect if you have spent little to no time doing what they do.

My current manager has never worked the ICU. Very frustrating at times. I want a manager who has "been there done that" like I have.

[mindlor]

Public Health

An ounce of prevention...

Umm would that be primary, secondary or tertiary? LOL