Want to switch from psych to ED and just accepted a clinic job--help!!

[ivyleaf]

(cross post from nursing career advice-- wanted to get your opinions..)

I have been working for 8 years in various psych nursing roles since graduating with my ASN (I also have a BA in psych); it was a good fit for a while, but I have always wanted to work in the ED and always wondered "what if?" I live in a city with a lot of nursing schools/competition for hospital jobs.

Over the past few years I've applied off and on to various ED and med/surg positions with no luck. My current job is on a psych floor of a general hospital-- besides one per diem job, I had only worked as a staff nurse in freestanding psych units or in the community, although I did work as a psych case manager within a hospital. This summer I also applied to ambulatory/primary care clinics. I did a bit of networking and got an interview at the ED at my hospital's "sister" hospital (our ED doesn't hire nurses without med/surg), but was told they already had too many new grads/new ED nurses.

I was going to use the same connection to try to get an interview on a med/surg floor, but before I could, I got an offer for a floating position within our hospital's outpatient clinics, including the urgent care center. It was a hard decision, as I could have kept applying to med surg jobs within the hospital and elsewhere, but I had applied to 15-20+ already (personalized cover letter and everything) with no luck. I have also been frustrated with a lot of things going on at my unit, am working 32-40+ hours in a 24hr position (as in, I only have the benefits of a 24 hr/wk person), and figured that at least this job would get me out of psych. I am interested in learning new things and I think the urgent care exp will be helpful in applying to ED jobs.

The problem is that I'm becoming worried that I've made the wrong decision-- A bunch of new med/surg positions have been posted at our hospital and a friend of mine on my psych unit is applying to med surg jobs too. I feel like if I worked my connections, I could possibly get a m/s job in my hospital.

However, I've already accepted this position (which is part of our hospital's network), am supposed to start in 3 weeks, and have already given notice at my current job.

I'm worried that working in outpatient will take me a step away from ED/med surg (I've accepted that the only way I'm going to get a job in the ED is through med/surg, or by going back for my BSN or doing a refresher course, and doing a clinical in the ED). I also don't want to start the job already having doubts. I have had a lot of job changes over the past 5 years (no firings, I just get bored easily), as well as a lot of per diem jobs-- I have already had people comment on this negatively and don't want to add to it by staying at another job I'm not happy with for just 1 year.

That being said, I don't want to burn any bridges and I will have no full time/benefitted job in 3 wks.

Any advice??

[NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN]

Ivyleaf,

Go all in!

You are going to be a major asset to emergency services because of your solid psych experience. Orientation will cover anything that you are rusty on, and it's normal for people to ask each other for help on skills that they are not great with. Also (you can see from many of my previous posts:) you are never alone! Even after orientation all you have to do is yell and you'll have 4 (sometimes 8!) people helping you with a pt immediately. If it's not "yell-worthy", just asking someone to see if your pt is as bad as you think they are is enough to get help.

8 years of psych experience? Come to our ER! I'd love to have you as a coworker!