From floor nursing to phone triage

[DiscGolfNurse, BSN]

Greetings allnurses,

I am currently working on a medsurg/oncology/palliative care unit at a hospital. I would love to eventually be working in pediatrics and I was able to get an interview at a children's clinic as a pediatric triage RN. I was very excited but I am also hesitant because I am worried that I will get stuck.

I am fearful that if I switch from floor to telephone triage that I would not be able to eventually move to pediatric floor nursing for lack of patient care experience in pediatrics.

I have yet to interview with the site supervisor just yet, I am planning to probably by the end of this week to ask questions (possibility of hands on patient care or is it strictly phone nursing).

Is this a valid concern? Anyone with triage nursing experience that has gone back to the floor with no problem? Any advice would be wonderful.

Thank you so much in advance!

[AlTennRN]

I was actually an oncology/palliative care nurse too. I moved to another city and took a job as a neuro telephone triage nurse. Hated it. Absolutely hated it. You literally sit and and answer the phone alllll day long. I only did it for 6 months and went back to the floor. It was mostly just the sitting in one spot all day that I hated. And there is zero patient care or interaction other than over the phone. That was just MY experience, I'm sure it's different everywhere.