From SNF to acute care?

[pattylamb1]

I'm a new graduate nurse with 5 months at a skilled nursing facility (nursing home), I am trying to go from there to an acute care hospital because I feel like I'm not learning enough at the nursing home for me to stay there for a longer time.

How hard is this shift? Has anyone done it successfully? Any tips? I really want to expand and grow as a nurse.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Right, wrong or sideways, it can be a difficult jump to go from SNF to acute care. Not impossible, but hard. If you can find a hospice unit in a big hospital system you may have a foot in the door. Smaller hospitals *(more rural or remote) or those who have trouble retaining staff may be more amenable to considering you. Night shift will be more likely to pick you up than days. If you could find one of the rare fellowship programs you might have a shot at a residency. We do them here and just hired a bunch into our L&D program.

You may also wish to consider looking at rehab or LTACH. They will be more likely to hire you than straight up acute care. You will get much of the experience you are looking for at those types of facilities.

If you don't have a BSN, you will want to get it. Depending where you live, an ASN degree combined with only SNF experience may prevent hospitals from considering you.