Specialties Gastroenterology
Published Jul 5, 2018
dennis8, ADN, BSN, CNA, RN
68 Posts
Hi everyone. I'm still fairly new to the nursing field and have been interested in trying different areas before I decide on where I want to focus my career. I did 3 months in my first job which was at a SNF. I mostly accepted the job because I couldnt get a job in acute care. Shortly after, I finally got accepted to the hospital that I am currently working in as a Med Surg RN. Been working here for a year and 3 months now. After seeing patient's go down for GI procedures and speaking briefly to one of the nurses, I feel very curious and interested in putting in my application. Will I lose any skills making the jump? It's only inpatient procedures and I believe mostly focused on GI procedures like colonoscopy, endoscopies, ERCP etc. Also, what is the outlook on transferring back to the MedSurg setting after being on a specialty floor? Do employers look at previous experience or do I have to start from scratch?
brownbook
3,413 Posts
A year and 3 months med/surg is a fairly good building block.
GI nursing is different, I enjoyed it. How easy it might be to go from GI back to acute care, med/surg.... I don't know.
If you're transferring to different units within the same hospital I think it might be easier to make these moves. Assuming you are a good, reliable, employee.
If you work GI several years and try to go back to med/surg in a different hospital it may be hard.
You be sound like the ideal candidate for a float pool position. That will give you exposure to a lot of areas of nursing.
A year and 3 months med/surg is a fairly good building block.GI nursing is different, I enjoyed it. How easy it might be to go from GI back to acute care, med/surg.... I don't know.If you're transferring to different units within the same hospital I think it might be easier to make these moves. Assuming you are a good, reliable, employee. If you work GI several years and try to go back to med/surg in a different hospital it may be hard.You be sound like the ideal candidate for a float pool position. That will give you exposure to a lot of areas of nursing.
Thank you for the input brownbook! Have you worked on a med surg/tele floor before too? In the event I get accepted, I'm just worried about being able to go back to med surg at a different hospital in case GI doesn't work out for me. My plan is to get a year or two of GI experience and transfer over to a closer/better paying hospital. I don't want to pass up the opportunity since I already have my foot in the door in the hospital and employees get first dibs. Management is good and the coworkers are like family but I think it's time to move on for personal and career growth.
Edit: And float pool sounds like a good idea! Unfortunately my hospital only offers a cross training program for ED and critical areas like stepdown units and ICU and the competition is very stiff.
I started out in a smallish acute care hospital, assigned to med/surg tele but was always willing to float. It was an unofficial float pool, as in we need a warm body :).
It's impossible to say if you could work GI a few years then easily get a med/surg job in a different hospital.
If GI doesn't work out maybe you could go back to your original med/surg unit. Then start applying at other hospitals.
If you have extra time, not working 40 hours a week, you can look into working occasional weekends on your current med/surg unit to maintain your skills, looks good on a resume.
Thanks for all the tips brownbook! I like the idea of picking up extra shifts on med surg if they allow it in my hospital. As soon as my wife settles in to her new job I think I will put in my application and hope for the best. Thanks again!
sbwpaso
15 Posts
Hi.
Did you take the GI position? Do you like it compared to med-surg?
Im thinking of doing the same but don’t know yet.
Stefsni
Just now, sbwpaso said:Hi. Did you take the GI position? Do you like it compared to med-surg? Im thinking of doing the same but don’t know yet. Stefsni
Hi, I actually did not. I hit the 2 years and 3 months mark in med surge and felt like I needed to do something entirely different. I am now working as a case manager in the same hospital. It is a part-time position so I still am thinking of applying to a medsurge position per-diem close to home just to maintain my clinical skills.