How many different nursing positions have you had?

Nurses General Nursing

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After talking with some nursing friends, our numbers have all varied dramatically.

Please tell me:

1. How long have you been a nurse?

2. How many different UNITS have you worked for? (even if one is ortho and your next one was a ortho trauma - same kind of nursing, but different unit)

3. How many areas have you worked in? (This is wear ortho trauma would count different than just ortho)

Couldn't begin to count. In mumblemumble years I have worked in overlapping jobs, some as supplemental, temp, or prn, some as regular employee -- in probably 20 different hospitals in 5 states in many capacities from staff to middle mgmt mostly in critical care, four schools of nursing, a VNA, a hospice, several insurance companies, tutored for at least one prep course company, as an editor for two journals and four books, a camp nurse, a diaper service delivery truck driver (!), and many other things. All as a nurse, mostly good, and all great learning experiences which benefit me in my own business now.

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Psych.

I've been a nurse for three years now.

I've worked on two units: Mom/baby and NICU (two subunits on the same OB unit).

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Nurse for two years.

Have worked cardiac stepdown, telemetry, male clinic, observation, and now Ortho/neuro/trauma.

Four hospitals total. I moved around a lot because I always thought that I had an issue with the hospital, but now I realize that I just don't like the acute care setting because I absolutely LOVED the clinic job ( just didn't pay enough).

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10 years, 2 specialties, 6 facilities...

The first 2 1/2 years I was an LPN and worked Acute Rehab at 2 different hospitals.

Upon completing my RN I stayed with the same rehab hospital 2 more years. I then moved into management of 2 different Acute Rehab units, 19 months at one and 17 months at the other. I decided I hated being in management and was tired of rehab nursing and went into the OR. I've been an OR nurse for 2 years FT at the same facility and just recently took on a PRN position at a surgery center.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

RN for 4 years now.

Have worked a variety with some overlap.

1st job flu shot clinics inside Walmarts.

Then peds home health for 5 months

Followed by a SNF, working the SNF side and the LTAC/vent for 7 months then stayed with the same company switched to a different location for 3 more months of SNF hell.

Then 2.5 years of peds LTC.

To current 1.5years and counting acute peds where I have my home unit but have been floated to PICU a and NICU. Going to give myself another year and apply to the peds ED. I worked the ED as a CNA at a different facility and I miss the pace.

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Wow ....is this the norm to only stay 1 or 2 years at one place? Just got my first nursing job in a hospital and have no plans to leave--at least for 5 years.

This is a 2nd career for me and I guess I come from old school background where you stay put until they let you go or there is nowhere else to go in the company and it becomes dead end. In 25 years I have only worked at 3 companies. The longest being 15 years.

Guess the times they are a changing :)

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In nursing there are so many different specialties and some move around until they find their "home" while others are fortunate enough to find it early on and have no desire to leave. I work with several nurses who have worked in the OR at the same hospital for 30+ years.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

For me, I kept changing jobs until I got the job I wanted. When I graduated nobody was hiring new grads, I took whatever experience I could get to use that experience to get a better job. The company I am with now, I don't plan on leaving until they tell me I have to retire, I may change units, but not the company

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Specializes in Operating Room.

A year and a half

2 units

PICU and Orthopedic (primarily trauma and spines)

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses

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Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.

Graduated in 2005 and went right into ICU. Spent 2005 to early 2008 in ICU; did dialysis for a very short period of time and have been in psych since July 2009. I am now moving to Corrections and will be a nursing supervisor in the prison. Big change - ICU to Corrections. lol

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Graduated in 2005 and went right into ICU. Spent 2005 to early 2008 in ICU; did dialysis for a very short period of time and have been in psych since July 2009. I am now moving to Corrections and will be a nursing supervisor in the prison. Big change - ICU to Corrections. lol

Corrections is my next stop. But in the county jail, not the prison. I'll be in their outpatient clinic. I'm excited about it. Bedside nursing is not for me!

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Specializes in ICU, psych, corrections.

I left the ICU when we started getting three patient assignments on a regular basis and the unit was flooded with new grads while our experienced nurses took off for greener pastures. I currently make around $30/hour working as a psych nurse for the state. By transferring to the prison, I will still be with the state and keep all my benefits/retirement but I will be making over $43/hour. Not to mention it's less than 5 minutes from my house where my current job is 35 minutes from my house. Win-win. My husband has worked for Corrections as a Sergeant for years so I'm familiar with what I will be dealing with - not to mention a lot of our patients now come from the prison after they are released so I'm used the behavior. Good luck in your journey into Corrections!

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