Next move- give me your thoughts on what to do next!

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello!

I'm coming up on my 3 year anniversary on my inpatient ortho/neuro surgical unit and my life has changed a lot in the past year. I got divorced (2/15,) bought a house (5/15) and had my first injury related to patient care (~2months ago, but impacting me daily.) I had a realization this morning that while I love my job, my co-workers, and the patient population I serve, I can't see living with chronic pain for the rest of my career (not to mention my life!) (please don't lecture me on mechanics/lifts etc. I made it three years without incident but with my patient pop. sometimes we get hurt.)

I have a set schedule, which I like (the same three 12s every week!) though I wish I had an entire weekend off sometimes. My ex and I have worked out joint custody that works with my schedule and I like having entire weekdays off. I've been looking forward to camping with my kids this summer, and I enjoy volunteering for field trips etc (things that would be harder with a 9-5 job)

I've always planned to go into deeper into Gerontology or Hospice nursing at some point, and I would like to go back and get my Master's or become a NP, but thats a few years down the road.

There are a couple of job openings in my system that I find interesting. One is in Hospice (says inpatient, but also says community nursing), another is in Day Surgery. What are your thoughts on those opportunities? Do you have any pearls of wisdom to share?

Thanks in advance!

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