Unique Situation - Re-entering Nursing

[aobf]

I would greatly appreciate some advice...

I am a nurse by trade, receiving a BSN degree in 1997 and working some Respiratory Home care and private duty nursing for 1 year.

I was lured into leaving nursing and take a good job working for a healthcare software vendor. After 17yrs in healthcare IT and entering my early fourties, I'm finding myself looking for a new opportunity, one that is more rewarding. These thoughts are bringing me back to my beginnings, Nursing.

The problem I see infront of me is two fold, getting an opportunity and making enough money to sustain my family's standard of living (my salary is comparable to an working RN with 17yrs experience).

On this forum, I'm looking for advice,comments,feedback on the first issue which is re-entering the nursing field. By the way, I have maintained my RN license. I'm curious if most of you feel this might be a lost cause or an incredible uphill battle not worth fighting.

I'm wondering if trying to get a per diem job at a doctors office as a start and then move to bedside nursing. Use my vacation to take refresher course and apply for per diem bedside nursing or look for FTE with OT.

Lastly, yes - I recognize one of my biggest mistakes was not staying with nursing at least for a few years before moving on. Its hard though when your 23 and offered more money, no OT, salary, travel,etc. LOL

I'd love to hear some thoughts and any suggestions on moving forward.

[caliotter3]

I think that it will be an uphill battle and that expecting a commensurate salary is a lost cause. If you truly need the salary, then stick with your current job and enter nursing on a part time basis. A good avenue for this would be to reenter extended care. Ask for a stable case, for one or two shifts a week to get yourself used to the routine again. As time progresses, you can still be pursuing a full time RN possibility, or you can transition into full time home health care. Later on, if you want, you might want to move to intermittent visits or an office case manager role, or even a clinical nursing supervisor role. At any rate, you will find getting further nursing job offers to be easier once you can start listing current nursing experience. Good luck.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Your state board of nursing will be able to give you information on refresher courses, and I strongly recommend that you take one. Things have changed a lot since 17 years ago, and you don't want to be the newbie who says so fifteen times a day in her first new job.

[aobf]

Thank you both for responding, great information.