Getting back on track.

[US-RN]

While I had always thought I would be a nurse and did get my BSN, I never wanted to be a bedside nurse or even work in a hospital. I went there out of college because I listened to people tell me that I should "go to Med-Surg to gain experience. Hind sight is of course 20-20 vision. I tell all of the student nurses who come though NOT to listen to ppl who say that IF they already know that they have a desire to be in a certain area of nursing. As a new grade, and with the nursing shortage, most places will teach you what they want you to know out of school. The same is NOT true of "seasoned nurses". It has been my experience that once you are in an area for an period of time, you tend to get "locked" into it. Other area don't readily give you the opportunity to more into an area that you might find more fulfilling.

In my case I have been in Med-Surg for 9 years with a 5 year break thrown in between that time to do Utilization Review (all within the same government agency). The problem is that I have always wanted to work in a doctor's office or clinic even out of college. Now I have to figure out how to get back on track so that I can actually enjoy the nursing field since I absolutely HATE everything about the hospital setting except for the pay. Unfortunately since I have been there for a while, I also have to take into consideration the pay cut (this would not have been an issue right out of school, because I was making minimum wages then) and the fact that I have a son now in college, a house and other bills.

I have been looking to see if there is some refresher course that I can take to put me in a better position to make a move as opposed to having to go back and get a Masters in a field like community health or some such thing.

It is frustrating, disheartening, and scary to be in a position like this especially if you have a tendency to be a rationale thinker who does not just "take leaps of faith" without knowing to a reasonable certainty that the plan is also reasonable and doable.

:-(

[passnclex]

If, getting back on track sounds hard for you, you should hear what it is I have to do. I graduated with a Assoc. degree 11 years ago. I never got into my nursing, nor did I pass my nclex exam at that time. I began working as a director at a daycare, and just got comfortable. I am now ready to pursue my nursing, and don't know where to begin. I will study for my nclex, pass, and look for a job in a clinic. I don't want to work in a hospital either. Stay encouraged and know that there is always somebody worst off than yourself. At least you've been working as a nurse for quite a while. Good luck in switching over to another area. I'm sure you'll do fine. Stay encouraged, and believe! Anything is attainable if only you believe!