Hospital vs Homecare

[TheLorax]

Hello everyone!!

I passed my boards in August of 2014. I have been working part time/per diem jobs in order to keep time open for leisure travel, which I highly value. I traveled for almost a year just after passing my boards and then started my first job as an RN at a sleep over summer camp for 2 months. After camp I started working as a substitute/interim RN at a special needs school. I worked at the school "full time" while a nurse was on maternity leave then continued to fill in on days off and when nurses called in sick. I then started working per diem at a pediatric homecare agency working primarily with kiddos that have various seizure disorders, GJ tubes, trachs, ect... Currently I work mostly homecare, averaging 38hrs/week, but still hold per diem status so I can leave for trips when they are planned. I work at the summer camp each summer, and still fill in at the school when asked.

That was all background, now to the real question.

I have always thought that I would be an RN in the hospital setting. I never considered working homecare/school nursing until I caught the travel bug and now LOVE to travel and learn about other cultures and people. Every nurse I come by tells me I NEED to work in a hospital or rehab to get that acute care experience. Right now, I don't really have an interest in the hospital setting. Is that bad? I am worried that in a few years I will want to work in a hospital and it will be extremely difficult to secure a job since I didn't get that acute care experience in my first few years of nursing. What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading!!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Hello everyone!!

I passed my boards in August of 2014. I have been working part time/per diem jobs in order to keep time open for leisure travel, which I highly value. I traveled for almost a year just after passing my boards and then started my first job as an RN at a sleep over summer camp for 2 months. After camp I started working as a substitute/interim RN at a special needs school. I worked at the school "full time" while a nurse was on maternity leave then continued to fill in on days off and when nurses called in sick. I then started working per diem at a pediatric homecare agency working primarily with kiddos that have various seizure disorders, GJ tubes, trachs, ect... Currently I work mostly homecare, averaging 38hrs/week, but still hold per diem status so I can leave for trips when they are planned. I work at the summer camp each summer, and still fill in at the school when asked.

That was all background, now to the real question.

I have always thought that I would be an RN in the hospital setting. I never considered working homecare/school nursing until I caught the travel bug and now LOVE to travel and learn about other cultures and people. Every nurse I come by tells me I NEED to work in a hospital or rehab to get that acute care experience. Right now, I don't really have an interest in the hospital setting. Is that bad? I am worried that in a few years I will want to work in a hospital and it will be extremely difficult to secure a job since I didn't get that acute care experience in my first few years of nursing. What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading!!

If you don't really want to work in a hospital setting, there's no need to do so. However, if you anticipate EVER wanting to work in a hospital setting, it's probably best to get that experience now so you'll be hirable later. Your first year in a hospital, you'll probably have to work full time, but there will be ways to take short vacations or even a longer one as long as it's not during the high-demand times. After the first year, many managers will let you drop down to part time or per diem. Consider staying a full two years and then you would be able to travel in that specialty. Travel nursing is a good way to experience different locations around the country on a short term basis. You would also be more attractive to Doctors Without Borders, Peace Corps, etc. with two years of acute care experience.

Hospital schedules -- especially if you work 12 hour shifts -- are very flexible. I used to work 3 on - 1 off- 3 on and then have a week to go camping and scuba diving or travel to Mexico, or whatever. Add in a couple of holidays and a vacation day or two and you have 10 days. You can arrange your schedule to "stack" your days or trade with colleagues so that you work all of your shifts at the start of this schedule and at the end of next schedule and potentially have six weeks off -- if your unit's policy allows this. Mine did. Many of my friends from the Philippines would trade shifts to cover someone's month stay "at home". I helped cover their shifts and in return, they'd cover mine.

Travel is wonderful, educational, stimulating, fun . . . just make sure you're building something career-wise that will support you and any family you choose to build on down the road.

[TheLorax]

Ruby, thank you so much for that advice. No one in my family is in the medical profession at all so it's hard to talk to my family and get sound advice about my career.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Ruby, thank you so much for that advice. No one in my family is in the medical profession at all so it's hard to talk to my family and get sound advice about my career.

You're welcome. Hope I gave you something to think about.