How Do I Move from Home Care to Acute Care?

[MemoryRevenge]

Hello,

Two years ago, I graduated from an accelerated nursing program. I had no previous healthcare experience and few prospects, so I took the first nursing job I was offered as a private duty pediatric home care nurse.

I have been with the company for a little over two years now and want to move into acute care while I'm still young. I love working with kiddos but my passion during nursing school was adult med/surg. I recently started to focus my job search on Peds positions but wouldn't mind working on an adult med/surg unit. However, a recent interview has me terrified that I have lost too much of my knowledge base. The interview was for a position on a neuro or ortho unit. They asked me about PCAs and hip precautions - things I haven't thought about since nursing school because none of my patients have had PCAs and only one has been on hip precautions. Things did not go well and I'm afraid I let down the nurse who pushed to get me the interview. The result is this post.

Should I brush the experience off as poor interview prep and a sign to only look for pediatric position? Or is my fear valid and I need to do something to refresh that knowledge?

Any advice is welcome.

[MemoryRevenge]

jawatson87,

I received your message but can't reply to it because I haven't been posting here long enough to send private messages. Do you mind if I answer your question here?