How do you keep your clinical skills sharp?

[mon00707]

Hello, I graduated with my ASN in August 2012 and I could not find a job in my area at a local hospital for a year so I finally applied to a behavioral health facility and found a job 3 months ago. That being said, I have been wanting to keep up with my med surge skills but I dont know what to do. The facility I work in is not medical and if people get hurt we send them to the hospital as we only treat mental health. we have the occasional blood glucose checks and things like that but nothing major. I have seen that a local hospital offers ACLS training certification and wondered if I could qualify for that. any ideas? I don't want to lose my clinical medical skills.

[Davey Do]

After graduating from the Nursing Program, I made contacts in various areas of Medical-Based Nursing, and made a nuisance of myself. This action afforded me affirmation of medical skills learned and exposure to more processes and procedures.

I've bounced in and out of the Medical areas of Nursing over the years, which kept the Medical knowledge and experience in the forefront.

For the past ten plus years, I've worked predominately in Gero-Psych, whose population has its share of Medical.

I am also married to a Med-Surg Nurse and we routinely discuss her Cases.

So, the way that I've kept my Clinical Skills sharp is by making contacts, working in the Medical areas of Nursing for periods of time, combining my Psych Specialty with Medical, and marrying a Medical Nurse.

If we make a commitment to something, and invest some time and energy in that commitment, doors will open for us.

Good luck to you, mon00707, in applying these concepts to your endeavor.

[Davey Do]

Oh, and one other thing: I worked, in my spare time, for a Home Health Agency per diem as a second job.

[302queen]

i work the occasional medsurg or er shift at the hospital i work at usually 3 or 4 shifts a month

[mon00707]

I was thinking of applying at some of the local hospitals again to see if I could work a few shifts a month but without experience I doubt they would hire me on part time like that because I have no real experience. I will have to figure out what to do, thanks for the advice.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I have seen that a local hospital offers ACLS training certification and wondered if I could qualify for that.

Anyone--and I really mean ANYONE--can enroll in an ACLS class. You need not be a nurse or other healthcare provider to do so...though why someone not working in healthcare would want to take ACLS is beyond me. But they could if they wanted to. If your local hospital won't let you enroll, go to the AHA website to find an ACLS class in your community.

I take any chance I get to do a physical assessment...not always head-to-toe, but usually focused. I also float to detox/CD and eating disorders, both of which have more medical issues d/t the nature of the psych disorders.

I also do a lot of reading and CEUs. Every shift I work, I make a list of 5 things to look up (medical or psych) when I get home...and I do just that.