How to move from SNF to hospital

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2015

I feel as if I am learning bad skills that aren't what I remember bring good nursing skills in school.

You are learning valuable skills in SNF whether you realize it or not. You will need to play up your current skill set if your goal is to get hired at an acute care hospital.

Some of the skills you learn in SNF overlap with ones you'd perform in acute care nursing. For instance, you assess patients, change incisional dressings, administer PEG tube feedings, deal with IV lines, remove sutures and staples, supervise CNAs, perform vital sign checks, practice time management, chart according to Medicare guidelines, and do a whole host of tasks.

Another feat that would help you get a foot into the door of a hospital would be to attain ACLS and PALS certifications. Good luck to you.

simonsmom · Mar 4, 2015

Okay, that is good to know. I have put all that down in my resume, because I do all of that. I am also the "charge nurse" on the floor as I work NOC shift, meaning I am the only RN on the floor at night for about 100 patients. A little scary for a new grad, but I just had to go with it and ask the senior LVN for guidance on some things. I have ACLS, EKG and of course BLS. I will look into PALS as all of those classes are a pretty penny. Thanks for the feedback!

firstinfamily, RN · Mar 6, 2015

Make sure you emphasize your organizational skills on your resume. Also, can you use your clinical experiences from nursing school on your resume? Any acute experience will need to be documented on your resume, can you use any of your instructors for a professional reference?? Good Luck, it is difficult to change into acute care from LTC without previous acute care experience.