I feel unmarketable

[knat1990, MSN, RN]

I have been a pedi psych nurse fresh out of school for three years with a BS in Psych, ADN, and now MSN. I feel unmarketable because I am still a relatively new nurse with only psych experience. I have been thinking about trying to get into pedi acute care. How can I make myself sound more hireable? I only got the MSN because I wanted to stay competitive and did not see the value in a second Bachelor's. I fear I am too inexperienced for nursing leadership and acute care.

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

You are certainly marketable in psych! If you want to get into pedi, try getting ANY medical job you can, while still keeping your hand in pedi-psych. Then once you've got some medical under your belt, people might be more willing to give you a shot at pedi acute care.

Have you thought about APRN with a mental health specialization? It would mean more school, but it might be interesting and rewarding for you...

[Loli87, BSN, RN]

You sound marketable to me! Keep pushing!!

[knat1990, MSN, RN]

Thank you so much! I made it to round two of interviews on a medical floor. Fingers crossed!

[verene, MSN]

Congrats! Another way to go to move towards acute pedi (assuming you are working with adults now) is to get a psych pedi job, than move towards medical pedi - though it sounds like you are already moving over towards medical! 

Do NOT underestimate the skills working in psych will give you that others don't have and market the heck out of those skills. A lot of psych is soft skills which are MUCH harder to teach some one compared to some of the more technical skills in other areas of nursing.