I need a change

[Mokiler30]

Well how can I start this......OK I have been a RN for about 9 just shy of 10 years. I have worked in rehabilitation centers and hospice care as a new grad probably 4 out of the 9 years and now in Dialysis. I started out feeling frustrated with my career because of not being able to get a job in the hospitals. But I ended up doing dialysis. This was supposed to be short term until I got the job position I wanted. After trying and failing so many times interview after interview I just started excepting the job I had. Now 5 year has passed and I want to get out of the specialty and onto a hospital unit. I finished school got my BSN and now filling out applications everywhere I can. I got my first rejection this week.....That was horrible. But what was weird is I have the experience as a RN under my belt, now my BSN and they tell me " Sorry but we are not excepting your level of expertise but feel free to keep applying". What?! Here I am looking for a position and they tell me no because of my background in Dialysis and the fact I work acutes on all units of the hospital ( CICU, Neuro, surgical, etc.) OK now that I am done venting could someone please help....Give me some pointers. I just need to know what I can do to transition to a regular floor nurse position in the hospital? I was thinking to try certification to help my resume look more appealing. What can I do?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

I would guess that you are living in an area where there is absolutely no shortage of nurses and employers can be picky. If that's the case, would you be able to relocate to an area that needs nurses, even if temporarily, to get acute care experience? Certification means that one is proficient in a specialty- if you haven't worked in it, how can you be proficient? You may not even qualify for the majority of specialty certifications without a set number of years direct experience.

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

What areas of nursing are you interested in? ICU, Med-Surg, Neuro, Onc, OR, PACU, ER, Ambulatory (clinics)? Are you applying to experienced positions vs new grads.. See if there are fellowships since you have not worked in an acute care setting, i.e direct in-patient care. You do not need a new grad program, however, some hospitals will have a specialized program for specialty units that involve course work as well as preceptorship.