Is It Hard to Go From Psych RN to Other Specialty?

[PHhopeful]

Starting out as a new grad in an outpatient psychiatric RN position, would it be difficult in the future to transition to another "specialty" such as community-based maternal and child health nursing? I know it can be hard to transition between acute care and community-based health; I'm only curious about transitioning between populations in the outpatient setting.

Also, as a BSN prepared nurse with this experience, would it be difficult to get accepted to an FNP program in the future? I know some programs, such as UCSF, require community health experience before applying, but wondering if psychiatric nursing would qualify.

[nurse lala, BSN, RN]

I am not knowledgable re FNP, BUT I can speak for my experience working areas besides MH. As a new grad I went directly to an locked adolescent unit. A frequent issue I encountered were broken bones from hitting walls. I became well versed in MH care but started worrying about the medical complications that may occur and feared I might miss something, such as fat emboli. After 5 years in MH I worked a year in M/S and learned so much, that I felt confident to return to MH. I was single and the money was good, so I would take time off, to work the registry. With my experience, they sent me on many different types of care, usually stuff with difficult patients or family members. I did extended home health care, either with one client 8-12h shifts or many clients in one day with different needs: IV, foley, trach care, blood draws, etc. I found that many options were available to me because I was fearless in taking any assignment, with the condition that the facility was aware I was a novice in specialty care, such as a cardiac unit. Many hospitals are willing to take you because they need that warm body.

I believe our training makes us the ideal employee, working any job, even non-nursing. We have the skill sets, all you need is to be willing and the opportunities avail themselves.