Is It Possible To Get Back Into Med/surg?

Trauma Columnist · Aug 1, 2006

What about taking a year and getting some local experience? Otherwise, take a refresher course and then try for it.

gitterbug · Aug 2, 2006

Travel companies want a nurse who can "hit the floor and roll with the punches". I would advise getting a local job, working for a year, and the applying for a travel position. I learned the hard way once, talked to a dozen companies, was off for 6 months d/t broken leg, well, they sure let me know I was not up to the minute in my skills. It turned me off of them.

Some facilities in resort areas offer seasonal jobs, complete with living quarters, that may be another way to get your feet wet. But, I really think you will just have to bite the bullet and work at a regular job for a year.

Have a great day.

mojofla · Aug 12, 2006

cat 123 ....I over the past 1-2 years have precepted 2RN's who were in the re-entry program at our hospital. One was a RN who had been out of nursing raising her children for past 7-8 years. The other was a corrections RN who wanted to return to the hospital. Many hospitals are now offering nurse re-entry programs to get those nurses back who have left the hospital setting(no fee charged. Maybe have to work for hospital set time). Both nurses were precepted full time by me for 3 months. Both were great nurses...very sharp but were shocked at the major changes and high work load. Both went to night shift eventually because of the demands. One came back to 1 day/week. the other stayed on nights but cut back to 2 nights/week and presently took some per diem in a surgicenter. Maybe you can look for a program like that. Some hospitals are improving their ratios now. One of them took the community college refresher course but stated it didn't really make a difference. Another RN I worked with took college refresher course also said not much help.

GOOD LUCK

Nemhain · Oct 15, 2006

I just want to ask every one if and how I could possibly get back into med/surg? I have been out of nursing for awhile due to some craziness in my life and now I would like to get back to it but am finding most jobs are with travel companies who want recent experience or the hospitals want recent experience. Any one have any ideas? Please:rotfl:

I think you should definitely buy a new edition Med/Surg book and do a 15 - 30 minute review every night for a few months just to brush up on some of the more common diseases and disorders.

I recently spoke to a continuing ed. teacher that taught a nurse refresher course over the summer and she said one of the RN's in there had been away from nursing since 1974 !!! Uh, 32 years away from nursing... HOLY MOLY. Uh, I don't know about you, but I can only imagine the culture shock that nurse is gonna be blown away by. If that nurse can do it then you should be able to do it (I'm assuming you haven't been away for more a few years).

(A tiny bit off topic, but it just popped into my head...)

I understand that nurses who leave the profession to pursue other interests don't develope amnesia, but what does everyone think about RN's who've been totally away from nursing for more than 30 years returning to the work force??? More power to them, but really, how much can they remember after 30 years????? Does anyone think that there should be limitations as too how long a nurse can be away from the profession when seeking to return to it?

veegeern, BSN, RN · Oct 16, 2006

...(A tiny bit off topic, but it just popped into my head...)
I understand that nurses who leave the profession to pursue other interests don't develope amnesia, but what does everyone think about RN's who've been totally away from nursing for more than 30 years returning to the work force??? More power to them, but really, how much can they remember after 30 years????? Does anyone think that there should be limitations as too how long a nurse can be away from the profession when seeking to return to it?

I personally can't imagine coming back into nursing after that many years, and I'm basing my opinion on the volume of new information that I've had to assimilate since I became a nurse almost 3 years ago. After 30 years, I think it would be like starting all over from the beginning. How would you even know what you didn't know?:chair:

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Oct 20, 2006

Look into any local hospitals and see if they offer nurse refresher courses. Many nurses do just fine after taking them. Good luck