Long-Term Care Nurse Seeking Acute Care Job...I think

[ornurse12, BSN, RN]

Hello all,

I find myself in a long-term dilemma.

Here's the spiel...prepare yourself:

I have worked in LTC since becoming a nurse (which is not long, just a little over 1.5 years) and have worked in the same nursing home since I was a CNA. I have therefore developed some attachment to the residents and staff and feel very comfortable in my shoes there. Recently, I have thought often about starting in acute care nursing but am divided in my decisions. I would like to gain the experience of working in acute care and have that on my resume as I will be moving a few states over once I get married in another year so I can at least have more options for jobs (I can see if I would like to stay in LTC or not). A fast-paced environment greatly interests me and I love learning new things and applying that knowledge, so I think acute care would be appropriate for me (even though I am running endlessly in my current job in LTC).

The areas that most interest me (after having those experiences in clinicals and precepting) are the OR (specifically SDS) and the ICU. Common desires, it seems, yet not necessarily obtainable at this point. And I have a niggling passion for wounds. I also would be glad just to have some med/surg experience.

There are a few hospitals within a half-hour of me with the majority having 20-25 beds and one hospital that has 150 (with a bad rep to go along with the numbers). One small hospital had a great environment while I was doing clinicals and I have often thought about working there, but am concerned about staying busy as sometimes they have less than 5 patients.

It would be a wise choice career-wise, I think in the long-run, but I am young and have plenty of years to gain experience.

Right now, I'm concerned about this change, though, due to security with my current job and great hours and have considered going to PRN in acute care, but am then concerned about not getting the "full" experience in acute care. I'm also concerned about big changes until after the summer when my fiance is to deploy--I'd like to spend time with him (he's a few states over, so planning is needed) and not be concerned about working wacky hours and miss seeing him (once he deploys it really makes no difference what hours I work because there is a time difference and he'll work rotating shifts...there is no "good" hours to match up with that). I also am in school getting my BSN, and coincidentally, the end of my program wraps up around the time my fiance deploys. Finally, I'd like to be close to where I work (mainly due to convenience and being able to make it into work in our terrible winters), so some moving may be needed dependent on where I decide would be the best bet. It would probably be a big change.

Right now I have comfort and security during a time of busyness, but I would like some experience for personal gain and future opportunities.

This is a personal question that I really just need to think on for myself, but I keep on going back and forth (thus the time of posting as my mind cannot rest just yet), so some opinions and advice would be more than welcome to help put my mind at ease.

Do you think that less than a year's experience as full-time in an acute setting would be a worthwhile endevour or should I be starting now? I see a lot of times where hospitals post "2 years acute experience required"...yet I know that people with less are able to get those jobs. I would hope that a willingness to learn and a show of competency would get you somewhere even if you didn't have those magical two years.

I often think that the current stability is well needed at this time of my life and that adventure and experience can wait until my life has slowed down and I can actually focus on change rather than stress over it. I have the opportunity to do clinicals in one of those smaller hospitals this summer for my BSN, so hopefully that will help straighten things out. I know at some point in the near future I will be making the change to a different area of nursing, but I don't know if right now is appropriate.

It all boils down to: should I stay, should I go, or should I wait?

Thoughts (and thank-you to anyone who actually took the time to read that mess!)?