Moving to floor nursing from...

[NightNerd, MSN, RN]

Inpatient hospice?

So, I worked as a CNA in hospice even before going into nursing school and loved it. I got a job with the same organization after I graduated school, and I only kind of love it. It's been a little over a year now, and I'm beginning to feel perhaps a little burnt out, and I wonder what else is out there. I've dusted off my resume, researched a few jobs at local hospitals, and am ready to start applying for something new.

I've thought about this extensively over the past few weeks, and here are the questions I'm still wrestling with:

-Before determining that I am relatively bored (for lack of a better word) with the work I'm doing now, I had been planning on going back to school next spring. Would it be better to do that first, or does it make sense to look for the new job now if I am unhappy? I feel like the longer I stay where I am, the less I am using of my critical thinking and certain skills. Hospice is challenging in a lot of ways, but I feel like I haven't had to use much of what I learned in school, at least not on the regular. However, if I stay where I am for the next couple of years, the tuition reimbursement would be a huge help, and perhaps the extra knowledge and letters that come with a BSN would be an incredible asset in the eventual job search.

-What kinds of jobs should I look for in hospitals? My goal is to gain a better understanding of just...everything I haven't been using over the past year. For some reason the idea of Ortho appeals to me, but I'm thinking general Med-Surg would be overall better experience. ICU also looks terrifying but fascinating. Maybe not ED right away...Help me focus my search? Long-term career goals are all over the place, but nurse education and forensic nursing have long held the greatest appeal for me, if that makes a difference.

-I have pulled out my textbooks and notes from school and have been reviewing a little bit at a time. The amount of information I've forgotten is BAD, guys. What would you focus on studying in my shoes?

Thanks for any feedback you can provide!