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Discussion

My problem with nursing

Everyone says about nursing, "Nursing is great because if you don't like one specialty you can change speciaties without changing careers". I always have liked that and have pointed that out to people as a great thing about nursing.

Now, here I am. I have experience in adult ICU. It interested me out of school and I figured back then that if I don't stay in that field, it would at least be a strong background f experience. Now I am a mom and want to change specialties. A lot of moms work full time and that is great but another thing about nursing I like is that I can work part time. Until now I guess. It seems that if I want to change specialties, I have to work full time. If I want to work part time, I have to stick with what I have experience in. So much for nursing being such a fexible career.

Advice for new grads or nurses that don't have kids yet and may want to work part time in the future - don't rely on "I can switch to that other specialty later". Think long and hard what you want to do and orient in that field NOW!

Featured Replies

That is an interesting point. It is much harder to make a speciality to speciality jump while being part time, though it is not impossible. The reason being there is expense incurred when you change specialities and it is hard to justify those expenses when you are part time.

  • Experts

In many places, you can switch to part time after you complete orientation and demonstrate that you are competent in the new field. Yes, you can switch -- but you have to make an investment in your career to do so. Are you willing to compromise and work full time temporarily? A prospective boss might agree to that.

this is my first time hearing about this as an issue. i know many nurses that have switched to part time in different specialties without any problem. i guess it depends on where you work.

  • Guides
this is my first time hearing about this as an issue. i know many nurses that have switched to part time in different specialties without any problem. i guess it depends on where you work.

I agree - I've never really encountered this or talked with a nurse who encountered this.

I would think as an ICU nurse, you would have excellent skills to offer other areas.

I went from rural nurse (Acute, ER, OB, Pre-op) to ER in a larger city (the drive killed me - 70 miles one way but the job was fun) and now I've applied to a surgery center. All part-time.

There are so many women who have kids that want to work part-time or take time off. Seems like hospitals would be very happy to accommodate these nurses.

steph

Yes, I am in the same situation. Adult ICU is a fine place to work long term for me. At least I had kids after I left med-surg.

I have just recently run into this myself - just recently switched from M/S to tele. I just look at it the way another poster has already said...that the FT gig is only temporary. I plan to hopefully be weekend option by or before June (to maintain the FT benes).

Frankly, I just want to get my year of tele in so I can then go for the NP (not really required at this point, but I don't think I would be a very good Cardiac NP with no hands on experience).

Anywayz, good luck to you!

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