Non-Traditional New Grad Seeking Job Advice

[DancinGal]

Hello fellow nurses! I am hoping to pick your collective brains and get some honest advice about choosing my first job out of nursing school (I graduate this May).

First, a little about me. I am not the typical new grad nurse. I am 45 years old, and have been an LPN for more than a decade (mostly working in LCF's with some skilled nursing units thrown in) and an STNA on a cardiac unit of a major hospital for a few years before that. My first career, before getting into healthcare, was in social services. I am now just about to complete a 2nd-degree BSN.

I know the conventional wisdom is to first and foremost get at least a year or two of bedside nursing experience, preferably on a med-surg unit, to get the lay of the land and develop solid assessment skills and nursing judgement. I completely understand the logic of this, and consider myself extremely fortunate to have already been offered a position in a nursing residency program at the largest hospital system in my area (I have been given the choice of either staying on the med-surg unit where I am doing my preceptorship, or going to the ED). 

However....  for the past decade I have also been doing a significant amount of volunteer work in the public/community health realm, and have discovered that is where my passion lies. Pre-pandemic, I was running large-scale vaccination clinics with my local MRC, and was one of two nurses responsible for a long-term disease management program at the local free-clinic. And for the past year, my involvement in public health has only increased, as I have become a member of the Covid Response Team at my state's department of health.  I love doing this kind of community based work, and at this point in my career I have a hard time imagining myself going back to a hospital setting. I am also a single parent with 2 elementary school kids at home and no local family support, so those 12 hour shifts with alternating weekends and holidays are really tough (and expensive!) from a childcare standpoint.

As it turns out, I have also been offered a position as a school nurse in the largest school system in my state. The pay is comparable to the hospital position, with much better benefits. The hours are fantastic for my work-life balance, allowing me to have summers and holidays off with my kids (and not having to scramble for last-minute babysitters every time there's a snow day!) They even pay into the same public employee retirement system where I already have 10 years vested.  Perhaps most importantly, it would allow me to remain in a community setting, utilizing some of those social services skills from my previous career, which is right up my alley.  And yes, I do actually enjoy being around kids all day, at least most days ? 

Honestly, I am having a hard time seeing a downside with the school nurse job, and am inclined to go for it.  However, in the back of my mind I do still have some nagging concerns about skipping that year or two of bedside nursing right out of school.  I do already have some pretty solid assessment skills from my years as an LPN, but obviously the scope of practice for an RN is much greater, and I just want to be smart about how I move forward.  Hoping to draw on the collective wisdom and experience of this group, and welcome any and all advice.  Thanks so much!

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

It sounds to me like you're selling your LPN experience short. You can pursue professional development geared towards the school job if you choose to do it. (The type of assessment you need in school health is different from assessing a med-surg patient in the hospital.)

If other aspects of the opportunity (schedule, pension, etc.) meet your needs- go for it!

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

You already have solid assessment skills and nursing judgement. You don't need  to put in a year of bedside. The school nurse position sounds PERFECT. 

 Best wishes, whatever you decide.

[CheesePotato, BSN, RN]

Who went right into their specialty without a lick of bedside nursing?  

This nurse.

No regerts.  <--intentional. 

You have to have passion about what you do and I really wish they would stop pushing that tired "you need at least two years of bedside nursing" thing on folks. 

Can it make it a bit easier depending on where you want to end up?  Sure!  Is it required for certain subspecialties? You bet!  Can it help you develop the "gut instinct" of nursing and hone your organization skills? Absolutely.  

But if you submit to it and hate every waking minute of it and it drives you away from nursing as a career, is it worth it?  

Well that answer is obvious. (Hint: No.)

Make your own path.

(and to be honest, reading your post....there really isn't a question.  You answered yourself midway through the post--you know exactly what you want to do.)

Kindest regards,

~~CP~~

["nursy", RN]

Most nurses would be envious of someone who knows exactly what she wants to do and has an opportunity to do it!    Go for it!

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

Sounds like you've got just about the perfect opportunity right in front of you, go for it! 

People tout the year of med-surg experience and I certainly thing that's valuable for many people. IF they want to work in acute care, don't already have years of experience with patients and assessments, and haven't already identified another long term career goal.

You can probably assess with the best of them after your LPN experience. You've found your passion, and a job to go with it. TAKE IT!! Good luck!

[TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN]

This sounds like a great opportunity for you, definitely go for it!

[DancinGal]

Thank you all for the encouragement!  My heart was already tugging me in that direction, guess I just need the confidence to follow my own path instead of worrying so much about what I'm "supposed to do."  

Jedrnurse: you mentioned professional development geared toward school nursing, which I think is a fantastic idea!  I noticed that you're a very experienced school nurse, do you (or anyone else here) have any suggestions that might get me pointed in the right direction?  

[Nunya, BSN]

I agree with everyone here but it seems that being a school nurse nowadays with Covid is really different from previously.  I urge you to go to the fb page "School Nursing" and read about some of the pros and cons of this job.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I agree with going to the specialty pages. Ask all the questions, knowing no job is perfect. Follow your heart, with your head firmly in the game.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Come visit AN's School Nursing forum.  Pages of sage advice there.  Members very helpful to nurses considering change to that specialty.

PS: They wear pink on Wednesdays.  ?

[JKL33]

Remember that the reason that getting some bedside experience as a new RN becomes general advice for so many people is because of the goals of so many people--not because it is philosophically the only thing that should ever be done.

You sound well-prepared to do what you want to do. So do it.

Acute care no longer deserves its reputation as a "must." If you can find fulfilling work as a nurse without darkening that particular door, go for it.