Nurse Transitioning

[PiaLove, BSN, RN]

Hello my Professional Colleagues,

I write to you because I am a registered nurse ( Michigan State Graduate, 2002) with a story to tell...or write...which ever you prefer. I have been in homecare for about 2 years, with experience in ICU, Public Health Nursing, and School Nursing. Applying for jobs at the hospital, I was met with a lot of resistance. You know... " A homecare nurse doesn't have the skill set necessary to become a med/surg nurse, etc." Which made me very focused on proving them wrong! Nonetheless, the point is not to wade in the sorrow of the many denials I have experienced, but to ask others if they to have experienced something similar?

So here is the question that perhaps I was supposed to have the answer to years ago... WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO RETURN TO THE HOSPITAL OR CLINICAL SETTING AFTER DOING HOMECARE?

[Grace Oz]

I cannot speak for how things are in the USA, PiaLove, but here in Australia, it seems once you leave, - or were never in, - acute care nursing, it is a challenge to get into.

I know many places here request the nurse to have worked in acute care in the past two years, and/or have had a minium of XYZ years expereince in acute care nursing to be able to obtain a position! :icon_roll:rolleyes:

It's one of those; between a rock and a hard place kind of situations.

I guess, given the current acute care nursing environment, perhaps employers only want staff with updated skills and who are ready to roll so to speak. They don't want to/haven't got time, resources, staff etc, to help assist the new nurse to obtain or refresh the knowledge/skills needed to work in that area. I'm just assuming here, and really one should never assume.

I know the nursing agencies here will only employ nurses with recent (previous 2 years) acute care experience. It's what their client's ( the hospitals)demand.

Would it be possible for you to undetake any kind of course which might help facilitate your return to acute nursing?

I wish you all the very best.

[Grace Oz]

PiaLove, can I draw your attention to the thread: "Hired in 24 hours" here on this forum. It might prove both informative and inspirational to you.

Good Luck! :)

[80sNurse]

@ my clinical refresher course the instructor went around the first day & asked all of us old-timers (mostly) how many years of DIRECT patient care experience we had & how many years since. In her mind (and most nurses') HOME CARE COUNTS!! That only shows lack of understanding of level of solo-decision-making and top-notch assessment skills home care nurses have. Those are things you can brag about (besides BIG documentation skills, doing tons of lab draws, handling lots of patient/family issues, MuCh patient teaching...