Nursing Student at a Crossroads

[3TimesACharm]

Hi! I will graduate with my ADN in May of 2013. I have 20+ years in Office Administration/Management and want to utilize that to some extent in my nursing career. I have a bad knee and I know that I cannot run the floors long term. I enjoy the time I have done bedside nursing in clinical and I look forward to it. But I recognize my limits, and I don't want to end up having to get a knee replacement.

I am currently looking for a job as a Tech to get my foot in the door in a hospital before I graduate. And I've decided that I'd like to have my cake and eat it too, so, after reading almost all of the posts here in the Case Management forum, I have devised an idea about how to increase my chances to become a CM or UR nurse, while maintaining experience on the floor.

Here goes: I plan to work as a Tech until I graduate and work in Med-Surg for 2-3 years to gain a relatively solid foundation in Nursing. Honestly, I don't want to do Med Surg:no:, but I hear it is the best way overall to get good experience that transfers pretty much anywhere in nursing. So, I will do it. I also will speak to the Case Managers at my hospital and express my interest to them in order to hopefully transition to that arena through them.

At the same time, I plan to look for a basic position as an admin (or anything) with an insurance company. I want to get my foot in the door with a company that hires Case Managers/ UR Nurses, so that I will have a step up once I apply for a CM/UR position.

I was thinking that I could eventually do CM/UR and keep a bedside position PRN so as to keep my skills fresh and continue to learn. This will keep me in the loop in case I need to expand my experience, without starting over. By PRN, I'm thinking working one or two shifts every 2 weeks. I really don't care if the job is at a hospital or an insurance company at this point, since anything will be good experience for me. I'm trying to get my plan in place now, since I'm starting my job search. Also, I will complete my BSN online within 12 months, so I will have that by 2014.

I'd like to hear any feedback from you guys. I really hope this isn't a repetitive post, because so many of them are. This is more about my focused plan. And for those that think I should have many years of experience, I do believe that 2-3 years in Med-Surg would be tremendously helpful to me. I know I want to go into this field right out of school, but I have to learn the ropes of nursing first. Does this sound like a decent plan? Thanks, everyone!

[paradiseboundRN]

I love that you have a plan. But, trying to plan that far into the future is difficult. However, what you can plan is furthering your education. With a higher degree you are more likely to be successful finding a desk type job which would be better for your knee. But remember, when you become an RN, you may think very differently about your opportunities. After a couple of years, case management may no longer interest you, or the job will be drastically changed. Who knows, may the new Obama-care may create other jobs that don't even exist now. So right now, try to enjoy Med-Surg and keep your eyes, ears, and mind open to all the opportunities that may come your way. Good luck!