offered PHN position

[WhyMEok]

I was recently offered a PHN position at a county health dept. and am very excited and honored to have this opportunity. I have been a med/surg nurse for 18 mos out of nursing school. My only concern is that if I leave the bedside at this point, will I be able to return in the future if need be? I'm wandering if there are nurses out there who have gone from bedside to non-bedside and back again.

[wish_me_luck, BSN, RN]

Long term what do you want? If you want to go back to the hospital later, it might hurt you.

[MauriceRC]

I got a PHN position straight out of nursing school and after working for less than a year I was offered a hospital job in critical care. Do what you want to do now and the future will take care of itself.

[iPink, BSN, RN]

I actually want to leave my critical care setting for public health. I have my BSN, will a BSN suffice when looking into PHN?

[finallyRN7, BSN]

Ipink, most public health positions actually require a BSN, so you're certainly ahead of the game.

[iPink, BSN, RN]

Ipink, most public health positions actually require a BSN, so you're certainly ahead of the game.

Thanks. My post was almost a year ago when I was on a very busy, often stressful, acute care floor. I've seen transferred to a unit and specialty that I love and can't image leaving it for PH.