UTAandGray

Greetings Butterfly 70, The DFW Metroplex was challenging long before the pandemic; I relocated here as an experienced RN in 2010 and had to work in a plasma center and an outpatient clinic before I was able to secure a hospital position. I was given three years to complete my BSN as a condition of hire there. If you are not willing to accept anything other than an acute care hospital, a commute or relocation may be necessary. Wishing you a new job soon for the New Year!

I had a patient return to the ED from x-ray and when the tech placed her back on the monitor, she was in idioventricular rhythm. She was a DNR, so all I could do was hold her hand for a moment and wait for the doctor to come pronounce her. I felt bad that I had missed her final moments on earth, so I softly spoke to her as I prepared her for the morgue and wished her a safe journey to her next destination. People die alone all over the world every single day; there's no guarantee loved ones will be there when it happens. Don't beat yourself up over this; you can't be everything to everyone.

I accepted a position at a magnet hospital and was given three years to earn my degree; my employer paid the tuition. It was just as difficult as the first time around, 25 years ago, because I had to work full time (5 days a week) and I have ADHD. I thought I might drop from exhaustion, sleeping approx. five hours a night; it was as close to hell as I want to get. I already had the knowledge but there was a lot of "busy" work. I'm single, independent and in my mid-fifties; unemployment is not an option and I live in an area where the degree is all but required to work in acute care. I graduated with honors last July and I couldn't be more proud of the accomplishment. Once you have looked at the personal factors of your life, you will arrive at the decision that works best for you.

I have done acute case management for nearly a decade now. I absolutely don't miss 12's or noc shift, but I occasionally need to take a few hours off for appointments because many businesses have the same work hours that I do. I have accepted the fact that I will always miss some aspects of bedside (I worked critical care) however, when I see how nurses are treated even worse now than when I started out 25 years ago, my work injury turned out to be a hidden blessing. Go for it; don't let fear of change make the decision for you.