Hey, Renee! Good to see your photo again!
Since I was out of hospital nursing for nearly the same length of time until 4 weeks ago, I feel pretty qualified to answer your question:
-the biggest change I have seen, without question is how staff is utilized. They are moved like chess pieces to accomodate staffing needs. Just because you are assigned to an aarea does NOT mean that is the area (or even the CAMPUS-our hospital has 2 in the same town) you will be working. I move between the medical and surgical floors frequently during the day because of my position. I rarely see the same folks in the same place twice!
-IV pumps have changed since I last worked in-house. They are all digital, and are becoming smaller and smaller!
-while our charting remains all done on paper, all meds are charted on computer. All orders are entered on the computer, which is nothing new for me, from before.
-there are quite a few "younger" nurses, as you might expect to find, in 5 years away. We are looked at as senior nurses, and as good resource folks. I've already been called that, and used by younger nurses in that capacity. Kind of like an "elder stateswoman", if you will! LOL! It is a little bit weird, but I guess we have to expect this, the older and more experienced we get!
I'm sure that you will be fine. It is kind of like riding a bicycle.
