reesern63

Actually, the one hospital where I worked banned them because of camera and video functions. They were concerned about HIPAA violations.

That's nice, but I'm looking for suggestions regarding navigating grants/scholarships, etc.

You are never "too old" to give a new specialty a try. The only mistake would be to not try and spend the rest of your career wishing you had.

I've come to the realization that if I try to do this going back to school thing out of my own pocket + the paltry tuition reimbursement I get from the hospital, I will be near retirement til I finally get my Master's degree. Does anyone know of any good resources for scholarships/grants? I tried looking through the different forums and didn't see anything that looked like it would address this issue. Google search yielded spotty results. Some of the apps. want all kinds of community service, which is kind of hard when you are working full-time and going to school already. Any suggestions from those who have BTDT?

I have, and for several years was a supporter. Regrettably, I can no longer give them my support.

Bear in mind the Magnet is a marketing tool. That's why it means so much to TPTB.

That was pretty rude. I understand your anxiety. I started my career in psych. We never floated, but I chose to leave after a few years because I was afraid of losing my skills. And it is true, you do lose certain skills (and gain others) when you go into psych. I hadn't been near in IV in nearly 5y. I was really stressed when I first started to have to deal with "medical stuff." It came back quickly, but it took time. To expect someone to just float from psych to a medical unit like rehab where you have the whole gamut of dx. and expect that nurse to take a full assignment and act as a staff member--sorry. Not without a lot of orientation, not without a skills review. Until I was satisfied that I had the skills to meet the basics for those pts., no way. I don't care who did what back when; I've been a nurse for a long time too and worked in several specialties. I would never dismiss someone for feeling anxious about floating to an area he/she was unfamiliar with. That is ridiculous. Not when we're talking about making the person take an assignment and act as a staff member. Yet another prime example of why people leave nursing. Do you ask your opthomologist to do your colonsocopy? I hope you can find a solution to your situation, maryx. Mine was to leave psych and get skills. Ultimately, I'm glad I did because it gave me more mobility, but only you can know what's best for you.

I would not introduce myself as "the Psych nurse that's been floated to help out..." You would be setting yourself up for a world of hurt doing that. If you really do not want to be cross-trained (and there is nothing wrong with that), then really, your options are limited. Psych. is one of those specialties that does limit your mobility, so if it is your true "calling," bear in mind that it may make reduce your choices for employment.

Thank you, Sharon, for consistently injecting reason into this thread. I'm not sure why the thread remains open since it is so far off the OP and the OP hadn't returned (would you blame her?). I appreciate your comments, in any case.

I'm sorry, but this is a perfect example of why nursing is not taken seriously as an educated profession.

The problem is, a lot of my time is taken up with requests for sodas, blankets, portable phones, etc. Rarely have I had a family member call me to the bedside because of legitimate concern. But if I don't "snap to" with meeting those requests, fits are thrown and admin. show up. I shudder to think what would happen if these families had the option of calling their own "codes." Yes, pt. comfort is important. But sometimes I actually am busy doing real patient care and can't quite get that Coke right this second. Sorry, mate.

Here's another example of a post where it's too darned bad you can't say "Thanks" more than once. Sorry, I have no faith in the sensibility of families and even less in administrators.

This has nothing to do with the OP.

I remember going to Birmingham once and being absolutely confounded by the accent the locals had. I'm a lifelong Yankee, so I spent a good deal of the time squinting at what people were saying, as if that would help me understand. I do understand the OP to a point. I get frustrated when I call tech. support for my computer and get someone who supposedly speaks English but who really is incomprehensible. And in healthcare, it's crucial that communication be clear. It's one thing if my laptop isn't behaving, quite another if a patient doesn't understand his medication regimen.

Yeah, made me scratch my head too.