TinyDancer760

I've been traveling for a couple of years. I concur that the 1 year of RN experience in the specialty you want to travel in will be necessary to get placed. If you have to move for work, you might consider finding a hospital that will pay relocation expenses. Many will.

Case management travel positions are out there. I think you can find almost any specialty as a travel nurse. I have even seen travel nurse manager postings. I travel as an operating room nurse, but positioning patients and moving beds and equipment around can also be strenuous.

When I graduated from nursing school I also thought I wanted to be a CRNA. I went straight to the ICU, worked hard, got my experience, then I married a soldier and ended up in a town hundreds of miles from any anesthesia schools. I am now an OR nurse and it was the best career move I could have made. Charting is the least of what I do. As a circulator I am responsible for the safety of everyone in the OR suite. Providing a safe environment of care for the patient and the team is a huge part of what I do. Removing hazards in the room, managing electrical cords, placement of equipment, patient positioning, all important things a circulator does. Knowing if a patient is medically safe to even have surgery is a big circulator responsibility too. I feel like more than anything, it is a risk management job. I think transferring after 6 months on the floor is perfectly appropriate. You gave it a fair shot, you hate it, don't dread going to work anymore. Transfer and do something you like doing.

I just got accepted into a perioperative 101 program that starts the end of this month! I am very excited. I have been a nurse for 6 years and have worked in a variety of areas in that time, but this will be a whole new skill set for me. I would like to keep in touch with the nurses here who are just starting out in the OR as well :) I could use the camaraderie!

I worked in an LTACH for a year. I worked both shifts. On days typical patient load was 4-5 and nights was 5-6. Previous to working in the LTACH I was an ICU nurse. Time management skills for me was a huge learning curve going from 2 patients to 6. LTACH patients have a ton going on medically. They are very sick, but are well enough to sit on that call light! This was the most demanding job I ever had, but I also used the widest breadth of nursing skills in this position and learned so much.

I was 22 when I graduated from nursing school. I went to work in an ICU right away. I have done this type of work for 2 years now. I am getting ready to apply to graduate school to become a nurse practitioner. The program I am interested in is a dual program in which I will earn both family nurse practitioner and acute care nurse practitioner certifications. It has clinical rotations in primary care as well as an emergency residency. I only mention this, because it sounds like you may be interested in doing something similar. If you think ER or ICU is what you would like to do try it. When you get to your preceptorship in your last semester of nursing school, see if you can get a preceptor in one of these areas. Also, many hospitals hire new grads into these areas as well. Personally, it has taken me 2 years as a nurse to become comfortable calling myself a nurse. Take your time, the experience you gain as an RN will help direct you to the right type of NP program.

I am late learning about this program and did not apply for fall, but I intend to apply for spring. For those of you who attend this fall I would be so appreciative if you would share your experiences in the program. I will apply for the emergency concentration.