limeorchidrn

My original plan was to become a nurse midwife. That was years ago but in any case, right after graduation I started in Labor and Delivery. I now wish that I had done some Med-Surg. I was told that I would be given a 6 month training period, well, the hospital was short staffed and I was already good at 'normal' labor and delivery so they started giving me my own pt's after about 2 weeks! Long story short, I was never trained and lost that golden window right out of school. I then hopped from job to job trying to find something I was capable of doing. I left my last position in 2005 when I gave birth to my youngest child and stayed home. I had no idea that this would essentially ruin my career all together! I only have an associates degree. Now I'm wondering how to best go about getting back into nursing. If I went for my BSN would I be able to be hired on again as a 'new graduate'? From what I have read about the refresher courses I am discouraged. It doesn't seem like you are likely to be hired via a refresher course. I don't especially care for dialysis however I have even considered going to school to be a dialysis tech, starting out as a tech and moving up to a nursing position from there. The thought of getting 'stuck' doing nothing but dialysis makes me sad though. This is however one of the only ways I can figure out to re-enter nursing. A kind of back door. My passion will always be women's health though. I am also VERY good at it and I am not as strong in other areas of nursing. If I could have my *ideal* job it would be working as either a telephone triage nurse for women's health/postpartum or as a nurse who does home visits after the birth of a child. I am realistic however and I know that I can't start back in my *ideal* job. I am also very strong with diagnostics however I have never heard of a nurse in this position. This is quite frustrating when I was often the one to give diagnosis to doctors. (OB/GYN docs see all kinds of pathology not related to their field--I was the 'go-to" person to diagnose a rash or a cough or an abdominal issue etc...) I am wondering if I have any chance of being hired on to work in an OB/GYN office? I am also living in another state now and so I can't use my network of friends in the field. As the days pass I am growing more and more depressed and hopeless. I feel really confused about how to best get back into nursing. If there are any human resources people out there, or other's who hire nurses I would love your feedback! Is going for my BSN a good way to re-enter as a new grad again? Also, I wonder about going back to the old hospital that hired me on right after graduation--the one that promised me 6 months training and never lived up to that promise. I wonder if I asked them to start over if they would. They know the situation as it was back then, there was no manager for our department and we were operating at 30% staffing. Any, I mean any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have to get out of this depression. I need to have a career that makes me feel like I am making the world a better place. I can't go work at McDonalds! Thank you for listening, lo