Nicole93

My plan is to first graduate and then pass my NCLEX exam sometime this Summer. Once I have my RN license, the real job search will begin! In addition to finding and starting a new job, I will also be jumping right in to begin my Masters in Nursing Education degree, which I will start in early fall. I feel that it will be very beneficial for me to work on a medical/surgical floor for at least a couple of years in order for me to learn and practice my nursing skills. I, however, know that I do not want to be a floor nurse very much. The least amount of time as a floor nurse as possible is better for me. After working on a Medical/Surgical floor for two or three years where will I go?I know this may sound bad, but ideally in years to come, just before I start my own family, I would want to work as a nurse Monday-Friday and have weekends and holidays off. I do not mind working 12 hour shifts or odd hours, but I really do not want to work holidays or weekends. Also, obviously, I want to work in a position where I can make the most money as possible. I am very interested in wound care, but I do not really know all of the possibilities within that area of nursing. To my surprise I have found that I enjoy pressure ulcers, dressing changes, abscesses, and wounds in general. I know that there are wound care nurses out there that work in the hospital setting, but I may be looking for something in the community, such as a wound care clinic. Are there any nurses out there who work in a wound care clinic? If so, how do you like it/what is it like? Also, are there any jobs that focus on wound care from a surgical perspective? Does anyone have any suggestions of nursing jobs that I can work Monday-Friday and have weekends and holidays off?I have looked into the Cath Lab, Endoscopy, and day surgery, but none of those areas interest me. Another question I have is do nurses who work in outpatient facilities make decent money comparable to floor nurses? I always thought that I had to work in a hospital, but just recently, I have come to the realization that there are so many aspects to community health nursing. Working in the community would also be more convenient for me and it may even have the type of schedule that I am looking for. If I were to eventually go back to school to become a Nurse Practitioner, are there any restrictions to working as a Nurse Practitioner?I have heard that you need to work a certain amount of hours per week/month/year in order to keep your license...is this true? I feel like being a Nurse Practitioner down the road will allow me to have a flexible schedule and make even more money. Do people recommend taking the Nurse Practitioner route, or are there other options out there? I am new to the nursing world and I know that I have a great deal of questions. Any and all advice is appreciated! Thanks for reading.