estoquodes

Thanks everyone for their insight and perspective. I got the official offer today and accepted it. While I am nervous about leaving acute care, and am not looking forward to the conversation with my manager since I love the people I work with, like many said - I had to weigh what I would regret most: leaving or staying. I'm excited to begin this new role so thank you all for your perspectives. They helped inform my choice.

My probationary period would be the same, 1 year. Thanks for your perspective. Much appreciated.

That was a really good point. The position is funded by federal dollars, and it has a lot of bipartisan support so it has not had any issues with reauthorization in the past. (It was actually just featured on NPR today!).

Thanks for that advice. I appreciate the perspective.

The only other thing I would add is that my state (CA) requires a nurse to have a public health nursing certificate in order to be eligible for most, if not all jobs. I don't know if this is the case for all states, though. Since I knew I wanted to be a public health nurse, I submitted my application (online) as soon as my RN license number posted. There's no exam, it's just an application. Having said that, I did also have to take a Direct Child Abuse/Neglect Certification online class, as part of my application requirement. Some nursing programs offer this as part of their public health course - mine did not. I would check with your state's BON/BRN for logistical information such as eligibility, requirements, and application and processing times, when you get to that point. Or, ask your public health nursing instructor - they should be able to help out. Good luck!

The "do not rehire" list is what scares me. Thanks very much for your insight, oceanblue52.

Nurse Beth has a lot of good suggestions. I was hired into a new grad residency program, into their perinatal unit. My impression, during my interviews, is that there wasn't really an expectation that new grads know a lot of clinical information about these specialties. Eg. OB/perinatal, NICU, OR, Peds. In our program we had 5 weeks in OB, 5 weeks in perinatal, and floated to NICU for a shift or two during those rotations. Most new grad programs know this. So I wouldn't worry too much about that part. Some things that worked for me in the application phase: 1. Personalize your resume to the specialty you're applying - As I said, I had very little OB/perinatal experience in my nursing program, but I made sure I highlighted interesting things I did and my accomplishments during that rotation. I also used a new grad RN template to make sure that my layout was clean, legible, and easy to scan for the most relevant information. 2. Join specialty-specific professional associations and put that on your resume - My first interview was for the OR training program, which I had NO experience in in my nursing program (except for c/s's during my OB rotation). So I highlighted that on my resume, and I made sure to join the AORN before my interview. During my interview, the panel was impressed I had joined the organization. The bonus: Joining professional associations is an EXCELLENT way to stay up to date on new information, education, research and conferences, and I look forward to receiving my JOGNN and Women's Health magazines - there's always something interesting and applicable inside. 3. Get at least one of the big certifications done - for perinatal, and NICU, the big one is NRP. I would at least do that one IF you can afford it, and put that on your resume. It can't hurt. 4. Work with a resume coach - If you can afford a resume coach (there a lot out there, charging varying rates) I would have them look at your resume at least once before submitting it. At the very least, have a friend who is also a professional look it over before submitting. 5. Don't submit your resume when you're tired - Wait until you can skim it once more with a fresh eye before submitting it. 6. Run your resume through an ATS database - I found this to be helpful when applying to non-residency program jobs, since I'm new to the medical field and had very little previous healthcare experience. It helped me make sure I highlighted key words. You are lucky in that you are already working in the hospital where you would like to be hired. As Nurse Beth mentioned, network! You already have one foot in the door, which is a foot more than thousands of other applicants. Good luck! I wish you all the best.

Hi Everline! Thanks for your wisdom and encouragement. I'd say our experiences are similar. I also have this underlying belief that I need to do floor nursing first - I think it comes from beliefs impressed on me by some instructors and preceptors in my nursing program. But, honestly, bedside never really fit. I actually really do enjoy my current job, and in just a few months my knowledge and skills has grown exponentially (more so than I thought possible, actually). I just don't find the work fulfilling, and while I know not every job is going to tick every box, I have been around long enough to know that if it doesn't feel right, it's not sustainable forever. I just thought I would complete the program and have that year of experience under my belt before moving on. So, this turn of events, while wonderful, is posing a number of challenges - personally and professionally. :) I have written my short and long term goals, and they don't involve going back to bedside nursing or having years of acute care experience. I see myself in public health long term - working with the mother-child population and on maternal health programs and projects in the community. Given that you also left fairly shortly after starting your acute care job, how did you approach it with your supervisor? How did you explain why you were leaving so soon? Did you even need to go into a lot of detail?

Hi! I'm facing a bit of a dilemma, and wanted to get some input from those who have transitioned from acute care to public health, or who work in acute care now and have an opinion! Around January/February this year I interviewed for two very different nursing positions as a new grad nurse (RN-MSN), but both maternal-child health/OB related (my passion): One in a very well known hospital system, within their new grad residency program. The hospital is about 1 1/2 hour - 2-hour commute from my home. The other position was/is in public health and with an MIECHV (maternal, infant and early childhood home visiting) program that is headquartered in my immediate community. The MIECHV role really is my dream job. While the interview process for both positions happened within the same couple of months, the hiring process did not. Due to state budget issues, the MIECHV program experienced a hiring freeze around the time when I anticipated hearing whether or not I got the job. Long story short, I was told there was no definitive time on when hiring would resume for that role (darn and blast), and in my mind I wrote the position off. Luckily and thankfully, I received an offer of employment with the new grad residency program. I accepted the acute care offer quite happily, and feeling quite lucky actually to have been chosen given how competitive the program is. I figured that I would complete the residency, and then look for employment closer to home after that first year - and/or hopefully the public health/MIECHV position would be out of its hiring freeze by then. Of course, it's never that easy. Right before the July 4th weekend (so, almost 5 months after my interview) I received a phone call from the nurse supervisor of the MIECHV program saying that they were resuming hiring, and wanted to offer me employment. I was thrilled, and also - Murphy's Law. I have spoken with the nursing supervisor and they are aware I am employed. They have graciously given me time to make a choice, because I have to consider not just what I want but also the position of my current employer (ethical dilemma's abound). The only reason I would even consider leaving my current job so soon after being hired is because these MIECHV positions don't come around often. Well, not in my area at least. They are looking to fill positions now - and historically, once filled, they remain filled for years and years until nurses leave. Certainly, anything is possible - but historically that's not usually the case. I have been in my current position for almost 4 months, and I'm still in my probationary period. The only thing I can (and do) complain about is my commute - but the program itself is robust, and while very different from public health, it's maternal-child health related, I feel thoroughly supported as a new grad and everyone I work with is fantastic. But here is my dream job calling me (literally) - very similar pay, slightly better schedule (and by better, I just mean more consistent), similar level of benefits and pension, fantastic nurses, lots of transition support. The big plus (as trite as it sounds) is that it's close to home. But oh, the timing! I am a second-career nurse, and older (well, relative to my graduating class ). I do already have an idea of where I'd like my nursing career to go – and most of my goals lead me to public health work. But, if I leave inpatient for public health so early in my career - will I be doing myself a disservice? Should I stick with this acute care perinatal role for the year, and get that experience under my belt - will that make me a better public health MIECHV nurse, should there be an opportunity later on? Is it common to leave jobs in nursing so quickly? Or will my name be on some 'RN Naughty' list for eternity? Am I allowed to even take a dream job so soon in my career? I paid my dues in my first career, working my way up from the bottom - isn't that what I should do now? (...My therapist would tell me, "Stop with the should's!", and my Millennial friends would tell me I deserve to follow my bliss. But as someone straddling Gen X and Gen Y, I'm so conflicted: I very much want to grab this dream opportunity but at the same time I feel that I need to strap on some potato sacks for shoes and walk 15 miles in the snow to work because...work ethic!) I have quit jobs in my life. Touch wood, I've always handled those situations well and (except for one ill-advised period of cringeworthy ignorance in my very early 20s) have not burned bridges. But I've really never been as invested in my career as I am with nursing - being a nurse means a great deal to me and I don't want to mis-step so early on in my career. And, I already know - nursing is a small world. Yes, this is a dream job. And yes, if I were talking to a friend I'd probably tell them to follow their passion (or something like that). But it's different when the shoe is on the other foot. I'm thoroughly conflicted. Reading Robert Frost and thinking about taking the road less traveled is not helping either - it's just making me nauseous. Forgive the lengthy post. I wanted to provide as much information as I could. I look forward to your responses/advice/musings/doses of reality/face palms of disbelief. Cheers! Ps. I have cross-posted this in Public Health nursing also.

"Become a nurse, they said. Great pay, they said."

Hi PHN's! I'm facing a bit of a dilemma, and wanted to get some input from those who have been working in public health, and/or have transitioned from acute care to public health. Around January/February this year I interviewed for two very different nursing positions as a new grad nurse, but both maternal-child health related (my passion): One in a very well known hospital system, within their new grad residency program. The hospital is about 1 1/2 hour - 2-hour commute from my home. The other position was/is in public health and with an MIECHV (maternal, infant and early childhood home visiting) program that is headquartered in my immediate community. The MIECHV role really is my dream job. While the interview process for both positions happened within the same couple of months, the hiring process did not. Due to state budget issues, the MIECHV program experienced a hiring freeze around the time when I anticipated hearing whether or not I got the job. Long story short, I was told there was no definitive time on when hiring would resume for that role (darn and blast), and in my mind I wrote the position off. Luckily and thankfully, I received an offer of employment with the new grad residency program. I accepted the acute care offer quite happily, and feeling quite lucky actually to have been chosen given how competitive the program is. I figured that I would complete the residency, and then look for employment closer to home after that first year - and/or hopefully the public health/MIECHV position would be out of its hiring freeze by then. Of course, it's never that easy. Right before the July 4th weekend (so, almost 5 months after my interview) I received a phone call from the nurse supervisor of the MIECHV program saying that they were resuming hiring, and wanted to offer me employment. I was thrilled, and also - Murphy's Law. I have spoken with the nursing supervisor and they are aware I am employed. They have graciously given me time to make a choice, because I have to consider not just what I want but also the position of my current employer (ethical dilemma's abound). The only reason I would even consider leaving my current job so soon after being hired is because these MIECHV positions don't come around often. Well, not in my area at least. They are looking to fill positions now - and historically, once filled, they remain filled for years and years until nurses leave. There really may not be another opportunity to work in this dream job of mine for years. Certainly, anything is possible - but historically that's not usually the case. I have been in my current position for almost 4 months, and I'm still in my probationary period. The only thing I can (and do) complain about is my commute - but the program itself is robust, and while very different from public health, it's maternal-child health related and I feel thoroughly supported as a new grad. But here is my dream job calling me (literally) - very similar pay, slightly better schedule (and by better, I just mean more consistent), similar level of benefits and pension, fantastic nurses, lots of transition support. The big plus (as trite as it sounds) is that it's close to home. But oh, the timing! I am a second-career nurse, and older (well, relative to my graduating class ). I do already have an idea of where I'd like my nursing career to go – and most of my goals lead me to public health work. But, if I leave inpatient for public health so early in my career - will I be doing myself a disservice? Should I stick with this acute care role for the year, and get that experience under my belt - will that make me a better public health MIECHV nurse, should there be an opportunity later on? Is it common to leave jobs in nursing so quickly? Or will my name be on some 'RN Naughty' list for eternity? Am I allowed to even take a dream job so soon in my career? I paid my dues in my first career, working my way up from the bottom - isn't that what I should do now? (...My therapist would tell me, "Stop with the should's!", and my Millennial friends would tell me I deserve to follow my bliss. But as someone straddling Gen X and Gen Y, I'm so conflicted: I very much want to grab this dream opportunity but at the same time I feel that I need to strap on some potato sacks for shoes and walk 15 miles in the snow to work because...work ethic!) I have quit jobs in my life. Touch wood, I've always handled those situations well and (except for one ill-advised period of cringeworthy ignorance in my very early 20s) have not burned bridges. But I've really never been as invested in my career as I am with nursing - being a nurse means a great deal to me and I don't want to mis-step so early on in my career. And, I already know - nursing is a small world. Yes, this is a dream job. And yes, if I were talking to a friend I'd probably tell them to follow their passion (or something like that). But it's different when the shoe is on the other foot. I'm thoroughly conflicted. Reading Robert Frost and thinking about taking the road less traveled is not helping either - it's just making me nauseous. Forgive the lengthy post. I wanted to provide as much information as I could. I look forward to your responses/advice/musings/doses of reality/face palms of disbelief. Cheers! Ps. I have cross posted this in OB Specialty aswell.

Both professions will require sacrifice, grit, perseverance and getting the job done despite how you feel. In which profession will you welcome/accept the hardship and difficulty? The answer to that question should be all the guidance you need.

I'm a new graduate nurse, and have been following a program in public health for about a year a half now. I knew it was a program I would want to apply to if a PHN I position opened up. Lo and behold, it has! #swoon I don't know what it's like in other states, but here in CA PHN applications have a series of supplemental questions that are required. I have been able to answer all of them pretty well I think, bar one. It is a question that asks to 'describe my knowledge and experience in interpreting and applying federal, state, local or grant program regulations or policies in a public health environment.' It is the ONE question I'm really stumped by, because I cannot think of any clinical, public health, or life experience where I interpreted or applied a program regulation. But, I still have to answer this question, and I'd like to answer it as well as I have the others. Are there any new grads out there that were able to weave their public health, or clinical experience, into answering this question? Or are there any seasoned PHN's out there who can offer some guidance on how to approach a question like this, from the standpoint of a new grad? Obviously there is no standard answer for something like this, and I'm not really looking for an answer - just maybe some insight or guidance into how to approach the question...because I may just not thinking about it the right way. Thanks very much.

I applied to Perinatal and OR training program (because I rotated through the OR a few times and enjoyed it). I think invites to interview start to go out this week. Good luck to everyone!