psych to med surg advice

[PsychRN29]

I graduated a year ago and have worked on a child psych unit ever since. I would like to get back into a med surg environment because I feel like I am already losing my skills and dont want to be in a situation where psych nursing is my only option. A position just opened at a nearby hospital on the unit that I did my clinical rotation on, and I would like to work there because I know the population and would feel somewhat comfortable with this transition. Im wondering if anyone has made this transition from psych to med surg and how it went? Was it really difficult or manageable?? Im sure that Ill feel anxious and overwhelmed for maybe the first year, but will my skills come back to me?? I was a patient care tech while in nursing school so I do have a little experience which Im sure will be helpful. Im also wondering if the manager will want to hire someone like me, keeping in mind that hospital nursing jobs in my area are hard to come by....So is there anyone who has gone from psych to med surg and has insight for me??

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

I have not, but worked with a couple of ex psych nurses turned med/surg nurses. They did just fine after they learned the equipment and stuff like that.

For me, I was out of nursing for almost 5 yrs. My skills came back pretty quickly and I was back to my baseline at around a year.

Good luck with your interview!

[May2011Grad]

I just recently went from Psych to Med Surg in the last month. It is a challenge especially learning the equipment and getting back into the routine of thinking of the whole body and not just the psych part of it but it is doable. Good Luck you'll do great (I never worked as a CNA).

[PsychRN29]

Thank you both for the encouraging words! It's nice to hear from someone else that it is doable and worthwhile. I do think that my clinical skills would eventually come back to me, but I just feel somewhat anxious like Im starting all over again. Part of me is nervous to be a med surg nurse because I feel like its easy to get overwhelmed and theres so much to learn. Not to say that psych nursing isnt also challenging, but it carries a different type of stressors. Another part of me feels that if I don't try I will regret it in the future, and I shouldnt let my fear or anxiety about it get in the way. I should give it a shot and take it as a challenge, knowing that I will eventually gain confidence and feel less nervous. Thanks again for the encouraging words and listening to my venting.