Re-entry after 18! years?

mattsmom81 · Oct 21, 2003

Hanks, consider a refresher progrm. If one is not available, then consider a hospital with a good new grad orientation program...the educators will be in tune with your needs and you should do fine. Best wishes! :)

P_RN, ADN, RN · Oct 21, 2003

This one at Mt Carmel looks good. I don't know where it is located relative to where you live, but if there were a way to do the 100 hours of clinical in your town it sounds ideal. It's online otherwise. http://www.mccn.edu/cme/admission.htm

cannoli · Oct 21, 2003

hanksRN,

My advice, and what I do, is work just enough to keep my license active, my state requires working a certain number of hours to keep the license renewed on an active status.

There are prn positions in the hospitals that require only a few hours a month, or agency if you qualify to work for them.

It keeps the license and the skills active. If I want to work more for some reason I can.

I don't particularly like med-surg either, and the loads are way too heavy, but it allows me to stay in the field.

I figure I never know what the future may bring and I may need to work to support myself and I want to be able to do that without having to take a refresher course and maybe then not being able to get hired after all.

Good luck!

purplemania, BSN, RN · Oct 21, 2003

Texas (I know, you are in Ohio) requires re-entry courses if license has been inactive 5 years. There is an online course through the Univ. of Texas in Houston but may not help you in your state. Anyway, I would talk to the education dept. of the facility in which you would like to work to see if they can assist you. I would not recommend a job to which you would work independently, such as Home Health or School Nurse, because you need to work along side other nurses till you get your confidence built up. And I would certainly go online to review the Nurse Practice Act for your state. It may have changed in 18 years. If you applied here we would help you get through the re-entry course, take you through graduate nurse orientation, then put you with a preceptor on the floor for one month. By that time you would be back in the swing! Experience is one thing, but having the right attitude really is something else.

hanksRN · Oct 25, 2003

Thank you for all the replies! I probably should have more specific. What I should have said is, I have ZERO desire to EVER work on the unit again! When and if I go back, I want to go directly to an office setting.

The problem is, I enjoy a slower pace. We all know that is not found in the hospital. But, since I don't have to work, it's been hard to force myself to stick to something that I don't like. In fact, on the floor at this last job, a few nurses asked me, "why did you come back to the floor if you didn't have to?" That was suprising to me, because I figured most nurses loved their job!

Does anybody out there work in an outpatient surgery center? When I worked for the surgeon in private practice, he had his own surgery suites, and I was a circulator and recovery room nurse, and I really enjoyed that! Are outpatient surgery centers a more relaxing enviornment?

Thanks for the input guys!

Marsha

AgtScully · May 30, 2006

Hi Kate's Mom, you might try the link below. I believe the cost is about $15 per module and it qualifies for CE's as well as refresher/reentry info. Good luck to you!

http://nursing.sinclair.edu/getting_started.asp