Should I switch to a totally different kind of RN position?

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Specializes in Hemonc inpatient RN.

Is it worth changing from inpatient nursing to become a wound care nurse [inpatient or clinic setting]? My main goal is to find a job that has weekends and holidays off. 

[I have some experience with wound care but have no idea if I would actually like doing wound care every day at work]

I am applying to a WOCN program that is 1 year long.  It will be fully paid by the hospital I work for. I will need to pay for books and once I finish the program and get the certification- I can then apply for a wound care nurse position at my hospital. However, that is "if" there is an opening at that time and if there is, I would be considered first to fill that position. 

I have some experience with wound care and the times I have performed wound care or a dressing change it doesn't bother me. I haven't personally thought of becoming a wound care nurse until I found out about this opportunity to enroll into a fully paid for online wound care program.

I do well when I am involved with online learning. If I was forced to study for a certification on my own it would be extremely hard for me to have the self control to sit down and study every week. So this program would give me a chance to actually have a certification. 

I have researched about wound care nurse jobs and what it is like and it sounds very interesting to me and like something I could really enjoy. 

Once I finish the program I would be required to work at the hospital for at least 2 more years no matter what area I was working in. 

My goal is to get out of inpatient nursing and into a clinic or outpatient setting. I figured having a certification would help me get into the wound clinic. I am assuming I would have weekends and holidays off and that is very important to me. The past year I have been applying to many different clinic/outpatient jobs but to no avail. I am also on the Pressure injury prevention team on my inpatient unit. So I am the go to person for wound and skin care. I have only been doing that for a few months now and it is interesting. 

 

Is it worth apply for the wound care program?  [I may not even get chosen because they will only choose a certain amount of nurses] 

Could I make myself love wound care? I'm totally fine with it but wouldn't say I love it, do I need to love it to do it? 

How challenging is it to be a wound care nurse vs. An inpatient nurse? 

Any tips or suggestions on any of this information feel free to give. Thank you in advance ☺

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

Could I make myself love wound care? I'm totally fine with it but wouldn't say I love it, do I need to love it to do it? 

It's gratifying to help wounds heal and see the results of your efforts. You can always find ways to challenge yourself in your work, and focus on the aspects you enjoy.

How challenging is it to be a wound care nurse vs. An inpatient nurse? 

It's different. You have a lot of autonomy, and you see patients one at a time, instead of having several patients at a time. Providers respect your expertise, which is nice. There's a lot of patient and family education.

Any tips or suggestions on any of this information feel free to give. Thank you in advance ☺

Weekends off are a plus-but not a guarantee. Some wound care positions require on call and weekends. Wound care is highly specialized, and requires a big investment of time and education. If you change your mind later, you could have regrets. Best wishes with your decision ?

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Specializes in Hemonc inpatient RN.

Thank you so much for your response. I ended up not pursuing wound care. Your input definitely helped. 

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