what do i want to be when i grow up?

[jcol1460]

hello all,

i'm a freshly minted RN and need some wisdom from those who have traveled this path prior to me. (sorry if it's long)

background: i currently work in a substance abuse agency. i started at this agency as a therapist, and have moved up the ranks to various management positions within the last 7+ years. currently, i'm the interim director for our prevention/education department, but have been over the crisis stabilization, emergency receiving, and residential treatment departments as well. i've become the 'fixer' for struggling and broken departments. my employer has been chomping at the bit for me to finish nursing school and become licensed because they have 'grand plans' for me.

today i was asked what do i want to do with my brand new license in the agency and my honest answer was "i don't know". there are many changes coming to our program and many opportunities to utilize my nursing degree, but not in a hands on capacity that would build any kind of skills. think along the lines of director of nursing, developing and implementing a new mom/baby program, director of medication assisted treatment services.....you get the drift. when i expressed my ultimate goal and the dilemma i'm facing figuring out my next steps, i was asked, how long was i planning on staying with the agency. once again, my answer was "i don't know".

while i have no doubt i could get into a psych nursing unit no problem if i had no other choice, i really want a break from the mental health arena for the moment. i enjoyed the unit i precepted on very much (it was a trauma step down floor), labor and delivery, and icu; so those are the areas i would consider applying to first. however, my ultimate goal is to do travel nursing, but not for at least 5 years.

so my questions are.....

what is my shelf life as a new nurse to get into a hospital floor setting without experiencing myself out of that opportunity? (i.e. if you saw a director of nursing applying for a floor position, what would you think as a hiring manager?)

who do i even reach out to in order to find out more about what experience is considered to be relevant experience in the travel nursing arena?

i welcome all feedback as i'm trying to figure out my timelines and what my next steps should be to move towards my ultimate goal.

thanks