What areas are not reliant BON physical skills?

Dear Nurse Beth Advice Column - The following letter submitted anonymously in search for answers. Join the conversation!

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I apologize, it's a long one. I'd like to renew my RN license, but I am concerned I might not be able to handle some of the skills and high level of focus required to be an RN. I graduated and earned my license at the age of 22.

I'm 33 now and have about 6 months of RN work experience (jail nurse and home health). In school, I struggled with physical and mental health concerns. During labs and clinicals, I was very unsure of myself. Injections and small gauge blood draws were OK, but nothing else came naturally. I scored well on exams and felt somewhat confident in my theoretical understanding. I understood our psyche rotation best. I'm working on my masters in marriage and family therapy now. My goals are to work as a behavioral health RN and then become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. If I cannot find a behavioral health position after completing the program, are there certain areas of med surg or admin that I could work in as a new grad, that aren't heavily reliant on physical skills? And that might benefit me in my long term goals? I'm not great at starting IV's, but would like practice as they may be necessary in a behavioral health setting.

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

I'm unclear how you would be a new grad since you earned your license 11 years ago, but I'll try to answer your question as I understand it.

By "completing your program," I take that to mean your marriage and family therapy master's program. And once you earn your master's, you plan to seek a behavioral health RN position.

With perseverance and consideration of the job market in your area, hopefully, you willcan land a behavioral health position as readily or even more easily than an acute care position. Many regional areas have shortages of behavioral nurses.

Your main challenge will be to explain your 11-year absence from nursing.

Do you plan to use your marriage and family training? Typically, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNP) focus on diagnosis and medication, whereas marriage and family counselors conduct therapy.

Jobs not reliant on physical skills

Yes, there are areas within med-surg that could align with your interests and support your long-term goals in behavioral health nursing. Here are a few suggestions:

Med-Surg Areas

  • Telemetry/Step-Down Units. These units focus on patients who need continuous monitoring but are not as acutely ill as those in ICU. This setting can help you develop assessment and monitoring skills without the intense physical demands of some other med-surg areas.
  • Oncology Nursing. Oncology nurses often develop strong patient education and support skills, which are valuable in behavioral health. While IV skills are necessary, you can gain experience in a more controlled environment.
  • Rehabilitation Nursing focuses on patients recovering from surgery or injury. It involves extensive patient education and support, aligning with behavioral health nursing. Physical skills are required but can be learned progressively.
  • Geriatric Nursing. Working with elderly patients can help you develop communication, assessment, and management skills. This area also often intersects with mental health issues, providing relevant experience.

Administrative roles, such as case management, quality, infection prevention, and clinical documentation specialist, will require qualifying bedside nursing experience.

Best wishes on your path to becoming a PMHNP.

Nurse Beth

 

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