What other specialties can I go into with PACU experience?

[newgraduatecali]

I have been a nurse in the PACU for a little over a year now and my question to everyone is, if I want to change my area of specialty down the road, where will be the best fit for me? Is it difficult to get a job in a different area after a year or two of PACU experience?

I have only been in the PACU. I have never worked in the icu, er, etc. I got the job as a new grad RN at a local community hospital.

Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

[brownbook]

I have been a nurse in the PACU for a little over a year now and my question to everyone is, if I want to change my area of specialty down the road, where will be the best fit for me? Is it difficult to get a job in a different area after a year or two of PACU experience?

I have only been in the PACU. I have never worked in the icu, er, etc. I got the job as a new grad RN at a local community hospital.

Any help is appreciated! Thank you!

Honestly it depends on what you deal with in your PACU. Generally PACU skills are transferable to other areas of acute care nursing.

Do you have ACLS and PALS? Do you occasionally recover intubated patients? Or sometimes handle cardiac or adrenergic drips, art lines or central lines, etc? You don't need to be an expert on these things, but some slight familiarity with them?

But even if you have none of the above you should (or could) be able transfer to another area. Talk to your charge nurse, or the charge nurse in the ICU or ER of your hospital. Ask if you can float to those units on a slow day?