When do you know when it's time to move on? Need advice!

I stayed in my comfort level when I initially went back to work and stayed there for 8 yrs. There are so many things going on with raising a family, having a job I could accomplish relatively easy was invaluable.

My last has since graduated and I made my move. I now have the time and energy to throw myself into a challenging new role.

I switched to ER after 17 years of other nursing experiences. You'll go through the learning curve again, with a solid background. It's a very entertaining dept, I've been at it for close to 6 years.

Now's a good time for a change after 8 years. You'll learn a lot and have a richer range of experience as a nurse!

"I've stayed and with my seniority has come perks. I'm charge most days, I'm tight with management and looked at as a leader on the floor. I've never thought that I'd be a medsurg nurse for my entire career, but the longer I've stayed, the harder it has become to leave. "

Been there did that, for 14 years. For me, I regret that time spent in one place. There is a price to pay for being comfortable. I went out of my comfort zone. I experienced agency, private duty, home care, and travel nursing. Now I work from home. I still don't think I have reached my potential in nursing.

You already know you would fit in neuro surgery, you only have an interview in ER. You would also need to shadow there.

Take some time time to reflect... you could most likely get a position in the area that you want to be in. Figure THAT out and go for it.

With a small child and planning on more... working from home in your jammies might be the way to go.

Best of luck with your decision.

In my opinion, when you start thinking it might be time to move on, it probably is. When I knew leaving my hospital job was the right position was when I kept thinking about it and kept coming back to the same decision every time.

Can you dip your feet in with part time? I always have trouble with change if I like where I'm at. It's easier for me to change gradually. I also am a bit of a control freak. I dislike feeling as if I don't understand my job. I get used to being the go to person but I realize it's something I have to work on.

I may be representing a dissenting opinion here, but I'd encourage you to talk to your manager &/or HR before making a decision to leave. It's natural to want career advancement and escape a rut. But there may be opportunities in your own organization that you don't know about. You are a very valuable asset. They don't want to lose you. Give them the right of first refusal. If they can't come up with anything that appeals to you... THEN, you can leave with an easy conscience.

Wishing you all the best on your career advancement.