2736 is the precise number of miles from our front door to the city limits of our new location.
I looked at the BON site for 2736. They are a lot more demanding than my current BON. It'll take a few months to get the endorsement, which is why I have to get the ball rolling now. But then there's a CEU requirement...not a problem this time as I have a whole bunch already from the pursuit of my RN-BC. But I'll have to stay on top of my CEUs for renewal time.
Lots of job listings come in from my indeed.com and CareerBuilder searches, and not just in psych nursing. IN fact, there are a lot of opportunities out there for nurses. Granted, I can go to the state forum for 2736 and read all the horror stories of how even experienced nurses can't find employment...and at the same time I also see a lot of success stories too. I'm not a new grad--I'm lightly seasoned, so I can apply for a lot more.
This raises the question: do I want to take this opportunity to scratch the med-surg itch?
The itch has been pretty quiet lately. Our unit is undergoing some changes and increasing in acuity, and we've had more than enough medical issues in the last few weeks to keep my interest up. But now I'm going to a place where there are lots of non-psych jobs abounding, and as a nurse with nearly 2 years' experience, I will be more competitive for them than the new grads are. And I could use a good year or two of med-surg to help with my psych nursing.
Decisions.
The other question is: do I apply for jobs now, or do I wait until I get out there, get settled and I can find childcare? We do have savings set aside, so it's not critical for me to have a job the minute I land there. Worst comes to worst, we'll go back to the budget tightening we did when I was in school so I could attend class and not need to work. But the cost of living in 2736 is much higher than where we are now. And the little one is in school, so it's not as though he would be home with me all day. So it'd be me at home alone...I could find things to fill my day, and not all of them would be good things. Such as drinking the day away, a not uncommon epidemic in the military community.
Decisions, decisions.
I did find that I already have one friend in 2736. She's been there for a while, so at least I'll have someone I know and can hang out with while I get my feet wet. And she is also a nurse, though not in psych. In fact, she was very excited when I became a nurse...so perhaps she can help me find something. I should drop her a note and let her know we're coming out there.
