Did a little digging around about things to do with my career after the baby and graduation. Found out about LTACs from another forum administrator...which is the most appealing path to me since there's potential there for me to learn a lot in the LTAC setting. I also like that it will be less of a revolving door, since these patients will be around longer than your usual med/surg patient. It won't be easy, but I knew that. If I can find a LTAC that will do 8s then I'll be in heaven; otherwise maybe they'll consider me for doing 12s on the weekend, so the better half can tend to the kids and I don't have to worry about childcare.
Said administrator recommended I look into IV/lab drawing certification to boost my chances, which is a good idea since that's been my weakest area ever since school. To date, my average in IV placement and blood draws is .000. Granted, I've only had one attempt in school, so it's not as though I'm a colossal failure with a needle and a vein: I just never seemed to land a chance to do one in clinicals despite my (and my classmates') efforts. Also, in acute psych there really isn't a demand for IV placement, and there's often a separate lab service if we do need to draw blood. So maybe instead of that refresher course come spring, I'll start with a phlebotomy course and go from there.
The other thing I found was training programs through another hospital chain. They offer training for experienced and new (to the specialty, not new grad) nurses to train in OR, ICU, women's health and ED. OR doesn't appeal to me. Women's health, God no (not me at all). ICU...eh, not really what I want but would be interesting. ED would probably be the easiest for me to get into because of my psych background--after all, the medical ED is where we in psych get a lot of our patients from. But I can't say I see ED as my future though, and the fact that I don't have a lot of medical nursing background is also a strike.
The LTAC sounds better. I think there's more to learn there and it may be easier for me to get into.
But this is all for down the road. Mind you, I could apply for the next batch of training programs this fall and if accepted start in March, and I was sorely tempted to do that...but there's two problems in that. Problem 1: it may be too soon post-partum, depending on when little Timmy arrives (if you're a Shaun the Sheep fan, you'll get the reference). Problem 2: I will not have the BSN yet--I will have two classes to go. And I have delayed this degree long enough.
Or I could just continue in psych where I know I am happy. They recently posted the psych float pool position. I didn't apply for the same two reasons above, as well as the fact that I'm getting enough in outpatient for right now. But I know that position will be back up in the future: I've already seen it twice since I started working at the hospital.
Decisions, decisions...which I am trying not to make now, instead focusing on school and pregnancy.
Tomorrow should be interesting at work. The census is down at work, but the kids we do have are feisty ones.
