There are plenty of reasons as to why a nurse might decide to leave the profession – maybe they left in order to raise children, take care of ill or disabled family members, or to pursue another passion. But then, after some time, they choose to reenter the field.
If this sounds like you, then you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’ve been out of the field for six months or 20 years, the fears you have are most likely very similar to fears that all reentering nurses experience.
In this article, we’ll go over some common fears, the speed at which the nursing profession changes, tips on transitioning, and details about Clayton State’s RN ReEntry course. If you’re looking to get back into nursing, we have everything you need to know right here.
Common Fears
It’s completely normal to be cautious and even a little afraid if you’re considering reentering the nursing field after being away. Here are some fears that many nurses get caught up on:
- They worry that they’ll be overwhelmed by all the changes that the industry has gone through.
- After all, the longer you’ve been out of practice, the more changes you’ll notice.
- They worry if they still possess their nursing skills.
- They worry they might not fit in with the newer nurses, and if those nurses will be more advanced than they are.
- As a reentering nurse, you might feel like you don’t have adequate experience even if you have years of it under your belt.
If you relate to some (or all!) of these worries, keep reading. We have what you need to ease your mind.
An Ever-Changing Industry
Since nursing involves taking care of people, there are always changes being made for the better. As a reentering nurse, you may notice changes to documentation, protocols, and more.
What’s important to remember, even as you absorb all of these new things, is that your nursing and care skills never went anywhere. While your surroundings and equipment may have changed, those are things that you can relearn. Your base skills, on the other hand, are those that you can never lose.
Tips on Transitioning
As you break back into the nursing field, there are a few things that can help you feel comfortable and secure in your knowledge and skills. Take these tips into account:
- As we mentioned previously, things change rapidly in the nursing industry – so it’s crucial to make sure that your knowledge is refreshed and updated.
- You can refresh your knowledge with an RN ReEntry Course (more on that in a little bit), or continuing education courses.
- It’s also important to get recertified in CPR and ACLS, because protocols are constantly changing.
- If you’ve been out of the profession for more than ten years, feel free to request an orientation period that’s similar to what a new grad gets. Instead of just 1-2 weeks, you’ll enjoy a period of about a month or so that lets you ease into the job and get acquainted with everything that’s new – including equipment, protocols, and computer programs.
- Be confident and know that nursing is like riding a bike. While you may be a little rusty at first, your skills will soon click into place.
- Above all, be kind to and patient with yourself. The changes might be a lot to get used to, but you’ll soon see how they make sense and benefit both you and your patients. While the adjustment period may be frustrating, after six months to a year goes by, you’ll look back and be proud of how far you’ve come.
The RN ReEntry Program
The nursing field is always on the lookout for new and promising talent, so if you’re considering heading back, there’s no reason to hesitate – the field needs you! Over 200,000 job openings for registered nurses are projected each year for the next ten years, whether those openings are replacing retirees or those moving on to pursue other talents.
If you’ve been inactive for several years and you’ve let your license lapse, Clayton State’s RN ReEntry Course is exactly what you need. Let us tell you a bit more about it.
The RN ReEntry Course at Clayton State focuses on expanding and enhancing the skills of registered nurses by teaching information about updated technology, common health illnesses, effective interventions, nursing trends, practice guidelines, and legalities.
This class includes a 40-hour theory portion and a 160-hour supervised clinical component in an acute care setting.
In order to fulfill the requirements to have their Georgia Board of Nursing license reinstated, students must complete every component of this class.
The class runs from January 28, 2023 to March 18, 2023 from 9am-12pm.
We want you to feel confident when you reenter the nursing field. Let us equip you with everything you need to do just that.
To learn about more of our healthcare/medicine-related courses that we offer through Clayton State Continuing and Professional Education check out our Healthcare Program page here. To view course listings or register for a course, click here.