SPECIALTY CHANGE


Are you considering a specialty change? Want to become a Telemetry Nurse, take a

Critical Care Program or even expand your horizons to the Emergency Department?

If you find your current position challenging or difficult, you may not be ready for

Additional training. If your reason for a change is because you believe the new area will

be less work, i.e. smaller patient loads, do not bank on it. Smaller patient loads will often

mean more intensive work with fewer patients. But if you have excelled in your current

field of nursing you may be up for the challenge.

Research the position. Speak to colleagues who work in your desired areas to give you a

feel for the environment and workload. Check for position availability from your Nurse

Recruiter. Talk to the Education department to find out course structure, outlines and

content. Will you be given a preceptorship, and if so how long. Are you assigned to a

Preceptor and is that person trained on how to instruct.

Often being bounced from Nurse to Nurse will not optimize the learning experience.

Clinical Coordinators and your Nurse Director may be your best source of guidance.

Our program has been in existence for a good number of years. We have developed a

Stepping Stone approach where Telemetry Nursing follows a basic EKG course,

then the Critical Care content, and finally our Emergency Nursing segment. Each step is

the prerequisite for the

next i.e. the Medical Surgical RN will be trained in telemetry nursing prior to taking the

ICU course. We have found this standardized approach has made us very successful in

training candidates. Course content is based on AACN guidelines.

Preceptorships are structured and scheduled. Your training and progress will be

evaluated frequently. You, your preceptor and your Nurse Director will be involved with

the evaluation process so that your learning experience can be tailored to fit your specific

needs.

Change is always a little frightening and very exciting. Researching your options,

familiarizing yourself with the course content and structure and ensuring you will have

support throughout the program will help quell your fears.