When I look back on my transition from working in an acute hospital setting to working as a community nurse, I can clearly remember the vast difference between each of the two roles.
My role in a complex care ward was intense, fast-paced and unpredictable at times. I relied on not only my nursing skills and knowledge but the team I worked with as well. There were many stressors in the hospital ward environment, being short on staff, equipment, beds; and being reactive to the ward and hospital management depending upon the need at that time.
Even though I valued working with my nursing colleagues, who were very experienced and compassionate individuals, my hospital nursing career started to feel less individual and patient-focused. It felt more about how quickly we could complete a task and move on to the next emergent or reactive action.
Why did you transition from the hospital setting to community care?
I transitioned to community nursing care because of my personal needs for my family and my hope that I would be able to use a holistic approach to my work. In contrast to the acute hospital setting, I felt that transitioning to the role of a community nurse would give me far more opportunities to develop my clinical skills further.
When I previously worked in the hospital, I noticed how many patient admissions occurred. But, with the appropriate actions in place, most hospital admissions didn’t need to happen. The patients could have received the care in their own homes and local communities.
