Can You Lose Your Skills at a Specialty Job? (RN)

00:01 Have you heard the whole rumor about "well, you shouldn't really start in that nursing career or specialty because you're going to lose your skills".

00:09 If you haven't, you will.

00:11 And when you hear that, I want you to just respond with a totally straight face, be like "...so?" And just watch.

00:18 Just watch and see what happens, and then come let us know because it's always a good time. Because the answer is yes.

00:25 You will lose skills with almost any nursing job that you take because no job uses all of the skills that you learn.

00:33 But at the same time, as a new grad nurse, no offense, but you have relatively few skills and I need you to know that that is totally okay.

00:42 Okay? Because skills are literally the easiest things to learn as a nurse. Okay? It takes, like, what? Maybe 20 minutes to learn how to do a central line dressing change, and be reminded how to cap them off, and flush them and do all the things the right way.

00:56 Right? Like 20 minutes, seriously.

00:58 And you know what takes a whole lot longer? Learning what can and cannot go through the same lumens of that central line, and what to do if it gets clogged, and why the patient has one in the first place. And how worried are you about the central line infection that your patient might have if all of the sudden in the middle of the night they spike a fever? Actual experience and critical thinking.

01:23 That is what takes the time to learn.

01:25 And literally any nursing experience you gain will add to that entire nursing knowledge that you're carrying around with you.

01:31 And that is invaluable.

01:33 So honestly, don't worry about the skills.

01:35 Nursing skills are not hard to learn.

01:38 Go forward, do whatever jobs make you happy and make sense for you at the time.

01:42 And even if it turns out to be, like, not your forever unit and you end up having to relearn how to place a foley one day, it's okay.

01:50 You are going to learn so much more valuable skills and knowledge by going and taking that job, and you'll be able to take that wherever you go.