Shift to PACU after a 6-month break from ICU
Realistically, how hard would it be for an ICU nurse to get a job in PACU without any PACU experience? Do you think it’ll be detrimental to my chances of employment if I took 6 months break from any nursing before applying?
I think I’m finally done with ICU after 10+ years. I’ve accessed my annual leave, taken my LSL, and have come back to my unit for 3 months now and I feel the same… I’m just soooo over it. I’m so over the abusive/druggies/aggressive pts, the relatives, and a lot of other ICU things. I’m also thinking of taking 6-months off to just to “reset”. Would that be detrimental to applying for a new role? I’ve been in my ICU role in the same place for 10+ years so I have no idea how hard is it these days to apply or move to a new role.
Posted Apr 5, 2026, 10:05 AM UTC