Best Place To Transiton Back to In Nursing

Dr. Sabrina7:

Welcome back! With that said, I have to add a "good luck."

While I have never left nursing, I did leave clinical practice to do insurance work and telephone triage for a total of about 12 years.

Two years ago, I left my non-clinical job, tried to get back into clinical nursing. It was a rude awakening. I was, essentially, "untouchable" other than skilled nursing facilities. While I have med/surg, ICU experience, it counted for nothing as it was not "recent." I did get a tentative offer from a private renal dialysis clinic, but the wages were shockingly low... about a 30% cut in pay (above my wages already uncompetative). I finally took a job in a private, for profit, acute in-patient mental health facility. Conditions were horrendous, dangerous and unsanitary. It was the best I could find for my (then) 18 years experience. I'm hoping that this will be viewed as "recent" acute care in the eyes of traditional acute "medical" hospitals.

There are a few "refresher" courses in California, you can find references on the BRN's web site. This will be tough, if not impossible, to do if you have to work, as I do.

In these days of alleged "nursing shortage," it is difficult to comprehend how good, dedicated nurses are turned away. Yet, the state is spending a LOT of $'s to improve the outlook of nursing students and graduates. Employers are spending BIG $'s to recruit foreign nurses.

While there are a great variety of "alternative" nursing jobs, one must take GREAT care in accepting them. If you leave actue hospital bedside nursing for more than two years, going back is VERY hard to do. I believe, now, that it is wise to continue as a part time or registry nurse if one chooses to do non-traditional work.

With THAT said, I would advise you to take just about ANY hospital nursing job you can get, put in your time, THEN apply to transfer to another department.

I agree with Yosemite that it's tough to get back into clinical nursing... which is sad because there is such a demand

I can see the point of not wanting to hire someone who hadn't been in clinical nursing for some time straight into a full time experienced position, but there really ought to be more transition options out there - such as intensive refresher courses where you come out being at least competitive with new grads in the job market.

Intensive refresher courses would take time and money, but I think it's reasonable to ask those wishing to return to clinical nursing to invest in that training, just like we did to get our licenses to begin with. As it is, though, you're in a worse place than new grads if you've been away from clinical nursing and there aren't many clear paths to getting back into it and that's a waste of willing nurses out there.

I just don't think it's reasonable to tell nurses who stopped clinical work for awhile "tough luck, once you're out, you're out and there's no getting back in."

On a side note, we could use more nursing jobs out there with supportive environments and reasonable workloads that would help the transition for new and re-entry nurses into practice as well as help in retention of experienced staff.

For practical advice in getting back into clinical practice, you'll need lots of persistence and at least one lucky break. Most will be discouraging, or encouraging but not offer any job, directing you to people and positions and turn around that direct you right back where you just were refused from.

When I was re-entering, I did run across one nurse manager (among dozens) who was willing to give me a chance with an extended preceptorship. There was another local hospital that was also more amenable to re-entry nurses as they offered a long preceptorship, but you had to sign a 2-yr contract and repay your preceptoring costs if you broke the contract. There was also an agency with a few contracts at low acuity facilities that were a better fit for someone just getting back into it (no full-time openings there as there were such reasonable workloads and not much turnover).

In terms of what area of clinical nursing would be best to transition... beats me! I think a supportive environment and a reasonable workload is key. Whether it's med-surg or LTC... if experienced nurses struggle to get it all done or if there's lots of negativity between colleagues, it's not going to be any easier for a newbie or someone returning. If you can get in on a new grad program or preceptorship program, that can be a big help - though desperate places will say just about anything to get you to hire on. There's a certain amount of hit or miss in finding a good fit when you're moving into an area that you don't have current experience in. That's why you don't want to give up right away if your first experiences are negative or discouraging.

I'm not trying to be negative, just realistic. Returning to clinical practice IS possible. Once you get that first clinical job, whatever it is, you'll find it that much easier to get another offer.

Good luck! Keep us up to date on your progress!

May I ask how long you have been out of nursing? Have you kept up via CEUs, current license, conferences, reading journals, belonging to your specialty organization?

Glendale Adventist Medical Center is the place that I heard has a long preceptorship in exchange for a contract.

In regard to agency nursing, just talk to the agency. Some will work with you to identify suitable placements; others won't. Call and ask.

Good luck!

I feel your pain. I am in the same boat as you. I worked for 2 years in L&D and PP after graduation and left to work as an RN in case managment/ utilization review with an OB focus (for health insurers). I have done this type of work for the last 5 years and have decided after having my baby I wanted to go back to OB nursing.

It's as if I am wearing a scarlett letter in the eyes of some hospitals. Others seemed understanding but I still haven 't had any job offers. I have been looking since May. I think we both have to just stick it out and keep looking for that one person who will take a chance on us.

It's really sad with a nursing shortage that nurses are treated like this if they do something non-traditional but still have been working as a nurse. The flexibility in nursing was one of the many aspects of nursing that made me choose this career. I wish I knew before that the nursing profession isn't as flexible as it would like to lead you to believe it is.