Looking for career advice and encouragement.

[LaeDeesNP]

Hello everyone!

I'm looking for some career advice and I hope someone out there in the allnurses community can help me. :nuke: Let me give you a run-down on my situation...I'll try to keep it brief! I graduated in May of '05 with my BSN and went straight to a full-time job on a general medical/surgical floor at a rural hospital. I worked there for 13 months and had to leave because of getting married and moving to another country (husband's work). Since I do not speak the language here and US gov't jobs are VERY few and far between...I haven't been working at all. We will be returning to the States in three years. My concern is this... when we return, should I be concerned that employers will look down at my situation and opt to not hire me? Part of me thinks that I will find work most anywhere due to the nursing shortage. Also, if anyone has any advice about ways to keep up my skills or things to do to stay current on things in the nursing world, please send it my way. I'm considering going back to school while over here for my MSN but am not sure about that yet. I'm afraid that we will return to the States and the only jobs I'll be able to get are in med/surg and, if I learned ANYTHING from my 13 months in the working world, it was that I DO NOT want to go back to med/surg... Advice?

[GingerSue]

there are many areas other than med/surg for you to consider

[Mulan]

Some military wives I have known did volunteer work on the base in the OB area. Are you near a military facility? That might look good on a resume. They may use volunteers in other areas also.

I would get my 15 ceus per year using the internet if necessary, you may need those to get your license renewed. A lot of sites offer free ceus.

[TravelingirlRN]

I was overseas for two years and unable to obtain a nursing job. I took a travel nursing job for thirteen weeks in the states, made sure my certifications were current (ACLS, PALS, TNCC) and volunteered for the Red Cross in the PACU. I had no problem getting a job but I had already been a nurse for 5 years.

I would continue to beef up the resume with volunteer activities if possible because that still counts as work experience. When you get back you should be able to get into critical care if there is a critical care educational program at the hospital where you start. If the hospital you return to is extremely rural then they may OTJ train you but 3 years is a long time to go without working since medicine changes so quickly. Some states may require you to take some classes to obtain a license but that is state dependent.

Hope this helps...