should I include this experience on resume

Nurses Career Support

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I did an OR certificate course in 1997. I worked in nursing since then. I worked in the OR from 1998-2005. Then I pursued other areas of nursing. I am thinking of getting back into OR nursing part time or prn.

I did have an OR job for 4 months, this was 3 years ago. It was a factory like place where we did 18 cases of cataracts a day. I hated it. I was getting depressed, at the same time, my mom was dying of cancer. She died, I never went back to that workplace. I just quit. Dealing with the grief of that, I couldn't force myself to work there anymore.

MY QUESTION: when applying for OR positions, am I better off to include or not include this short job?

On one hand, its more recent OR experience, on the other hand its short term and may not look good. Plus, then I may need to explain the situation and I don't know how to go about that.

ASSUME that this will not be found in an employment check, as they never do those where I live. That I am sure of.

Ah, but do you know where all of the former coworkers are now working? What their positions now are?

If the new job is in a large facility they will do a background check and can you be sure this short term job won't show up. I know that AHS contracts out all background checks and no longer calls the unit directly. BUT you'd be surprised how many times the candidate that shows up on a unit for an interview is eyeballed by staff, recognized and the staff then check the grapevine.

It's a small facility and it's about 90 mins from the other place.

So, would you include it or not?

I wouldn't include it since it was such a short period of time.

I would include it as it is recent experience. When asked just explain about your situation with your mother, if you are comfortable with that. I don't think anyone would think any less of you considering the circumstance.

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