*UNEMPLOYED NURSES*

Nurses Job Hunt

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Ello~

I'm just curious to know, for those of you who are unemployed nurses, exactly how long have you been looking for work? What are you (LPN,RN,BSN-RN,MSN-NP,etc.) How many previous years of experience do you have? Where are you located? How many applications do you think you have placed? What about interviews? Add anything else that you want! Vent, tell us how you REALLY feel, give your opinions/outlooks on everything.

Specializes in med/surg/tele/LTC/homecare/correctional/.

I have also tried being in the home care field of nursing. All I can say is HORRIBLE! Few hours available, never a steady paycheck, and traveling all over creation to different assignments. Going into someone's home is a field of its own. You can be an excellent nurse of many talents, and dependable/caring etc.., but for whatever reason, you get kicked off the case, and most of the time, for NO REASON! Its exasperating trying to find other work after being in homecare. No one thinks homecare work qualifies you to do anything but babysit...not true, but the perception makes me regret my transition into homecare in the first place. The RN job market is gloomy with or without expereince. With over 10 yrs of experience, hospitals will still tell me I cant be hired because I have been out of acute care for too long. Always an excuse, but the real reason is hospitals wont spend the money to staff properly. At this point, I am seeking work outside of nursing, I can live without the aggravation. I want a refund from my nursing school.

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Specializes in med surg home care PEDS.

I too went the home care route, after months of looking for work, this was or is not my ideal job, the person I work for uses me as a babysitter, my shift was supposed to end at 5pm, I was there to 7-8 oclock on too many occasions, yet when my sister in law passed away i called her asap to tell her I wouldn't be in she called and complained to my agency, that did it for me, I give up maybe nursing isn;t for me, but I will try something else for a while

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Specializes in med/surg/tele/LTC/homecare/correctional/.

Pediatric Homecare is usually a state funded/ medicaid service for lazy parents who refuse to take care of their "special needs" child. It is essentially glorified babysitting at an outrageous cost to the taxpayer.....and most of these kids have long since reached maximum potential. The parents are non-appreciative. One mom screamed at me because her kids' pigtail holders didnt match. It should be outlawed. It is doled out to these parents so that they can go to work. However, I found most of them dont work at all. If they need help, it should be a babysitter not a nurse.

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Specializes in med surg home care PEDS.
Pediatric Homecare is usually a state funded/ medicaid service for lazy parents who refuse to take care of their "special needs" child. It is essentially glorified babysitting at an outrageous cost to the taxpayer.....and most of these kids have long since reached maximum potential. The parents are non-appreciative. One mom screamed at me because her kids' pigtail holders didnt match. It should be outlawed. It is doled out to these parents so that they can go to work. However, I found most of them dont work at all. If they need help, it should be a babysitter not a nurse.

OMG how true, the one I worked for chewed me out like I would light into one of my kids, because I couldn't find the shirt she wanted the child to wear, and once more because I didn;t take her garbage down stairs when I left her house, it is a joke, I agreed she needs a home health aide, she can do everything better than me anyway, never listens to anything I say, and generally treats me like a servant.

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

I just finished my second week at my new job...before that I was unemployed for five months. I have a BSN and six years of experience, and I left a good job when we had to relocate with the military. I probably put in 50 applications before I got this job but let me tell you the wait was SO worth it.

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OMG how true, the one I worked for chewed me out like I would light into one of my kids, because I couldn't find the shirt she wanted the child to wear, and once more because I didn;t take her garbage down stairs when I left her house, it is a joke, I agreed she needs a home health aide, she can do everything better than me anyway, never listens to anything I say, and generally treats me like a servant.

This is true sometimes, not all the time. I met many parents that never raised their voices and understood completely why I was there; however, I do know the type of parent you are speaking of. One of those had me fired for not changing a diaper. That is one thing I dislike about pediatric agency work. It had nothing to with being wet because of a diaper but a gaping hole where the mickey button used to be. There are a LOT of children who are in really bad shape. My point though is if we tick these people off for any little offense, the agency has us removed from the case and we are once again out of work. So if you want to get a paycheck, you're forced to be the maid, nanny, babysitter, and everything else in between to make the parents happy. It is absolutely absurd.

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Specializes in med/surg/tele/LTC/homecare/correctional/.

Perfectly said. My stint in PED Homecare was short lived, as I no longer believed in what I was doing anymore. One case had 11 different nurses assigned, yet no one was good enough. I honestly believe that some of these kids may actually do better in a group home. There are so many that get practically 24/7 free care on the backs of the taxpayers. Group them together and let the parents visit. Makes much more sense. The agencies bow down to the parents and have nothing in place at all for conflict resolution. They just kick the nurse off the case without explanation or cause. I am at a crossroad because I have little desire to return to acute care. There is no easy way out in this field. Walmart time.

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There are so many excellent nurses out there but the crappy ones get to keep their jobs because they have "dirt" on management. It's disgusting to witness. Get the bad seeds out.. it reflects negatively on the nurses who actually care about the patients and care less about the politics!

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Had an interview today, didnt get the job :(

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Specializes in Urgent Care, Pediatrics, Hospice.

I'm finally employed. Looks like I'm changing specialties!

I was offered a hospice job last week. I had tried forever to get into hospice since I was a new grad but couldn't get anyone to give me a chance. I had a good feeling about this company as soon as I walked in to the interview. I got a very friendly vibe from everyone and it seemed that they were really listening to everything I had to say. They also acknowledge that I don't have the experience and that I will need to have some additional training but they were willing to take a chance on me anyway because they believe I will be a good fit for the company and their team.

I'm very grateful after 5 months of nothing. I am still so afraid of finding myself unemployed again. I'm a little wary at this point of any opportunity. I loved my last job and thought everything was fine until the rug was pulled out from under me. I am so afraid of that happening again. This job is a huge opportunity for me. I'll be in a specialty that I have wanted to be a part of since before I ever went to nursing school. I know that I can do this and I just hope that they see that in me.

It's so strange how everything is falling together. On Tuesday I got engaged, on Wednesday I was offered the job, and on Thursday my fiance' got a promotion. Things are looking up, but I am still afraid that it can all go away. I think I have PTSD from losing my job before!

Stick with it, y'all. It will happen.

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Specializes in med-surg.

You are what you think you keep up with the positive. The lesson to learn is that live life one day at a time. and that there is not garantee that all would be bad or all will be good. Enjoy your present happiness in life don't think about it. whatever comes just say. this too shall pass.

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Graduated 2008, worked in Neurosurgical ICU for 1 year; pregnant during that time. After baby was born husband and I decided to move closer to family so, while still on maternity leave moved to south Florida, took an additional 3 months to get accustomed to the area, older child settled in school etc..etc... I have now been officially without a job for 18 months now. I have submitted hundreds of applications to the hospitals around here, clinics, home health and various other organizations, full time and part time... and in that time I have had..count them..2 yes I said 2 interviews with no job offer from either although one rejection notification said I interviewed well, was very polite and they hoped that I would be able to find other employment within their company. My main concern is that the longer I am without employment the bigger the red flag on my application...I am completely frustrated that I have no job, no interviews from the jobs I am applying for and the comments I get from people around me when I tell them I am having trouble getting a job and they ask what I do...they hear nurse and laugh...like I am lying about the trouble finding employment..."nursing is a recession proof" job I hear...HA!! if they only knew! I am seriously ready to give nursing up all it has done is put me in debt and caused me so much stress and anger while trying to find a job...cause my husband and me to argue almost daily because I now wish we had never moved...I gave up a job with an awesome hospital that I had worked at for 5 years; first as a pharmacy technician then a nurse..never had 1 bad evaluation. I guess job loyalty doesn't matter here in south Florida.:mad:

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