New nurse at rock bottom please fellow nurses help me

Sun0408, ASN, RN · Aug 10, 2012

The job market is tough in many areas, many new grads are having a hard time finding work without restrictions and a record.. I say that lightly because I know things happen. Try and network, go to job fairs, the unemployment office(sometimes they have listing that are not made public), keep sending out your resume. Try different areas like psych, LTC facilities and clinics. In the mean time, if you are not working, find a job to help bring in some money while you are looking for you nursing job.

melissa_m87 · Aug 10, 2012

Thank you...I know that ppl without the "baggage" are having trouble too I was just trying to see if I could get a job with restrictions I guess because it seems slim just looking for some hope I guess because I'm starting to lose it I have my LPN & I know LTC is the best place to look for us so I have been looking there

Editorial Team / Admin · Aug 10, 2012

Thread moved.

norlns24 · Aug 11, 2012

Greetings,

Perhaps you could volunteer a few hours a week at the biggest health care employer in your area that would have the most positions you are qualified for (including your restrictions). If you develop a good rapport w/ employes, and in particular, supervisors who can put in a good word for you, your chances of getting hired go up exponentially. The thing about a ding on one's record isn't that this makes an individual any less qualified or valuable to a team, it just raises initial doubts about a prospective employee from the start. And yes, with a tight labor market, this does affect one's odds to some degree. In effect, it becomes a way to cull the herd of applicants from the start.

If you volunteer and show yourself to be worthy of employment, you can erase any initial doubts by proving yourself -- you will have been vetted and tested in real situations, which trumps any scenario an interview might throw at an applicant or any glowing letter of recommendation from a stranger offered to the interviewer. Inquire around about volunteer opportunities, and again, I'd stick to the places where the chances of future employment are the greatest. Even if it does not pan out, by volunteering, you are doing some very important things: you are improving your resume by adding the volunteer work to it and you will be able to potentially get some updated references/ letters of recommendation to add to your resume. And just as important if not more so, you will also be keeping up with the skills you learned in school and learning many new things, by observation and just being in a busy health-care setting.

Finally, I would have to believe there must be some kind of appeals process to the board or org. that put restrictions on your license. Don't accept their decision as it stands w/out a fight. Anything that potentially affects one's career has to have an appeals board to turn to in order to fight the restrictions you face. Also, local unemployment offices usually have a point person or outreach referral for people with criminal records and how to go about having them sealed or expunged. Though such programs normally deal w/ drug offenses, they may be able to offer you some advice specific to your case or steer you in the right direction to someone else who can help you. Employment offices are tasked with bringing down employment numbers in their district, so they have an interest in making job candidates more employable by helping them clear their record. In other words, they have a vested interest in helping people just like you become more employable, so don't be afraid to inquire there for assistance. My advice is to be friendly but assertive, ask questions, take notes, and don't take an immediate "no" for an answer in any of your interactions regarding these matters, particularly with an appeal to your restrictions. Best of luck to you!

norlns24 · Aug 11, 2012

er..I meant "unemployment offices are tasked w/ bringing down unemployment numbers, not employment numbers..." Also, I would ask about time limitations on these restrictions, such as when they expire. I was unclear about this in the original post. If you are not sure, I would definitely find this out. Also ask how other people have had restrictions removed in the past, and how they did it. Perhaps the original court that handled your case can provide a letter on your behalf to help you with your case. Be sure never to ask if something is possible when dealing w/ the board that issued your restrictions or appropriate appeals board; you are giving the other person the option of saying "no." Just assume anything is possible and go from there. Again, best of luck to you.

SuzieeQ · Aug 11, 2012

Keep your chin up - there has to be a job out there for you. Keep applying and be patient.

melissa_m87 · Aug 12, 2012

Thank you so much I never thought about volunteering somewhere. That def. would get my foot in the door & give them an opportunity to see how I work & what kind of person I am. Would I be volunteering as a nurse or just any position?! Thank you so much for taking the time to write out such a lengthy comment with so many different ways to go about this I really do appreciate it!