Complicated situation... don't know where to even start... please HELP!!!!

Nurses Retired

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Neuro Med/Surg, Occ Health.

New to this board, so please forgive my ignorance and how long this story might get... here's my situation:

I went to LPN school in Georgia back in 1996, never practiced there as my husband (military) got orders to Florida. Shortly after graduation, we moved to FL transfered to a FL license (did not keep my GA one because it was only temporary because I moved so soon after getting it). So, I worked for almost 3 years or so, when we got orders to Germany in 2001. Since I had a 1 year old by then and another on the way, I made the decision to apply for "inactive" status for the 3 year tour in order to stay home with my children. I also knew that it was almost going to be impossible for me to get a nursing job as an American over there but anyways... that just made my decision easier. I did everything I was told to do to put me into inactive status and we moved. I left a forwarding address for all my mail and we were off to Germany. I was enjoying staying home and a year or more went by and I ran across a site that you can check the status of a nurses license online so when I looked myself up it had something negative (I can't remember but it said pending cancellation) or something other than "inactive" so I called the FL Board of Nursing and found out that I needed to pay $350.00 in the next 2 weeks or my license was going to become cancelled/void. Turns out that they screwed up some paperwork, and resent it to my FL address and since they don't allow "forwarding" any mail to do with Licensure (which they failed to inform me) it was returned to them and they didn't even try to contact me at all. It ticked me off because I left them with an address and phone number to my MIL in the states if any problems arose with my inactive app and I never heard a single thing. Anyway, we had NO way of paying that $350 and I said since I'm not working anyway, I'll deal with it when I return to the states. Big mistake... we got sent to CA after Germany and when I went to renew my license found out it was null/void and I would completely have to take the boards (NCLEX?) all over again. It was too overwhelming to me at the time to even think about going through all that again, so I continued to stay home with my kids and work here and there in office jobs and medical receptionist stuff.

So, skip to now... almost 9 years after all this took place and I live in TX now and my husband is retired from the Army now so we won't be moving anymore. Now, I seriously considering getting back into it. I really need to get back to work now that my kids are a little older and at least in school all day and we could definitely use the money. I'm tired of trying to find these silly jobs that I'm overqualified for that don't pay any money. I just don't have a clue on where to start. I need a TX license... don't know if I have to reboard for FL, then transfer to TX and take a refresher which obviously I would need. And not to throw another monkey wrench in here but I want to go ahead and bridge over to at least an Associate RN. That was my original plan before I stayed home... I always said if I came back to nursing, I was just going to bridge over and not stay an LPN. Has anyone else experienced anything close to this, I know it's complicated!! I only was a nurse for 3 years and have been out for 9, so I'm kinda freaked out. I also had some bad experiences when I was a nurse (got exposed to TB in nursing home that wan't checking it's patients according to the rules, needlestick of a IV drug user/Hep C patient... had to undergo the HIV testing for a year... super stressful stuff). That's another reason why I needed a "break" to rethink the whole nursing thing. It took me so long to make this decision to come back but now it seems so daunting... I don't want it to discourage me anymore that it already has. Please HELP!!! Any tips/advice would be appreciated. Thanks so much! ;-) Debbie

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Specializes in Med Surg, ICU, home&pub health, pvt duty.

I am a little confused. Do you have a valid LPN license and want to start working or ? The board in your state can advise you where to start.

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Just contact the Board where you are living to find out what they expect you to do to get a license. Really, at this point, that is all you can do because you can't go back and change any of the actions concerning your license that have occurred over the years. Welcome back to nursing.

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Specializes in LTC, Drug Rehab.

HI Debbie, I just wanted to encourage you as I am going back to nursing after being in another field for over 9 years. I let my license lapse intentionally, just didn't think I'd ever go back (never say never!) I contacted the BON in my state and through some very pro-active persistence was able to finally figure out how to get my LPN Refresher, it was very hard to get this information. I didn't know where to turn and people don't realize that it's very unusual for a facility to have a preceptor program for LPNs, in a smaller area anyway, there was only one healthcare facility that supported refresher students. The school I contacted for the refresher told me to find my own preceptor which was how I finally ended up locating the only one in town - none of the hospitals did and there are several of those around here. I'm telling you all this as I had multiple opportunities to give up, I'm starting this refresher at the age of 60 years young and now I'm 61 and looking for a job. I finished the refresher last fall, it took me 2 months, the study was at home, the clinical 90 hours. It was hard but I did okay. After graduating the refresher, the BON wouldn't give me my license back even though I had done everything required. Long story. It seems that they randomly "audit" licenses, have no idea whats up with this but it was weeks of wrangling with the paperwork and finally they said I was good to go.

Weird. I very skittishly passed out one job application at a place that I "just had a feeling about" and they didn't call. Weeks went by and I began to think that maybe I'd made a big mistake about even thinking this was going to work. Something deep down though just knew that this was the right place for me so I just waited. Last week while I was out of town, they called and wanted to interview me! I had the interview and they called 3 days later and offered me the perfect job which is part time to start. I'm so pumped and I know you can do it too. Just don't listen to the negative voices, you CAN do this. I start my new job Tuesday, woooo hooooo !

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

Congratulations on your new job, Skylla!!!! Your story is a very, very hopeful one for so many of us. Your persistence paid off! Best wishes!!! :)

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Specializes in LTC, Drug Rehab.

Hey, thanks for responding- that was my first post! I started the new job yesterday, it was 10 hours due to some orientation, whoa, I'm beat. LOL. But my preceptor was really good, we had lots of fun medical things to do and I learned alot. Everyone is very friendly and while tired today, excited about this. You know what? Being able to go online and figure things out is so amazing, I found a youtube video today about how to use a wound vac which I've never seen before - I'm so thankful that I'm still passionate about learning, I took notes yesterday to look stuff up at home for drugs I'm not familiar with etc, God is so good :yeah:

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