The Unemployed RN

txnurstudent08, BSN, LVN, RN · Feb 24, 2012

I too have been unemployed for roughly two years now. Im in a rural texas county that doesnt have many opportunities. I worked at the "major" hospital here for 4 years. I began as a secretary and worked my way through school all the way from pion secretary to RN BSN. Boy, I thought having that BSN would open such big doors for me. I was dissapointed to know that I was only going to make an additional .50/hr and still be forced to work 12 hr med surg floor. I am interested in Pediatrics, wound care, and surgical. I would and have also considered working home health, office jobs, school nurse, etc.... I thought it would be better if I went to a NH and that perhaps I could be a DON or ADON. Well, I keep getting told I either dont have enough experience or Im over qualified. I am so disgusted with nursing in general. I was told in school that after working 3 years med surg I could specialize and those doors dont seem to be opening. Maybe Im not looking in the right place? Any advice?

joies1 · Apr 2, 2012

Always a day late ! Or, in this case a month...... As sad as it is, I am glad to see that other competent nurses are in my position. At least I know it is not just me !

I started nursing school in my mid 30's (change of vocation) and got my RN in 1984. Worked at our small rural hospital for nearly 20 years before I had to stop for medical reasons. After 4 years of illness I realized I no longer was capable of acute and critical care in a hospital. So I sought work in assisted living. It was a good choice, even though I was largely unprepared for that type of job in the beginning. But I found that - eventually - that it was perfect for me ! Hours were generally part time, I no longer had to do all the heavy lifting and running, I love to teach and nurture both staff and residents, I am very good with creating teaching materials, protocols and forms, plus it is a position of respectability and 'say' within the facility.

What could go wrong?

. . . . Age . . . I lost my job a year and a half ago - not because I wasn't doing well or not getting my job done - but because corp wanted a younger nurse who could work more hours. State survey came through a week later and facility was deficiency free. That was MY doing ! I am so disgusted with corporations that place their profitability above the service that they say they are committed to.

So now I am on Social Security ~ yes, old enough ! But that is only just about half of what I need to live and pay bills. (I have worked since 1966) I would really love to provide training and educational materials for other assisted living facility nurses so they wouldn't have to start from next to nothing. It is a needed aspect of our health care management that costs far less than hospitals or nursing homes.

So what do you do when you are older, but still capable (within limitations), have vast experience and education, want to give, share and use the abilities you have, and retain your nursing license a bit longer ? I love nursing. I just hate the way it is being used these days.

So much for me.

A note to the younger generations ~ The profession of nursing is almost sacred. It may not get much acknowledgement or reward, but it is your knowledge, your caring, your intervention, your insight, your teaching, your commitment to care ~ your touch ~ that changes and saves lives. Know that for yourselves when no one else acknowledges that. You are not there to be a slave to the computer, but to serve those in need.

elprup, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2012

Send your story to all news media, nursing organizations, oprah, etc. We have to educate the public that there is NOT a nursing shortage.

clahoney7 · Apr 13, 2012

I agree with many of the posts. I hear in the news there is a shortage of nurses...where? I have been a case manager at an insurance company for the last 6 years and the hospitals won't even call me for a job. I am willing and able to work at age 38 but they hire new grads over me.....

It is sad they are not utilizing the pool of nurses they have and developing them. However, it is classic as I have worked for the insurance company and they would rather you leave than help you to grow within-I guess it has to do with poor corporate culture.

elprup, BSN, RN · Apr 14, 2012

Exactly CrunchRN, it does suck.

inforn43 · Oct 15, 2012

I too, have been unemployed since 2009....the last job I had was a caretaker/Assessment nurse which the latter never materialized. I couldnt do heavy lifting of an MS patient when she fell but this agency did it anyway.
I have been searching for work since......get interviews, but no real bites....I loathe this profession and what it did to my general physical health, (many injuries to neck, shoulders and back) which no one gives a crap about.....I cannot do Nursing home work anymore...I want an medical office job, I was told that I am overqualified in the state of Vermont for an med office job....HUH???if you are willing to accept the pay and work, they are getting a downright bargain....but you know....they are afraid you are going to leave for an RN job.....thats not my case...I JUST NEED ONE. I just was interviewed for a crappy part time office school job and didnt get it...because I am not Word Processor savvy....overqualified in one way.....and not in another....I dont get it really.....guess I am too old too. 55.. I will just roll myself up in a big ball and die...like Frank Sinatra says..

It's almost a year now, any luck? I am about to give up.

RN In FL · Jan 4, 2013

Hello Everybody,

I want to give some insight on returning to work. I was out of nursing from 2004 to 2012. I took an RN refresher course through Capscare. I am located in FL. This was a board approved program. I took it online. 80 hrs of theory, the 96 hr of clinical, all at your own pace. Well I got my FL RN license re-instated. I WILL NEVER LET THIS PRECIOUS 4X4 PIECE OF PAPER EXPIRE EVER AGAIN!!! Cost me sooooo much money to get it back. :uhoh3: Anyhoo! All that was Oct 3, is the date issued my license. I thought it would be easy to get a job....so many ads for RN's. Med/surg, peds, all the fields. Even travel nursing. I have adult children, nothing holding me back. HANG IT UP. I have 29 years experience. Graduated in 1983 and worked full time until 2004, never a break. The market is huge for travel, and seems for OR. Well i have put my resume on Monster, Career Builder, and LinkedIN, oh yeah, SimplyHired, and Indeed. and have applied for I know over 80-90 jobs. Zero, nada, zilch, none, NOTHING. No bites. 1 LIL OLE NIBBLE. My feelingS were hurt. Well a recruiter called me. I was overjoyed. He questioned the "gap". I explained, stayed home to take care of family. He was like. ooooooooo, to be honest with you, it will probably be very tough for you to get an interview/get hired, because, hospitals will only talk to you if you have been working for 2 yrs. Thats what they call "experience", not the experience that we have as old school nurses. All of our experience is really null and void in these hospital eyes. The DON's are younger, and they are seeking younger (IMO). I am 49, I am still sharp. I have a very decorated resume which I am proud of. I am only seeking a regular Medical floor, wound care, piggy backs, cleaning poop, charting, and chaos, LOL. No looking to work in the ICU or some other high tech unit. They state online in the job description, "RN 6mo experience desired and BCLS" Thats it. Now why wouldn't they give me a chance? Its sad. But we have no nurse's union to go to bat for us. This is how it will be. I just thought I would share my experience. Just yesterday 2 Jan 13 I got hired at a sub-acute unit, I am so grateful. Its a start. I am happy with this.

lumbarpain, ADN, RN · Jan 31, 2013

I think Medical Assistants/techs are taking over the Nursing realm, I hope its not true, but they seem to have the edge over us in performing more practical tasks, like EKGs, blood drawing, etc, Scarey....I shouldve been a Lab tech instead of a Nurse at the time I made my decision.

Lucky724 · Feb 1, 2013

I have been unemployed - by choice - for some time as well. I too have 20 yrs experience and good experience and a BSN. I too am having a tough time reentering the work force. I have applied to at least 70 jobs in the past 3 months. I have been offered 3 - one is part time home health that is paid by the visit (no thanks), another is for $15/hr working in an urgent care/doctors office 3 12's a wk (I was told that is all the can afford for an RN -the same pay as a MA), another PRN in a hospital 45 miles from my home..I have received a few calls for other jobs I applied to but the ad and the reality of what they were looking for was far different once the telephone interview too place so those I just said "thanks but no thanks." LTC and home health hire a LOT around where I live but I'm not interested in either of those.

Part of the problem for me - besides the economy etc - is I live in a rural area so unless I'm willing to drive over an hour to the bigger city opportunity is limited. I am unable to relocate or work nights - thought I think I would like nights. I too get the "we've decided to move forth with a more qualified candidate" and literally will laugh out loud as my experience and credentials exceed some of what they are looking for. I was told by the HR person at the hospital that online applications are screened by a computer program as well - it looks for certain works and goes from there. So, basically, if that is true, we aren't even being given the curteousy of a human assessing our resume.

I realize too I've made things more difficult by completely leaving nursing for the past 2 yrs - hindsight being what it is, I would not do that again, I would at least stay PRN.

I am, at this point, going with the PRN hospital position -it's something and even though my anxiety is through the roof about returning (especially when I read all the negative posts on here :) ) it is a job and will ease me back into the field. I have applied for a few dialysis jobs as those are closer and FT.

It's a tough world in healthcare now - nurses don't have - or it doesn't seem like they do - the same command for pay/benefits and jobs as before. Some places maybe it is ageism but where I live - it's mainly healthcare businesses wanting to squeeze the most they can from as little as possible.

lumbarpain, ADN, RN · Feb 2, 2013

I am in some difficulty here landing a job, I was left in a big house with the entire rent and bills by a good friend of mine who just upped and left due to an extreme anxiety attack of which I have been trying to find out the cause of...but besides that I would like to know what Nurses here think of Home Care Marketing....a commission job and if anyone ever did this in there careers?

Lucky724 · Feb 2, 2013

There is no way in this economy unless I absolutely did not have to worry about money would I agree to a commission only job. I haven't heard of home care marketing as far as on its own. I know home care agencies usually have a marketer and from what I understand they are paid hourly or salary and some are given bonuses.

If your roommate was also on the lease he/she is still responsible for his/her part of it. Whatever the reason he/she left isn't as pressing as how you are going to make the rent.

lumbarpain, ADN, RN · Feb 2, 2013

thanks so much for your response all, I am new to this home marketing thing, kind of scarey. But I need the job now..They gave me a packet of what the company does and its placement of people who need other care when they are coming out of a hospital, returning home, or whatever the case may be. I would go in, talk to a discharge Nurse and the patient, family on possibly convincing them to hire this company to find placement for them, they supply the aides, the Nurse to assess them and make sure their needs are met. Its new to me so I am leary of this, but....I am leary of everything lately.