Advice Needed Please

Nunya, BSN · Oct 16, 2019

You may have to wait until you get your BSN at this point if hospitals around you won't hire unless you have "experience", which of course you do but whatever. Have you tried LTC facilities or doctor's office until you graduate?

JuliannaRN · Oct 16, 2019

Try getting into a new nurse residency program. The requirements are usually only to have less than 12 months of experience- also, they often allow you to choose areas of interest. In the end, you may need to do at least 6 months of med surg and then transfer over into your specialty.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Oct 16, 2019

There are so many jobs outside of hospitals you seem to be ignoring. At this point ANY experience is better than none. LTC is always hiring.

JKL33 · Oct 16, 2019

It's possible that it isn't just the 10 months vs. 12, but the fact that you have (only) worked as a nurse for 10 months out of the nearly 4 years since graduation. Since graduation, you have spent way more time not working as a nurse than working as a nurse.

Have you gone on any interviews or just been eliminated before that step?

Also, it wouldn't hurt to make sure that all of your materials convey ability and a very positive outlook. Review all of them with the same level of critique that any application materials require.

Are you in a position to inquire about jobs with your previous employer or do you have any contacts there who may be able to help you in some way?

NurseJamillah, MSN, NP · Oct 16, 2019

Maybe add some context in your cover letter? Add a note into your resume to see cover letter? I'm not certain that it will work for nursing, but it worked for me when I worked in a different field. I left my job to go to school full-time, then went out of the country on a study abroad, came back and had to move after a death in the family. I was unemployed for almost a year. When I was interviewed, they'd written a note on the top of my resume about it. They asked me questions about being out of the workforce (even though it wasn't very long). I was prepared with examples of how I still got up every morning like I was going to work, things I did to maintain my organizational skills, etc.

I have a friend that was a HUC until she passed her NCLEX, then after 6 months, she could apply for other internal jobs.

I second trying a new nurse residency program!

Editorial Team / Moderator · Oct 16, 2019

1 hour ago, JKL33 said:
It's possible that it isn't just the 10 months vs. 12, but the fact that you have (only) worked as a nurse for 10 months out of the nearly 4 years since graduation. Since graduation, you have spent way more time not working as a nurse than working as a nurse.

Ding ding! I think this is it. We are rapidly approaching 2020 and you graduated in 2015, OP. That is a long time on a resume or an application to have less than a year of experience. I wonder if a refresher would help? Or maybe as others have said networking with your previous employer, if you left on good terms (gave appropriate resignation and are eligible for rehire). Don't discount those non-hospital facilities, too. Good luck!

**CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN** · Oct 17, 2019

Look into community health or ambulatory care! I agree that your resume will send up a red flag for some, because you’ve been out so long, but eventually somebody will give you an interview, and at that point you’ll be able to (briefly and professionally) explain yourself.

Crystal74 · Sep 3, 2020

On 10/16/2019 at 9:15 AM, Nunya said:

You may have to wait until you get your BSN at this point if hospitals around you won't hire unless you have "experience", which of course you do but whatever. Have you tried LTC facilities or doctor's office until you graduate?

Sorry this has taken so long to respond, my account was frozen. I have tried LTC, due to covid they aren't really hiring near me.

On 10/16/2019 at 10:16 AM, JuliannaRN said:

Try getting into a new nurse residency program. The requirements are usually only to have less than 12 months of experience- also, they often allow you to choose areas of interest. In the end, you may need to do at least 6 months of med surg and then transfer over into your specialty.

Thank you so much. I am trying even as we speak to get into one of those programs. I just finished my BSN.

TriciaJ, RN · Sep 3, 2020

The only thing I can add to the above posts is: how doable is relocation? Surely there are still places in the country that are hurting for nurses. If I couldn't find anything locally and didn't have anything major tying me down, I'd be looking farther afield.

Good luck.