and another brick wall

Burlshoe114 · Jan 16, 2011

Kiddo, don't be so hard on yourself. I'm in the same boat and am experiencing pretty much the same thing, even as an RN.

Its the economy. It stinks right now. Even absolutely stellar resumes with perfect references are having to compete for jobs.

Look at it this way. We are having to deal with:

1.) Returning senior nurses who have to come back to work because their spouses were laid off.

2.) A flood of new grads who are flooding the market because they heard there was a "nursing shortage."

3.) Hospitals who are afraid to make new financial commitments due to an unsure enconomy.

4.) More people coming to hospitals for their care because they no longer have health insurance.

5.) Local health offices making cutbacks on staff.

I know how hard you are trying and how easy it is to internalize all of this. It is scary.

The only thing to do is keep plugging away at it until something happens.

Good luck!

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jan 16, 2011

A lot may depend on the reason(s) why you were let go from your last job.

Otherwise, the economy is still a factor in hiring decisions, even though it's picking up a little.......oftentimes, it's just a matter of hanging in there and trying to be patient. You may want to consider taking even a part-time, temporary job if you can get one, because you need to get a foot in the door and you need to make some money (as you probably know, unemployment insurance (UI) benefits don't even begin to cover expenses).

I had to do that last summer after being essentially laid off after a staffing cutback and my knee surgery; when an on-call position in another LTC opened up, I took it even though I knew it was only a stopgap measure to supplement the UI. Now, there's perhaps nothing more attractive to an employer than an applicant who DOESN'T need the job; since I didn't much care for the facility or the position, I kept looking, and it was only a few weeks before the job offers started coming in. I took what I thought was the best opportunity, and three months later I can still say I've never been happier in my life.

So don't give up, and try not to get too discouraged. There IS a job out there with your name on it.

carolmaccas66, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2011

purple10, can you post your CV on here for me to look at (with no identifying details)?

I used to work in a nursing recruiting office and we used to re-vamp people's CVs, do reference checks, do mock interviews etc.

If you don't want to post your CV, let's get busy and look at a plan of action for you instead:

1) OK, you may need to move further to get work, sad but true. I had to move to another state in Oz to gain the particular employment I wanted as a RN. Do you know any friends you can go stay with, or look at share accommodation? Are there any websites you can look at where people (or other nurses) ask for someone to share? Start locally near you.

2) If you contact nursing agencies, sometimes they will give you accommodation with some jobs, because they really need people to work in certain areas. Have you contacted all the nursing agencies near you and afar? Email them if you can't afford to ring, or if you call them, ask them to call you back to save money that's what I do.

3) It's so horrid when your confidence is shaken, I think we have all been turned down for jobs we really wanted and your soul gets bruised. But sit down and really have a think re the last interviews you had. What sort of questions did they ask you and how did you respond? Were you confident or sitting there nervously fidgeting or plucking at your clothing? Did you look the interviewer in the eye? Did they ask you re an emergency scenario/s, ie: what would you do if a post-op patient was de-satting, bleeding from an abominal wound. no other nurses were around (unlikely but I was asked this), and the emergency bell wasn't working? Did you go through your DRABC protocol? They ask you questions like this to see how quickly you can think if an emergency did arise, and that you're on the right track with your reasoning as a nurse.

Are you up to date with occ health & safety, anti-discrimination laws, gun laws, mandatory reporting of child abuse, etc? You need to research a bit about these as they are really important when in the work place. Also write down all the questions you can remember from your last interviews and research the answers one by one.

4) My boss told me when she interviewed people for CN/CNS/CNC jobs (or RNs/CNs who wanted to act in these roles), she really scrutinised their appearance and body language. She used to say if they look slobby in the interview, or slouch, they're probably not going to be much better in their job and to her it didn't matter what qualifications you had. Make sure your appearance is immaculate -can't stress that enough - some nurses used to come to interviews in stained/creased work clothes! Wear a nice suit/outfit, make sure your hair is up (looks more professional), wear a nice scent (nothing strong), small amount of make up (no garish coloured make up or clothes). Sit in a comfortable position, don't sit ramroad straight - it looks like you're going to bolt at any minute! Always ask interviewers' names & shake hands b4 sitting down, and always shake everyone's hands afterwards, and thank them for their time. Politeness goes a long way, and makes a big impression. Always have all your qualifications and CV with you in a nice neat folder or get it bound professionally, and offer the interviewers time to look at it after the interview is finished. I ALWAYS get to an interview at least 1.5 hours earlier to find parking, go to the loo, find where I'm going, etc, and ALWAYS say you are willing to fit in with their work schedule, can do some overtime, etc (unless you've stated in your initial application you can't do this due to having children or whatever) - be flexible for them, not for you.

5) Lastly, re your confidence, I would keep applying for all and any full time job to keep you in the work force, even if it isn't nursing. It will show a future employer that no, you just didn't sit back on your laurels and whine how the world hasn't treated you right, you got back out there and did any job you could. It shows perseverance and bottom, as the British say. Any job you are in you need skills, whether you are serving customers or not, handling money, using computers, etc. You can say in the interview something like: 'No I was not doing a nursing job before, but I used these skills (list them), and how that will help you in nursing" (some skills may not but you have still been working and that is a bonus).

Try not to dwell too much on the past failures, though this is hard. Try to also do something to de-stress you, like a hobby or exercise, even listening to music - I like cooking - it keeps me busy and I don't think so much.

But if you can put your CV on here, I'd be really interested in looking at it.

Otherwise good luck!

newtress, LPN · Jan 16, 2011

Look at all the wrangling and hoop humping nurses have to go through new grad and experienced. I have come to a realization that the people and powers that be who are supposed to decide on a candidate, if so lucky to have a face to face interview, on (please forgive me for what I am about to say) our persona or personal appearance. This is so way bad. When you have been in the arena and been in a waiting area for interviews, or heard of a less dedicated experienced colleage getting the job and you didn't; the why factor repeates itself doesn't it? There is a dynamic going on there. Don's and administrators have a preconcieved mental image of what they want to see or hear from an applicant. The paper part doesn't mean very much to them. WE ARE LICENSED. I have experienced being over looked while a classmate or former coworker was offered the job because they presented themselves as a simpleton. They offered the "I am a workhorse" mentality. Not diligent, detailed orientated, patient safety based applicant. The reason I say this is many of you may admit that you don't understand why those that you have known got positions that you felt you were far more qualified for. This is a phenomenom and shift I have seen happen in nursing. It was universally understood that if you had the credentials as a nurse, you stood a hands down chance of being offered employment. Now, bars have been raised too high, can someone you know pull some strings and get you in (nepetisim) or sacrifice every living moment of your life to accept the most rediculous hours/shifts and patient ratio for less than stellar salary and a working environment where you do not have managerial support or lack of proper legal tools for protection, and supplies to work with and carry out your duties as you know to be right. Borrowing medications in LTC, substituting bordergauze with something else, no proper/available antibiotics in the ER kit. Prospective employers want to scrutinize and screen applicants for a sophisiticated slavery sweatshop work environment when any able bodied person will do? They seem to want a yes man. As of now we are all a "yes man." Lead to my point: Now that nursing jobs are so coveted and they know it, they are overly hypersensitive to the onslaught of applicants (the poor dears, college and all, ICU experienced nurses we have no positions for) they can pick and REALLY choose one or two nurses for one stinking nurse position posted. This is IMHO an abuse of power because we know darn well that floors are functioning understaffed, and CNA's have the market place covered with "you're nothing without me" so do your legal license routine. A severe imbalance of healthcare. And if you break it completely down, it leads to dreaded politics. The big P exists in domestic households, workplaces and entertainment. If I went outside of my nature, and went to a job interview with dreadlocks, and Doc Martin boots on.. bet on a strange happenstance I'd get the job upon interview. We applicants do absolutely everything right and provide what they want and require for hire. There is a messed up thing that has transpired in the last 3 yrs. Y'all feel the hurt, but for me I have identified it.

purple10 · Jan 16, 2011

purple10, can you post your CV on here for me to look at (with no identifying details)?
I used to work in a nursing recruiting office and we used to re-vamp people's CVs, do reference checks, do mock interviews etc.
If you don't want to post your CV, let's get busy and look at a plan of action for you instead:
1) OK, you may need to move further to get work, sad but true. I had to move to another state in Oz to gain the particular employment I wanted as a RN. Do you know any friends you can go stay with, or look at share accommodation? Are there any websites you can look at where people (or other nurses) ask for someone to share? Start locally near you.
2) If you contact nursing agencies, sometimes they will give you accommodation with some jobs, because they really need people to work in certain areas. Have you contacted all the nursing agencies near you and afar? Email them if you can't afford to ring, or if you call them, ask them to call you back to save money that's what I do.
3) It's so horrid when your confidence is shaken, I think we have all been turned down for jobs we really wanted and your soul gets bruised. But sit down and really have a think re the last interviews you had. What sort of questions did they ask you and how did you respond? Were you confident or sitting there nervously fidgeting or plucking at your clothing? Did you look the interviewer in the eye? Did they ask you re an emergency scenario/s, ie: what would you do if a post-op patient was de-satting, bleeding from an abominal wound. no other nurses were around (unlikely but I was asked this), and the emergency bell wasn't working? Did you go through your DRABC protocol? They ask you questions like this to see how quickly you can think if an emergency did arise, and that you're on the right track with your reasoning as a nurse.
Are you up to date with occ health & safety, anti-discrimination laws, gun laws, mandatory reporting of child abuse, etc? You need to research a bit about these as they are really important when in the work place. Also write down all the questions you can remember from your last interviews and research the answers one by one.
4) My boss told me when she interviewed people for CN/CNS/CNC jobs (or RNs/CNs who wanted to act in these roles), she really scrutinised their appearance and body language. She used to say if they look slobby in the interview, or slouch, they're probably not going to be much better in their job and to her it didn't matter what qualifications you had. Make sure your appearance is immaculate -can't stress that enough - some nurses used to come to interviews in stained/creased work clothes! Wear a nice suit/outfit, make sure your hair is up (looks more professional), wear a nice scent (nothing strong), small amount of make up (no garish coloured make up or clothes). Sit in a comfortable position, don't sit ramroad straight - it looks like you're going to bolt at any minute! Always ask interviewers' names & shake hands b4 sitting down, and always shake everyone's hands afterwards, and thank them for their time. Politeness goes a long way, and makes a big impression. Always have all your qualifications and CV with you in a nice neat folder or get it bound professionally, and offer the interviewers time to look at it after the interview is finished. I ALWAYS get to an interview at least 1.5 hours earlier to find parking, go to the loo, find where I'm going, etc, and ALWAYS say you are willing to fit in with their work schedule, can do some overtime, etc (unless you've stated in your initial application you can't do this due to having children or whatever) - be flexible for them, not for you.
5) Lastly, re your confidence, I would keep applying for all and any full time job to keep you in the work force, even if it isn't nursing. It will show a future employer that no, you just didn't sit back on your laurels and whine how the world hasn't treated you right, you got back out there and did any job you could. It shows perseverance and bottom, as the British say. Any job you are in you need skills, whether you are serving customers or not, handling money, using computers, etc. You can say in the interview something like: 'No I was not doing a nursing job before, but I used these skills (list them), and how that will help you in nursing" (some skills may not but you have still been working and that is a bonus).
Try not to dwell too much on the past failures, though this is hard. Try to also do something to de-stress you, like a hobby or exercise, even listening to music - I like cooking - it keeps me busy and I don't think so much.
But if you can put your CV on here, I'd be really interested in looking at it.
Otherwise good luck!

I cannot move it is not a option (kids, and we moved here because there are more jobs then where we were before). I have looked at angencies, but they all want PPD results and a physical before giving assignments, no health insurance and again no money to do this. I always look the interviewer in the eye, sit straight up, yet slightly relaxed, and hands are not folded or have a death grip on the chair. My confidence has been shaken since being let go, at first they told me that my judgement was all wrong, because another nurse lied about everything that happened FYI she wasnt even on during that shift, long story alot of BS and most of it was because two nurses and the DON and a ADON didnt like me since I was hired, when some others asked why none of them could give a answer they just "didnt like" me. I had 4 other nurses fighting for me and about 5 CNAs fighting for me also. These people had the nerve to try to fire me at home over the phone (I was in the car driving to the facility for my shift) so they waited until I got to work to do it and then didnt even give a straight answer as to why they were firing me they just said that they didnt need me anymore and that they were letting me go. ok whatever I didnt think I did anything wrong nd that they really didnt need me anymore (we live in a at will state they can let you go for anything) then I was escorted out of the building (like I was going to do anything) so ok thinking I really didnt do anything wrong I filed for unemployment well to top things off they fought it stating that I failed to notify the Dr about XYZ when I did and it was noted in the chart, they said the Dr didnt remember getting a phone call he ORDERD O2! HELLO! but the Dr wasnt there for the phone hearing (suprise there) just the ADON and the DON that didnt like me (again suprise there) so they pretty much screwed me left right upside-down and twisted, and I havent been able to get a nursing job since because every place has to do a background check and guess what comes up? yep the unemployment hearing stating that I have to pay back the whopping $700 dollars I recieved. Their evidence was papers I was told I had to sign in order to continue working there (stupid mistake on my part) ugh it makes me so mad!, if they didnt like me then why not have let me go during the probation period? why wait 6 months after hiring me to finally do it?

Anyway, (deep breath) I have applied for full time at other non-nursing jobs as well and no luck there either. Im stuck and everything I do hasent worked so far, but I keep trying and trying and trying I know something will pop up eventually I just feel like I went to school for 2 years just to be dumped on my head and left behind in the dust.

pnmia10 · Jan 16, 2011

I haven't even had the oppurtunity to be interviewed. I got my license about a month ago and have been applying EVERYWHERE... It's really discouraging to think of all the hardships i've been through in nursing school and whatnot and not even be considered. My resume was checked off by the schools student services department (she's had me revise it once or twice) so I know it's not my resume. My mentality right know is .. if I can't even find a PN job, how am I going to find an RN position? Am I supposed to go through 2 more years of school to be in the same position I am now? Maybe I should go into pharm or phys assistance to hell with it.

Might I add that Nursing is "more about who you know than what you know"

Anyone care to share where they're living? I'm in the Miami area..

caliotter3 · Jan 16, 2011

Judging from their conduct with the unemployment department, I would hazard an educated guess that you biggest problem in getting another job is your former employer. Since you can not afford the services of an attorney to assist you, you should think of a strategy to counter being blacklisted. But please realize, that sometimes it takes several years and a job or three in between, for the bad effects to run their course. Best wishes.

purple10 · Jan 16, 2011

Judging from their conduct with the unemployment department, I would hazard an educated guess that you biggest problem in getting another job is your former employer. Since you can not afford the services of an attorney to assist you, you should think of a strategy to counter being blacklisted. But please realize, that sometimes it takes several years and a job or three in between, for the bad effects to run their course. Best wishes.

How is it that they can blacklist someone? and how exactly do they do it? isnt it illegal too?

Burlshoe114 · Jan 16, 2011

Hey Purple,

My story is similar to yours, but not involving the legal stuff (I don't think!). If you look back on the board you can find my sad story of being screwed over by my last floor manager. (She didn't like me because I couldn't magically give myself 10 years of ED/CC experience and knowledge in 6 months, so I was a "bad nurse" and she looked for any reason to force me out of my job. They also said I was in breach of my employment contract after forcing me to resign, and are making me pay $5K lump-sum for "quitting early.")

So here is what I am doing for a hiring strategy (You might be doing the same thing):

1.) As much as I hate it, two or more days a week I sit down at the computer after putting everyone to bed and apply, apply, apply. (I even applied at a local gym for part-time work! AND WAS TUNRED DOWN!! Talk about a confidence killer!) If I think there is a remote chance of getting a foot in the door, I apply. Cut and paste has become my friend!

2.) I contacted my local free clinic and my church and have been volunteering as an out-patient nurse one day a week. This is to keep my skills current and show I am doing something in the nursing field. I might be wrong, but I think this looks good on my resume and shows I'm not just sitting at home. It is also helping to rebuild my confidence, as I feel I am contributing to something in my community and my lisence is not going to waste. It also gives me more current supervisor references to list, other than my last manager.

3.) I keep in touch with all my old co-workers via email and Facebook and let them know I am still alive and still looking and willing to accept most anything. I also have all my friends out looking. If finding a job is about "who you know," well, I know a lot of people! Eventually something has to come up!

4.) I am putting all my "soft skills" to work. I let people know I am a BLS instructor. I write articles. I also used to be in sales, and am bringing those skills back into play.

5.) I joined a community group. It gets me out of the house, introduces me to more people, and helps me get my mind off of beating myself up over not having a job. No one likes a sad girl!

Like I said before, this is a sucky situation, and I don't want to come across as some Pollyanna who toasts marshmallows while the house burns, but we can't turn back time and we can't change the fact that we are now shafted. But we can control what happens going forward.

purple10 · Jan 16, 2011

Like I said before, this is a sucky situation, and I don't want to come across as some Pollyanna who toasts marshmallows while the house burns, but we can't turn back time and we can't change the fact that we are now shafted. But we can control what happens going forward.

Well I have a PT job right now as a seater at a resturant (haha it feels more like full time since Im there everyday that they are open) so I have something to keep me busy, and since being there I actually have had to use my nursing skills one of the employees hands turned blue and a child swallowed a toothpick. I was told by the employee whos hand turned blue (who is actually a RN) that I should go back to school for my RN because in her words "you are a good nurse, you did everything you needed to do to take over the situation to take care of me, Thank you" so that was a confidence booster :). And like you I am online almost every night applying for jobs, and I know what you mean when getting turned down for non nursing jobs (mine was McDonalds).

But here is my plan as of right now:

1. Relax and laugh often

2. Continue working at my PT job

3. continue applying everywhere, I know someone will take the leap

4. I have applied to return to school, I am just waiting for a reply

hope4now · Jan 16, 2011

if it helps, one of my aunts has years of experience as a cardio nurse...she is trying to get back into the profession after raising her kids. she has great qualifications, but she has been looking for months with no job offers. i would keep trying...what about working in another job while you keep applying for nursing jobs? best of luck!!