Decided to Interview - Those that know my story help help help

Good luck, brokenheart! I sure hope it works out for you. I would pack my bags full of great stories to tell regarding your experience, especially in regards to assessment skills and bedside care. Then follow it up with the hospital environment just not allowing you to take the time needed to care for the patients the way they deserve to be cared for. No matter what they find out from your previous employers, that basically sums it up, right? Anyway, I'm pretty sure it is illegal for an employer to say anything about your experience besides hire date, termination date, and eligibility for rehire status ... UNLESS you list your employer or boss as a 'reference'. And nobody really expects to see them in that list. Good idea above, tho, about getting names and numbers of some of the nurses you worked with. Let us know how it works out! My fingers are crossed!

I would not even bring up the issue of checking former employers unless they do. Usually you only checkmark the yes/no box on the application and there isn't any room to put a reason. Irregularly and infrequently has someone in HR looked at the box that I checked and asked me about not contacting the employer.

Since you have 3 employers in a row, recently, that you don't want contacted, this may prompt a more thorough investigation though. You will need to play up the positives and minimize the damage. Refusing to let them contact that many employers so recently and all in a row can make it look like you are the problem instead of the employers. Be prepared to counter this issue with references/recommendations. It would be best if you could get 3-4 colleagues to write you out a recommendation that you can take a copy of to the interview. It would also make a difference if you not only had references in hand but another list of colleagues that they could contact that have not written anything for you. The more the better. Then when/if they ask about the reference problems you can say " I prefer that you do not contact these employers because I believe that they will be biased against me. I had serious concerns about..........which were unsafe to both patients and nurses. The employers and I were unable to come up with an agreeable solution to these issues. I understand that you need references to be sure that I am safe and competent. Here are copies of references regarding my work and conduct. You may also contact these people to speak with them. I also have other references that you can contact for further verification of my skills."

You need to counter the negative. If they are desperate, they may not really care about all that. Of course then you will have to decide if they are safe to work for or not if they don't care about checking to see if you are competent.

Good luck!

RN1989

You are so right and good advice.

Truthfully, good managers are gone and lost and one had a nervous breakdown.