Desperately need hope and advice

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Good afternoon everyone, I need help and advice.

I am an American male who moved to Puerto Rico and married a local. I studied nursing here, loved it, and graduated with my BSN-RN in 2015. I took NCLEX and passed it the second time in 2017, and I have my stateside license to this date.

After graduation, I spent more than a year looking for a nursing job here, as the wife prefers to stay here. That was right in the time when the government of the Island hit bankruptcy, and nurses were being laid off. I found nothing. I should mention I am comfortably bilingual, but Spanish is obviously not my first language. So after much thought and discussion, we decided the route for me to take was to go back to school and perhaps finish a pre-med track. Well, since then, it has been one massive defeat after another. First, the university went on strike, and since it was "student led," we all lost the semester and our tuition. Then Hurricane María happened. The university was closed for 9 months. Then I had two good semesters, but very slow because I had to get a job in an unrelated field to survive. Then last semester, it was a disaster. I passed one class all right but miserably failed another. Something I've never done before, and I think it was due to all the stress and anxiety I'm under. And finally last month, all these earthquakes started. The university was once again closed, I lost my class, and when it reopened again I couldn't face going back. I dropped the class and I'm simply at the end of my rope.

I need to know, what options are there stateside for a BSN-RN with no experience and 5 years post-graduation? I don't have the will to keep fighting things here anymore. I am tired, I'm burnt out, and I need options. My wife is supportive, whatever we decide. What would any of you do?

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I would move back to the States pronto. Almost regardless, your opportunities stateside are going to be higher than those in PR right now.

You will almost certainly be able to find a position in a SNF or LTACH.

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Specializes in Non judgmental advisor.
On 2/11/2020 at 1:44 PM, Nurse SMS said:

I would move back to the States pronto. Almost regardless, your opportunities stateside are going to be higher than those in PR right now.

You will almost certainly be able to find a position in a SNF or LTACH.

Very true a SNF, a LTC, a prison, will take anyone with an RN license, a hospital will too but for now, get your foot in the door, with non hospitals, then if you wish gain hospital entry (its very draining ) but there is hope, with some hospital experience you can eventually apply for remote RN jobs like coding or Utilization and review, and go back to PR

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Specializes in retired LTC.

My suggestion is to relocate here and take some kind of refresher course. You're almost on-par with all the gazillion new grads coming out of school, esp as so many graduations are about to start all over again.

Get some prof pointers re your resume and interview skills. You may need more help to escape your hard-luck doldrums (which are rightly understandable!).

You have the RN credentials so apply them . And yes, LTC/SNF/NH will most likely welcome you. But be cautious. Do some searching around first and don't just DESPARATELY GRASP for the first offer.

On a real personal note: please don't consider LTC/SNF/NH as a sub-par job chance. Or Home Health or prisons facilities, either. They require very special skills from very special practitioners for very special populations needing special care. THEY ARE SPECIAL!

Sincere best wishes for you.

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