Diploma RN

[mkinn57]

After 22 years of Nursing this Diploma Nurse is suffering form PTSD and is laid off with no prospects. Seems the Magnet status is my enemy. I refuse to return to school for BSN at age 59 years. Too stressed to think about another job that sucks the life out of you and yet to young to retire. Health issues of my own that make it impossible to continue my recent field of OR nurse, now what?

I received the best hands on nursing education from a private hospital based school in Tennessee. from week 2 I was not only in the classroom but in the hospital putting that classroom instruction to good use. Started with feeding, bed making with bed bound patients. Each week a new skill was taught and practiced and then taken to the hospital to put to practical use. A 27 month 40 hour a week job being at school and hours at home studying and writing care plans. I had all the confidence and nursing skills I needed by graduation. I also worked as a Nursing assistant during the last year and was a single mother.

I immediately went to work in Home health and had a great mentor who taught me time management and the ropes. i worked long hours carried home paper work and had my children beg me not to answer the beeper when I was on call. Which felt like 24/7. I became a nurse supervisor and had a great team of nurses however after 3 years found my self out of work due to a CEO committing fraud. He went to prison and we all went job hunting.

Afraid of Home Health with children and a home to maintain I then wen to a swing bed floor at the hospital. Horrible for me and the patient. No time to be anything to the patient but a pill pusher. I hated the floor. After 6 months I was offered training in a large hospital for the OR. Well I loved it stayed there 3 years and then lucked up on Ambulatory Surgery . Stayed with same company 11 years and after a 7 month stent of radiation, surgery and chemo for colon rectal cancer I transferred with the company to live with my son in San Diego. After 9 months was asked to find another job due to" some of the Docs don't like me" mind you never been written up or any problems in the company where I worked in Tenn.

My resume has turned for the worse I have not been able to find my place in California, my son is 10 months from finishing his degree at UCSD and his GI bill is running out, I was suppose to help him have a roof and food until he finished school he took 2 semesters off to care for me. Now we are in a fix he is depressed and worried I have no job and I regret that I moved here. I just need to get us thru 1 more year here and because I dont have that bedside experience, no BSN and am burnt out with the OR. I tried PRN in the OR but 3 days was all I could physically handle anymore and frankly I have never seen such rude employers or team mates in my career. I was used to team work and an atmosphere of management wanting to train and see the team succeed. I have had 4 jobs in San Diego, told I would get training on computer which I had never had to use in 22 years of nursing, Did 1 travel nurse job. Too old to be thrown to the wolves.

Thinking of taking medical coding class or something that will get me a new set of skills. But expecting to spend time and money only to be without a job because of my age or because I lack experience and unemployment is 1/4 what I was making. I have had no health insurance for nearly 2 years and I get too much unemployment to get food stamps. I am about to loose my car and if I loose the apt my son will loose everything he work so hard for and went into the Marine Corp to be able to put himself thru college. What the heck am I suppose to do. My confidence has been shaken and the younger MSN management are horrible to work for. I see no real compassion for the patient no leadership. My 22 years means nothing to them. SO I just needed to say all this and I could go on and on but again I am awake at 4 am been in and out of bed since 10 pm worrying and wondering what to do.

I am open please give me feed back. I need to stick by my son to finish this schooling and I cannot let him down we are all alone here and we have no other support systems. When this is over I plan to take my country self back to the south and get a very affordable house and regular job to eat until ss or death comes.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I am so sorry to see what has happened to you. It would appear that you have explored all types of alternatives with no luck. Unfortunately, CA is probably one of the worst geographic areas for a diploma nurse right now because the West coast is moving much faster into a BSN-centric nursing world than the rest of the country. In this type of environment, even non-acute care jobs are likely to require a BSN.

In light of the reality of your situation, you should probably have a crucial conversation with your son & re-evaluate the expectation that you will be able to continue to support him since you aren't really able to support yourself right now. At this point, he needs to take financial accountability for completing his education.

Are you physically able to work in a direct care job? If not, please explore the process for obtaining disability income. It's not charity or welfare -- it's a benefit you've earned by paying into the system for many years. You mentioned your unfamiliarity with computer systems - without this skill/knowledge, your options are very limited. There are many types of less strenuous jobs in nursing, but they all require computer skills. I would also urge you to take advantage of governmental employment services - they can connect you with resources that you may not be aware of.

It's a shame you cannot relocate yet. There are many states in which your experience and skill would be very welcome. Wishing you all the best & hope you can find a way forward very soon.