disappointed

[melb6482]

I have been in the medical field in a city and state that I thought was great for the last 10 years. I have climbed the totem pole. I started as a Patient care nursing assistant, then a medical assistant, then a clinical technician working in the step-down and ICU's for the cardiac department. I have worked everwhere doctors' offices, the hospital (and everywhere withing), home health facilities, personal homes, clinics you name it. I graduated nursing school and I am also a sorta computer geek, always have been since 6 grade when the school I went to I did communications and broadcast arts. So we did everything with media. I loved it and so when I graduated I had a friend that found Computer Consulting RN EMR'S (electronic.medical.records). They wanted nurses to train how to flip hospitals from paper charts or other systems to a larger system called EPIC. I took it and the opportunities that came after we amazing and hard to turn down. I got to work in some of the most incredible places all over the country. I got to meet a lot of people and sustain large amounts of knowledge. Not to mention a ton of offers to remain there as a nurse. So unfortunately also happening at the time, I am not practicing my nursing and I decided to move states and to the south. Knowing that I wouldnt land my dream job anytime soon I thought for sure the opportunities would be plentiful. I could not have been any more wrong. It seems that no one wants me. All that I can find myself in are nursing homes, which do not get me wrong I love still but I am a hospital nurse and I can not even get anyone to talk to me? I know that I may not have that many skills but I am eager to learn and motivated is that not enough anymore. I am losing faith that I will ever get to move up. I just thought that all the great things that I have done in the past would be enough. I even worked at Yale University for 9 months as a Nurse IT specialist, and Cleveland Clinic in Ohio that is rated number 1 in the nation for heart. What am I doing wrong?

[ArtClassRN, ADN, RN]

I got to meet a lot of people and sustain large amounts of knowledge. Not to mention a ton of offers to remain there as a nurse.

It looks appears as if you are looking for offers just like this, so maybe contact those who made the offers?

All that I can find myself in are nursing homes, which do not get me wrong I love still but I am a hospital nurse and I can not even get anyone to talk to me?

You have a lot of experience as a hospital IT nurse, which is no shame, but not the experience they are looking for. Many, many RNs have faced a similar situation and took an LTC job to get some RN direct care experience.

I know that I may not have that many skills but I am eager to learn and motivated is that not enough anymore.

To be fair, that really never was enough when there the competition has a lot of experience. I would be in a similar situation if I wanted to be an IT or informatics RN.

I am losing faith that I will ever get to move up. I just thought that all the great things that I have done in the past would be enough. I even worked at Yale University for 9 months as a Nurse IT specialist, and Cleveland Clinic in Ohio that is rated number 1 in the nation for heart. What am I doing wrong?

I think the only thing you are doing "wrong" is carrying around a false sense of entitlement when it comes to getting positions you really desire. Perhaps you could do what many nurses do and continue to apply for the jobs you want while getting experience that enhances you as a candidate.

Good luck!

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

You are effectively a new grad because you have no bedside experience. The general advice given to all the "stale new grads" who can't find jobs applies -- try a refresher course to update your clinical skills, maybe try getting certified in ACLS or PALS or telemetry, volunteer, get your BSN if you're an ADN, etc...

Is your heart set on bedside nursing? Why not get another job in informatics? Maybe try sales? Or research? Teaching? You mentioned wanting to move up. It's all about perspective. Many bedside RNs would consider a non-bedside position as "moving up." There's no shame in not having clinical experience.