Exclude 1 yr HH experience on resume?

[xoNurseRNxo]

Hello everyone ,

A little background...I obtained my ADN in 2008 but due to family circumstances was unable to start working until 2011. I was hired as a home health (HH) RN and worked there for a year. I tried moving into the acute care setting but have been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, I returned to school to obtain my BSN and will be graduating at the end of this year.

I recently applied for a new grad program at a local hospital but was told they were looking for candidates with ZERO experience. I thought 1 yr HH experience would help me land a job at a hospital, but that is not the case. Now I know it's not acute care experience, but HH gave me hands on experience on post-surgical care, wound care, IV therapy, diabetes education, etc. Several friends have told me to leave out my 1 yr experience out of my resume. Now is this a good idea? I have mixed feelings about this. I don't like lying and ultimately many answers to nursing interview questions come from my experience in HH. But with these new grad programs wanting NO EXPERIENCE whatsoever, it makes me want to remove it from my resume.

Also, an instructor told me that she has former students with one yr experience (e.g. SNF) be accepted into new grad programs. I guess it depends on the facility?

What is your advice??

Thank you in advance! :)

[Karou]

I would not lie on your resume. Potential employers can/will check your employment history. If they do find you were previously employed and lied about it, then not only do you loose out on the job you are applying for, but any other positions that open up at that hospital are probably closed to you as well.

Most new grad programs want zero experience. I know they will sometimes make exceptions if the experience was SNF or non-RN experience. When I applied previous LVN/LPN experience did not count either. I think ANY RN experience counted because although you are a new grad from a BSN program, you have been an RN with an ADN for a while and have a years of work experience.

I would apply at an LTAC and get some experience, then apply for a hospital position. I really doubt any hospital would consider you for a new grad/residency position but you could apply to general nursing positions and list your HH experience. I don't think that will be enough to land a hospital job which is why I suggest LTAC.

Do you have any connections? Nurses you went to ADN school with but who are now working in a hospital? Network. Many times it is not about what you know but who you know. Also wouldn't hurt to e-mail the director of the new grad/residency program that you are applying at for advice on your situation.

I wish you good luck. As a new BSN but not new ADN/RN you are in an awkward position.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Most new grad programs would not consider you a new grad because you have been a licensed RN since 2008. Although you can feign inexperience, it still does not change the fact you've been a licensed nurse for seven years.

I would not recommend omitting the one year of home health nursing experience because any workplace that accepts Medicare funding can unearth this previous job by conducting a background check.

Your difficulties with securing acute care hospital employment can be attributed to two factors: 1) You're in California, which has one of the most horrid new grad job markets in the country and 2) You have no recent experience since you haven't worked as a nurse in three years; it is easier to get a job when you already have a job.

Good luck to you!

[Libby1987]

Tangent, what is the reason for the zero experience requirement? Other than because it's called a new grad program, is there a tax benefit or something for providing these programs?

[Farawyn]

Tangent, what is the reason for the zero experience requirement? Other than because it's called a new grad program, is there a tax benefit or something for providing these programs?

Yea, that's strange.

OP, I would not leave it off. I would tell them you have no hospital experience, but that's about it.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

Dont leave it off. Take a nurse refresher course and apply to jobs requiring at least one year of experience.

[xoNurseRNxo]

Thank you all for the great advice!

[xoNurseRNxo]

Thank you Karou! I will look into LTACs in my area.