Experience

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This is going to be a fairly mild vent, but I need to blow off a little steam.

I have been trying to get a job working with outpts (that don't require too much use of gloves - no wound care clinics or anything like that) for over a year now, and everything I have tried for, the job has gone to someone with "experience in this setting" or "office experience". I've been in the hospital now for 6+ years - am I ever going to be able to get out?? Also, I'm kind of being pigeonholed into my current field, and I want to try something new. People keep telling me about jobs for Oncology this or Oncology that, but I dont want to do chemo anymore! I can't handle wearing gloves all the time. I'm going crazy - among other things I have a horrible rash on my hands that I get from wearing gloves, and with cold weather it's only going to get worse. The emmployee health doc at work said that my hands are possibly a "career ending problem". It wouldn't have to be if I could get something where gloves aren't used so often!

I was really close to getting a job in a clinic that would have been PERFECT for me, but of course, someone "with previous experience" got it and I was the second choice. I don't think the person who got it will be quitting any time soon, so I'm moving on. But a lot of places are not even acknowledging the fact that I have applied. I'm really sad and frustrated that these places will not give me a chance. Is there anything I can do to make myself look more appealing to them? I asked at the last one (the one I didn't get) if there was anything I could improve on for next time I apply for something, and they said that my resume and interview were great, and all it came down to was her "experience".

Anyone have any sage advice or words of encouragement??? TIA!

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School nurse, health department, working in case management, etc.

Good luck, that really is terrible for you. Are there ANY gloves that you can tolerate, in the meantime? Is it the gloves, or the combo of gloves and the soap/alcohol cleansers?

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School nurse, health department, working in case management, etc.

Good luck, that really is terrible for you. Are there ANY gloves that you can tolerate, in the meantime? Is it the gloves, or the combo of gloves and the soap/alcohol cleansers?

There are no gloves that make it go away completely (it's the irritation from my hands getting hot inside the gloves that causes the problem), but there are some that are better than others. The ones I'm using now are okay. If I'm doing something really quick like pulling a pt up in bed or dumping a urinal, it's fine. If it's something that takes a few min like starting an IV, then it starts to get a little tricky. If it's a full blown clean up or if I have pts in isolation (gloves aat while in the room), I'm screwed!

I think the school nurse thing would be kind of cool, but I have no peds experience. I think I want to go back to school and get into Occupational Health and get into a clinic somewhere, but that's not possible right now. I mean the going back to school part. Occ health is so hard to get into without a masters. That's why I want the outpt experience now. If I do have to wear gloves with them, it would only be for a short time and not nearly as frequent as it would be in the hospital.

Thanks for your support, I really appreciate it!

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Specializes in Labor & Delivery.

I have an ADN and recently worked at our local health dept. in women's health ob/gyn clinic. They hired ADN's and then sent us to an additional community health training class that lasted for a weekend. I enjoyed the job there. The hours were great but the pay wasn't. I don't know what degree in nursing you have but in my area i'm not necessarily limited by not having my BSN. I am going back to school soon to pursue that though just for my own satisfaction. Take care and hope everything works out for you!

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Specializes in ER.

A nurse with an allergy to most gloves used cotton inner gloves before she put on the outer ones. It was a pain but better than not being able to work.

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Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.

Sorry you are having such a hard time. Are you willing to move for a job? If so you could consider placing your resume on websites that nurse recruiters use...Monster.com, careerbuilder.com, absolutelyhealthcare.com, etc.

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Would you consider (or have time) to do some volunteer hours

for the agency/facility that is of interest to you - in order to

get acquainted with each other? A few hours per week might

get you known and it might get you some of that experience that

they want.

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Would you consider (or have time) to do some volunteer hours

for the agency/facility that is of interest to you - in order to

get acquainted with each other? A few hours per week might

get you known and it might get you some of that experience that

they want.

That's a good idea. I should look into that. Thanks!

I do have a BSN now and will probably go on for my masters at some point, it's just not feasable right now.

I think they said somethig about putting something under the gloves but they said that for infection control purposes I can't re-use anything like that. They said that's a no no because I can wash my hands between pts but can't wash the liner.

Good suggestions, all! I really appreciate the help! For those of you who went from inpt care to outpt, how did you do it???

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That's a good idea. I should look into that. Thanks!

I do have a BSN now and will probably go on for my masters at some point, it's just not feasable right now.

I think they said somethig about putting something under the gloves but they said that for infection control purposes I can't re-use anything like that. They said that's a no no because I can wash my hands between pts but can't wash the liner.

Good suggestions, all! I really appreciate the help! For those of you who went from inpt care to outpt, how did you do it???

perhaps look into cheap cotton gloves....and reserve their use for only those "major" clean ups......i, personally, would also see a dermatologist if you havent already.....and refrain from using anything but the mildest soap on your hands and rinse well, dry well and perhaps hypo allergenic hand lotion......good luck

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Specializes in ER.

Another person I know found that when she brought her own towel from home she did better than with the hospital paper towels. Apparently the chemicals stayed on her skin. Another pain in the can solution, but you might look like an athelete with a towel hanging from your belt.

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do you want to keep up with hands on care or how about office type? Insurance company? Assessment coordinators, supervisors??

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perhaps look into cheap cotton gloves....and reserve their use for only those "major" clean ups......i, personally, would also see a dermatologist if you havent already.....and refrain from using anything but the mildest soap on your hands and rinse well, dry well and perhaps hypo allergenic hand lotion......good luck

I've been to the derm, tried all the solutions. That's why the doc said what he said. The cotton liner is a good idea, but not really practical with all the isolation pts we have. In other words, I don't think it would make a difference to use them for the times I know I'm going to be wearing gloves a lot if 2 or 3 of my pts are in isolation and I have to wear gloves every minute I am in their rooms.

do you want to keep up with hands on care or how about office type? Insurance company? Assessment coordinators, supervisors??

I would prefer to have some pt contact, but I will give it up if I have to. At this point, it's not worth the risk of me getting an infection, and it's also not worth the pain and worry about my skin. I have applied several places and it's always the same - they want experience. Either case management, outpt setting, office, etc. There is one place that said they would take me, but I need 6 more months of experience in my current setting before they can because of their requirements. Who knows if they will still have an opening 6 months down the line, and it's not pt care related at all, so I'd rather get something I would actually enjoy (or at least not hate) now, instead of waiting 6 months and then maybe finding out that there are no openings available.

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