Experienced RN's cannot get new jobs!

Published

  1. Are you an experienced RN being turned down for jobs?

    • 6
      Yes
    • 22
      No
    • 1
      Yes, more than three times in a recent search
    • 3
      Yes, more than two times in a recent search
    • 3
      Yes, more than one time in a recent search

35 members have participated

My unit has recently been sold to an outside company that no one wants to work for. Now we have 15 RN's with over 20 years experience each looking for new positions. Our institution told us they would help us transfer within, but it is all for show, and they are not helping us, plus, we are being told we are 'not qualified' for positions that we hold experience in. We find out these positions that we are 'not qualified' for are being given to new grads with no experience, using the nurse residency program as an excuse. The nurse residency program is a manipulative way to create a cheap labor pool'. We are all in agreement that this is, ultimately, age discrimmination. I have been a nurse for 21 years and cannot find a job in or outside my company!!! Help!

Have you looked into doing per diem for an agency? It's been my experience they pretty much pay a flat rate for everyone and will pretty much take anyone with experience and a clean background check and drug test.

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Specializes in ICU.

Have you thought about moving?

Plenty of areas of the country where they'd love to have nurses with experience, even older ones. We can't get any experienced nurses to apply here. We hired more than ten new grads this year... our nurse manager says we only had one experienced applicant recently and she took another job. We hired one with experience - an older nurse, more than 20 years of experience - last fall and she left after three months. We are having to hire tons of travelers at critical staffing pay to fill the holes, and between the travelers and the float pool, my unit is still regularly down five or six nurses.

There are jobs even for older experienced nurses... but they are not in super desirable places.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Have you thought about moving?

Plenty of areas of the country where they'd love to have nurses with experience, even older ones.

THIS THIS THIS!

Our facility is in DESPERATE need for experienced nurses! We live a fairly remote community in the Pacific Northwest, so unless you have family locally, most people have never heard of our town.

We are slated to hire every single one of the new grads who just graduated, and that still won't fill all of our nursing positions.

Because we're union, the pay is really good (seriously, WAY more than comparable jobs in Denver, from which I moved).

So if you'd consider relocating to the PNW (or one of the other hundreds of small rural communities that have a nursing shortage), I can practically guarantee you'd have a job!

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I am facing the worst kind of discrimination because I am returning after an 8 year family leave. A Nurse refresher course is a $2100, so that's not possible. Hospitals say they will call me, but never do. I'm trying to keep positive that something will come up.

I was away for 2 yrs and some did not like that gap.....I took a refresher at a community college..theory and clinical....but 1 did not have to take the theory portion if they didnt want to....but what it did was gaurantee a spot in the clinical portion....So see if taking just the clinical portion is an option

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While it's not for every clinically experienced nurse, taking your show on the road - going into business - is a viable option w/ the yrs of experience and nursing wisdom as your foundation. I am an RN w/ 32 yrs experience and worked in hospitals and in an oncology clinic for 27 of those yrs. The last five yrs have been in business as a patient advocate and health consultant.

We experienced nurses are perfect consultants! The public trusts us and needs us.

On those days when you think you cannot work in the institutional setting any longer, for whatever reason, or if the institutions are not considering you for hire, give yourself the opportunity to explore being in business! There are nurses organizations to support you. The people need us.

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Just an idea, but have you thought about moving?

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I've always believed that if you put your mind to anything, you can do it. This might not be a job you wanted, but take it. You may find that after 6 months, you're starting to enjoy the work and your coworkers. So scary and frightening as it may be, submit your resume online to multiple venues, get your interviews, and go into the interview with a SMILE. Sit and be prepared to listen and ask questions regarding the new job. Followup after the interview a week later to see if you are still being considered. As a meme says "When one door closes, keep it closed. It has nothing new to say!" And never, ever speak evil about your last job in the interviewing process--always be pleasant. Godspeed on your job search !

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.

Hello OP, sounds like you have several good suggestions on this thread. All I can I say is that I feel your pain. Sometimes it's not practical for older nurses to change our whole family's life to find a job in another state, but realistically LOCATION is very important. Large urban areas, with many nursing programs and graduates, are not as needy for experienced nurses.

The pocket book is definitely a factor, but even IF you are willing to take lower pay, finding a job as an older nurse can be challenging. We live an a youth oriented culture, and there is the perception that older nurses are not as computer savy or able to meet the physical demands of nursing. I've applied to jobs and received the "more qualified candidates available" response on line or no response. The odd thing is, I've had my second career RN friends get called for the jobs I was not called for, but they were about the same age as myself. Of course, you can't see age on a resume, but years of experience will signal an employer that you are an older nurse. Why were my second career friends called for interviews and not me? Does the potential employer want to pay lower wages for less experienced nurses, or were they called because the employer assumed the new graduate is younger?

Also in today's competitive nursing market, I've been negatively critique for remaining with an employer too long. I was asked once if I did anything new to grow in my specialty. I was speechless, but I know now I should have responded, worked acute care for years, started and managed departments for my employer and so on. Like I said, I can't offer much more advice that already given, but I feel your pain.

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Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.
Poll: Are you an experienced RN being turned down for jobs?
I am 52 and just started a new job at a new facility. Two years ago, I started a new job at a new facility. 4 years before that I started a new job at a new facility.

Maybe it's an issue of your particular experience.

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Where are you? What hospital?

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Hey duca,

I am sorry for what you are going through but agency can be an option, but you just don't have a set schedule and planning things is not easy. No guarantee for hours either. I don't know if you are going to get health insurance coverage with the agency. Another one is travel nursing, but I do not know your situation if you can freely travel. From another person who responded to a question I asked about travel nursing, he said to look around and find out as much before you sign on. You have experience and probably in specialty areas so don't give up. We need nurses like you and maybe you should not look at your age as discrimination. Your time and experience is beneficial to us younger nurses. We need to be guided to handle things and to be the best nurse possible. Without those mentors I had in my final year for my BScN several years ago, I would not be the person I am today. Also I had nurses in other jobs that had many years of experience that really helped me to feel like it was okay and to get to know how to maneuver in the unit/place. Please don't give up and keep trying.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
I am facing the worst kind of discrimination because I am returning after an 8 year family leave. A Nurse refresher course is a $2100, so that's not possible. Hospitals say they will call me, but never do. I'm trying to keep positive that something will come up.

I'm sorry you're having difficulties but that's not discrimination. That's 8 years away from a continuously evolving profession. Many states as well as employers require continuing education for employed nurses and you've lost out on 8 years of updated education. If you can't afford a refresher course you should at least take some CEU's in key areas to get up to speed, that might help you be more employable in a tough job market.

Also for that first job after such a long time away from nursing you may find it easier if you are willing to look outside the hospital environment. Then after a little experience working again you will most likely have better luck landing that hospital job.

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