Getting back into Nursing after my shortlived career...advice needed

themoreyouknow · Sep 20, 2010

Some nursing jobs ARE high stress where others are not. Perhaps you should choose one that isn't so stressful. Personally, I would not want to work on a cardiac unit. It would be too stressful to me! I loved med-surg and Ortho. We saw many of the same types of patients (hip replacements, knee replacements) over and over. We did have an occasional code, but it wasn't the same as an ICU or a cardiopulmonary unit.

Your nursing degree means you can work at the health department, in a doctor's office, as a school nurse, as a drug rep, and so many other opportunities that do not include the high stress world of hospital nursing! :)

Have you considered them?

~Sherri

"The new nurse thinks like a mom. The experienced nurse thinks like a lawyer."

jjjoy, LPN · Sep 20, 2010

Definitely not a great job market now. Even some nurses with recent experience are having a hard time landing a job. Employers can be more picky these days about what exact background experience they'd like a candidate to have. Maybe take a paced approach to trying to re-enter nursing, keeping your full-time job and spending no more than, say, 4 hr/wk on job transitioning.

4323 · Sep 20, 2010

I think you that you enjoy nursing but as you stated the stress is the part you had difficulty with. I think there will always be some form of stress when it comes to working in the health field.I worked in an ambulatory setting as well as a nursing home setting. I truly don't know how I survived. Nursing is very stressfull. Many people can do nursing but the field is not for everyone. There are plenty of nursing home jobs but not to many are ambulatory. If you want to go back and try nursing again then do so. What have you got to loose but remember stress will be there it is just a question Will I be able to handle it and give the quality care that patients deserve. Regardless. Please do yourself a favor stay away from city agencies because most of the time chances are they are short staffed and in this situation you will find stress I guarantee it. Post your resume ASAP and Good Luck the second time around.

himilayaneyes · Sep 20, 2010

I definitely agree with you that you should take a refresher course along with BLS and ACLS. Plus, there are areas of nursing that aren't as stressful as others. If you work in hospital, a med/surg unit would be less stressful that a tele unit or ICU. You could work at a public health or doctor's office, or as an employee health nurse or for an insurance company. You could also try some home health...I know a lot of nurses love that b/c it's pretty stress free. As far as explaining to recruiters...I'm not exactly sure...I guess you could say you were going through a really tough time back then, but are ready to return to the joys of nursing. And have faith in yourself, we all make errors that could potentially harm a patient at some point...we all have our first code where we stand there not knowing what to do...it all comes with time. Good luck to you the 2nd time around. And have faith in yourself!

TexasJiffy · Sep 21, 2010

Might I suggest a rehab unit? You get to do a lot of the normal "nursey" stuff, but with a therapy-like kick--you are hands on, teaching the pt and family! It is so awesome and rewarding to see people get better. I have worked in MANY areas in 12 years, and this is by far the most rewarding experiences I have had! Good luck with any thing that you choose!:hug:

Angiepangieful · Jun 1, 2011

Hi there, can i ask what your situation is now, are you back in nursing again, or did you do a refresher course? I hope you are well :)

I have just joined this site and i feel i am on the same boat as you. I graduated late 2006 and got my first job in June 2007. I worked for 9months in radiology nursing in the X-ray department before having to leave after long-term sickness in 2009, so i am very much a 'new nurse'.

I loved the job and technicality of it but unfortunately became quite ill during my time there and had to receive hospital treatment on/off for a year, which in the end led to me having to leave my position in X-ray as it was un-foreseen when i would be well enough to return to work. Being a small department with only three nurses meant there was a lot more pressure on me to return (not from colleagues but bosses). I didn't want to lose my job, but my bosses held meetings monthly and kept badgering me into return dates that i could not commit to as i was still recovering, so i eventually folded and agreed to leave my position due to ill-health as they needed a nurse to be there. I was very upset but accepted it and concentrated on getting well.

BIG MISTAKE. I never felt comfortable with the decision, but was ill and needed to recover at the time and the pressure of it all put upon me to return was stressful. I immediately regretted this decision afterwords and when i recovered months later and was eager to return to work my job unfortunately had been filled and i then had a full year of searching for a nursing job with no luck losing bags of confidence in myself and suffering from depression and anxiety. In order to support myself i changed career and entered into 'sales world' earning good money and increasing my confidence but i really miss nursing and want to return. My skills are rusty and i need to re-learn it all i think. I haven't worked in 2 and a half years now - registration down the pan after all my hard work. gutted! I am looking for work and have been promised a good reference from my last employer but ive been given no opportunities, and with the current job climate i know that its hard for mot nurses to find work anyway.

What would i need to return to work - how long are refresher courses, are they expensive. Im from the UK.