Leaving nursing

mattsmom81 · Jun 22, 2004

Where near cowtown?
Someone had a quote about there are lots of nursing jobs...that gave me a laugh....everyone thinks that any nurse can get a job...boy are they WRONG. Oh well, you can see I am having a pity party, too.

I'm in a suburb of Fort Worth...love the small town life.

I agree DFW can be quite unforgiving to a nurse with a black mark on her/his record. Going through contacts helps...know any nurses who will recommend you? Call all your old coworkers you liked who liked you, catch up on what they're doing and ask for their help. Hope you find something. Agencies are fairly forgiving too if you go out and do a good job for them....you might call a few and check them out.

sleepless in norman · Jun 24, 2004

Hey, you know my story, I'm not giving up, critical care nursing is very demanding, intricate, specialized and they are like sharks, they eat thier young, there are many areas in nursing, you just have to find your forte, believe me if you've come this far, there will be a place for you. Take Care.:)

Thank you for your kind words. I'm just so overwhelmed right now- not sure what to do next. I have done hospital nursing only- SICU and ICU stepdown. I was fired by my last employeer after 6 weeks for not meeting their standards- that firing has me doubting my ability to even assess a patient- much less give any kind of quality care. The problem with finding a job is that when potential employeers go to check my references- they hear very negative things about me- and won't give me a chance. Again- thanks for your kind words.

fayejum · Jun 29, 2004

Thanks to everyone who has been supportive- your words mean a lot right now. I am going to try and apply for something I never saw myself doing- hospice. They seem very receptive to me- supportive in fact- despite my recent troubles. We'll see if they actually offer me a job after they check with my latest former employeer- after hearing what she has to say though- I'm not going to hold my breath.
Thanks again to everyone- when I try to talk to my family about this- they just tell me to suck it up- it's nice to have a sympthatic ear!

Don't give your last two jobs as references.

nursemjb · Jun 30, 2004

Don't give your last two jobs as references.

But she has to mention her last two jobs because every application now says that if any section is judged to be untrue or incomplete they can fire you on the spot. So either way you are hosed. I'm going through this right now, too. Plus age discrimination, which I can't prove. Sorry for the pity party......

fayejum · Jun 30, 2004

But she has to mention her last two jobs because every application now says that if any section is judged to be untrue or incomplete they can fire you on the spot. So either way you are hosed. I'm going through this right now, too. Plus age discrimination, which I can't prove. Sorry for the pity party......

I hope you have found a job

RedBait · Jun 30, 2004

But she has to mention her last two jobs because every application now says that if any section is judged to be untrue or incomplete they can fire you on the spot. So either way you are hosed. I'm going through this right now, too. Plus age discrimination, which I can't prove. Sorry for the pity party......

I'm pretty sure you don't have to list any job that you didn't complete orientation or probation or at least six months. Someone earlier said get better references, this is worth repeating: get better references. Ask before you list a reference, be sure they can give you a good one. Consider nursing school instructors, but ask first. Good luck, I'm sure there is a perfect job out there for you, keep trying.

RedBait · Jun 30, 2004

But she has to mention her last two jobs because every application now says that if any section is judged to be untrue or incomplete they can fire you on the spot. So either way you are hosed. I'm going through this right now, too. Plus age discrimination, which I can't prove. Sorry for the pity party......

Consider applying for a job at the VA. Civilian government jobs pay well, have good benefits, and great retirement. I just got a job two years ago at an Army hosp and I was 58, no problem. The federal government is most careful to not discriminate for any reason.

nursemjb · Jun 30, 2004

I have not reported jobs and no one has ever found out.

You may have been lucky.....but in my life WHENEVER I do anything wrong I always get caught...some kind of karma thing....I don't know.

I also don't like to lie or omit, it just bugs me. Except when someone asks you how they look...you tell them fine, even if you think they look like a dog...

:rotfl: :balloons: :) Or are they fat, of course you say NO......

mattsmom81 · Jun 30, 2004

Consider applying for a job at the VA. Civilian government jobs pay well, have good benefits, and great retirement. I just got a job two years ago at an Army hosp and I was 58, no problem. The federal government is most careful to not discriminate for any reason.

Wow..the VA has my respect then in this regard...I had the impression the government enforces age limits in most of their jobs. I do know the application process is very tedious and exact for government jobs and they tend to want to know EVERY detail of the job history. I forgot to list a few 2 month jobs I took that didn't work out and they didn't go for that...many nurse employers want every detail and they of course use that info to benefit them. Like mentioned earlier,if you DO fail to give every detail,and they find out later, they can fire ya on the spot. Most applications here have a signed disclaimer stating we understand this. In an employment-at-will state like mine, we seem to have few rights unless employers violate some gross federal law that can be solidly proven.

nursemjb · Jun 30, 2004

Wow..the VA has my respect then in this regard...I had the impression the government enforces age limits in most of their jobs. I do know the application process is very tedious and exact for government jobs and they tend to want to know EVERY detail of the job history. I forgot to list a few 2 month jobs I took that didn't work out and they didn't go for that...many nurse employers want every detail and they of course use that info to benefit them. Like mentioned earlier,if you DO fail to give every detail,and they find out later, they can fire ya on the spot. Most applications here have a signed disclaimer stating we understand this. In an employment-at-will state like mine, we seem to have few rights unless employers violate some gross federal law that can be solidly proven.

Glad to know that I'm not the only one that knows the scoop in Texas.....there's not enough of a nursing shortage here for employers not to have their nose in the air and be EXTREMELY picky. Age discrimination is almost impossible to prove. I realize I'm feeling sorry for myself, but after six months of this I'm pretty fed up. Though I really want to be a nurse, I'm going to have to consider something else pretty soon.

Thanks for backing me up on what it's like here......

Krissy NY · Jun 30, 2004

You made it through nursing school! You worked in ICU! My gosh I dream of getting through school and working in such a demanding unit!

Well..if all else fails you can move to New York. We need smart nurses like you with the huge heart you have demonstrated here. Just don't forget to pack your really thick skin and a sense of humor. You are going to need it. If you make it here you can make it anywhere....at least that is what the song says.

PACU R/N · Jul 6, 2004

Hi, keep your chin up...remember we nurses are in demand. I must ask though, what amount of nursing practical did you do whilst doing your training? Oh yes you're smart enough...Is there a particular area of nursing you like? Perhaps doing some aged care nursing will help - less pressure. In my area of Western Sydney(Australia), the undergrads don't spend much time in the different areas of nursing.

During my General Nurse training(was hospital based training, no University then), we had to spend 3 months in each area, working all the shifts. That I feel gave us good grounding to be able to work in any setting. Back to the present, there are clinical specialists and clinical educators in all wards and specialty areas to assist new grads and older nurses returning to the workforce. I don't know how the American system works in hospitals. With the nursing shortages you have, one would think that you would be welcomed with open arms... cheers

This is my first post, but I have been reading the boards for about 2 months now. I need some advice- I am considering leaving nursing after only being out for 2 years. The reasons I'm considering leaving are numerous. I just don't know if I'm smart enough to be a nurse, and I've been fired from two nursing jobs in a row now- within the space of 3 months. And I can't find another job in the area I'm currently in- after moving accross 3 states to be closer to my family. I'm just so very depressed right now, don't mean to throw myself a pity party. Just wanted to get some suggestions or advice. Thanks