cannot get another nursing job ..

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hello all..

Its been a long time since I have posted on here, but well I suppose I wanted some advice , I just am verrrry worried , I was a newly qualified nurse in feb 2006, and i had my first post as a staff nurse, but due to personal reasons I had to leave my post after just a little over 4 months...ever since then i have had noo luck in getting another nursing job...and its even harder now as hardly any vacancies for nurses in my home town, I cannot look in another city as don't drive and have commitments at home and for the past 3 months have been working in a non nursing job...i am really worried about my lack of clinical skills...i am soooo worried that i will never be given a chance to be a staff nurse again cause of my lack of experience... what should I do?

Tina

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Even if you are not working, you should take whatever administrative steps are required to maintain your license. The only advice I can offer, is somehow, from your current wages, start to save for: 1)driving lessons, 2)a car, 3)moving expenses for the day that an opportunity presents itself. Also, whatever your personal circumstances are that are tying you to that one area must be resolved or changed at some point. Do not preclude, reapplying at your former place of employment. After a period of time, it is not unheard of, that people get rehired. Did you ask your human resources dept. if your folder is marked favorably for "eligible for rehire"? Sorry, I cannot offer more concrete advice.

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

Hi Tina, I really feel for you at the moment you must be having a terrible time. WIth the NHS in it's current state jobs are scarce which makes it even more difficult.

Please don't loose hope, I qualified in 1990 and none of my group were able to get jobs, we had to work in nursing homes and for agencies. I was unemployed for 5 months before taking a job in a care of the elderly unit. I hated it, it was so far away from what I wanted to do which was acute care, I stuck it out for a few months then applied for anything and everything. Finally got a job that I wanted.

I think what I am trying to say is although the job state is terrible at the moment, it is not sustainable. There is a ban on recruitment bank and agency but soon this will have to be lifted because patient care will become impossible ( I know it is not far off now) It was similar when I qualified and within 6 months recruitment and jobs picked up. Hopefully this will happen again.

In the meantime try to think of what will make you attractive to future employers, the sort of thing they will want to know is which area are you trying to get into, what have you done to keep updated and your skills current. Is there any way you could volunteer within the areas you want to work, make informal enquiries and get yourself known by ward managers, and deputy ward managers, let them know you want to work there get your face and name known so when a job comes up they will already be thinking of you.

I will keep my fingers crossed, let us know how you get on

Good Luck

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i hope that you can find something to keep your skills sharp

you are always welcome here, patients REALLY like to have a nurse with an english accent

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Hi Tina

Nice to see you posting again :) Sorry you are having problems still but I am sure things will improve soon and don't worry about not gaining experience as jobs will always be there. Have you tried local PCT and see it there are any community jobs going?

(((((hugs)))))

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Specializes in med/surg.

So sorry Tina - not much I can add to the other suggestions but just to know I'm thinking of you & hoping that you find something. What about local nursing homes? Not great but a step on the ladder at least?

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Specializes in General Medicine, Renal and Cardiology.

Im so sorry to hear about your situation but you are not alone - we only employed 10 nurses out of the 300 who applied from Octobers intake at our Hospital, alot of those are working agency to keep their skills etc , Have you thought of that plus its a great way to get your foot in the door as you will be able to listen to when jobs are coming up on certain wards etc and if you have worked their as an ageny Im sure you will be highley considered

Good luck

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

I think the advice that XB9S has given you is very good, I remember the time she is talking about well and it took me 3 months to get a FT job too.

I wish you all the best and will keep my fingers crossed for you

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Hello ,

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post ... Im currently in a non nursing job..which is Full time...so can't afford to go voluntary as i have bills to pay... however i would like your opinions on this

I have always wanted to go into theatre nursing and its very hard to get a job in that area now..however have spotted a support worker role in theatres in a childrens hospital, i spoke to the manager today and asked if i could apply even though I am a qualified staff nurse, she was encouraging me to apply because she has said later in the year she will be putting out ads for band 5 theatre nurse posts and so she said if i got the support worker role , i would have my foot in the door, and my face would be known to the theatre team so i would have a big advantage over other nurse applicants due to my theatre experience.. plus i would be keeping up some clinical skills (very basic ones mind you ..) So what do you guys think...should i 'speculate to accumulate' so to speak??

Tina x

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Personally I do not think you should apply for this role imo you would be better off taking a nursing job in another area of nursing. My husband disagrees with me and says that you shoiuld take the job if you think it will help you get where you need to get. We both agree that you should be careful that you do not work outside of the role that you have been employed in or are getting paid for. Also it may be difficult for you to be see as a qualified member of staff by your colleagues once you get the band 5 job.

Good luck

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Hi there

Thanks for replying, I don't know if you know but the reason I want to take the role is that where i am there are NO other nursing jobs available... too many trust cutbacks and redundancies..nobody wants to hire nurses at the moment... i have bills to pay and family commitments so i can't afford to move to a different city... I have been out of nursing since july 2006 and i do not want any more time to pass with me having very little clinical experience, i onlyh ave 4 months as a staff nurse...that is why i am interested in the theatre support worker role because it may lead me onto being picked by the manager for a theatre role that will be coming up later...

Tina

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I feel for you the same thing happen to me during the late eights we were treated very badly by the NHS- lead me in to a massive career changed as due to lack of jobs well infact no nursing jobs or given temp contracts with no holidays and lowest pay they could- I joined the army well QARQNC as a nurse and had a brill 10 years which I would have never done if I had got a job in the hospital I trained in. I know you can do that but you could look in an other direction what about applying for funded courses like madwifery/ health viting/ community nursing or school nursing it may not be what you have planned but you would give yourself a breather get more qualified and give the current job situation time to settle down

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