Getting my foot in the door.

gonzo1, ASN, RN · Aug 21, 2007

I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience. I am amazed that the hospital isn't interested in you. There are lots of nurses that have fallen out of practice of starting IVs and foleys etc.

Perhaps you could take a nursing "brush up" class. Are there any nursing programs near you.

I wouldn't tell anyone you haven't started an IV. New grads mostly have never done so either. They learn on the floor. And there are lots of floor nurses that can barely start one.

When I worked the floor I was horrible at it, not enough practice. But now I am in the ER I am pretty good.

The important thing about getting a job is that you graduated from nursing school, you have been working as a nurse. And you have good references. Those things would be enough to get you a job in a heart beat in my neck of the woods.

Emphasize the skills you have from your previous nursing jobs. Did you have a vented patient, or a pediactric patient.

If you have either of those skills it is a bonus, all of us hate vents and are scared to death of kids.

Have you considered starting at a nursing home, to hone your skills.

Good luck, keep us posted.

njbikernurse · Aug 21, 2007

I don't think a hospital would be swayed towards hiring somebody just because they're cheap, but maybe I'm wrong. Are there other options besides this one hospital? Any LTAC (long term acute care) places by you? They hire both RN's and LPN's and you can get a lot of clinical experience. I worked at one that had mostly trach/vent patients, everyone was on an IV and had wound VAC's, plus tube feedings, and just about anything else you could think of. If there's not an LTAC nearby, how about LTC sub-acute? We start IV's sometimes. We definitely hang IV abt, once in a blue moon even TPN. You'd be garanteed to gain some experience in that setting. Most LTC sub-acute places around here (NJ) are pretty desperate for staff, especially on the 3-11 and 11-7 shifts. They hire new grads with zero experience, and you have years of experience. Depends what you want to put up with. Good luck!

donsterRN, ASN, BSN · Aug 21, 2007

I think taking a skills refresher course is not a bad idea. They're offered all over.

It's doubtful the hospital would pay you inferior wages to work as an RN. They generally have a salary range per position.

Consider the refresher course. You can tell THEM that you've been out of the loop clinically. Good luck.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Aug 21, 2007

Well, I applied at one of the local hospitals (med surg) and my interview lasted about 5 minutes, or just long enough for them to find out I had no hospital experience. The last question I answered before they kindly showed me the way out was no, I have never started an IV.

This is exactly why I have had the conversation with my nursing instructors about why they should teach students to start IV's. I hope you get in the door at your next interview.

azor · Aug 21, 2007

i had same experiece when iwas looking for hospital jobs then,i dont have US experience but have workedb in a pediatric hospital for 9months after graduating from nursing school.i like being honest and i told them some of the procedures i've not really done myself and that made some of them give me negative response but when i exaggerated my experience that was when i was in positive line in there eyes.i've notice that for some reasons they need to be told what they want to hear for them to give you yes for an answer.goodluck.

jjjoy, LPN · Aug 21, 2007

It's unfortunate, but it is true that if a nurse has been away from acute care for several years, it can be VERY difficult to get back into acute care. If one never had that kind of experience, then it's even harder. While I can understand why a hospital would rank someone long out of school without experience below even a new grad, with the current demand for licensed personnel, you'd think it would be easier for someone out of the loop to get back in. In some places, it would easier to get into a nursing program from scratch than to find a good refresher course.

Still, it's not impossible to get back into the loop. It takes A LOT of persistance, though. It may take a bit longer term planning to get into acute care when you're not a new grad. You can't just go out and apply and expect to get a job. You need to find ways to show that you're serious about getting into acute care and not just looking for a quick fix. Besides refresher courses, find ways to "network" or socialize with working nurses. If there's a hospital opening and they know you are looking for a chance and they can see that you're serious about it, they might be able to recommend you.

OP, it sounds like you need a job NOW, though. I wouldn't give up on applying at hospitals - you might get lucky - but if you need a job now, you'd probably do well to try other avenues as well. Others have mentioned LTC. Also if there are any group homes (eg for developmentally disabled) nearby, check them out. There may be reasons you aren't pursuing these; they are just suggestions.

Another approach would be to flat out ask several different nurse managers (not HR personnel) what you can DO to make yourself a desirable hire, given your work history to date. I'd imagine some wouldn't be helpful and rudely brush you off, but there are those out there who do want to help others and you might be able to get some good advice about how to pursue your goals. In general, you definitely want to try to make contact with nurse managers directly as opposed to HR personnel. It's okay to contact them directly if you are polite and professional about it.

Jo Dirt · Aug 21, 2007

It's not like I am totally inept. I'm familiar with all the usual medications and can do catheters and PICC lines (already inserted, of course) and vent care and wound vacs and PEG tubes and any kind of injection you like all day long. I could have brought that up but she was sitting right there looking at my resume that said all of that, why did I need to go into a big spiel

Maybe there was another reason I was shoo'ed out the door so fast. They probably didn't like the way I look. If I had been some young cute bubbly ding bat they might have been more impressed. But I'm not going to put on some kind of phony unnatural act that probably wouldn't do any good anyway with the hopes of getting a job.

As the song says they can kiss this and I don't mean on my rosy red lips (he happens to live in my town, BTW, haha).

Really, I'm glad I didn't email them.

Jo Dirt · Aug 21, 2007

It's unfortunate, but it is true that if a nurse has been away from acute care for several years, it can be VERY difficult to get back into acute care. If one never had that kind of experience, then it's even harder. While I can understand why a hospital would rank someone long out of school without experience below even a new grad, with the current demand for licensed personnel, you'd think it would be easier for someone out of the loop to get back in. In some places, it would easier to get into a nursing program from scratch than to find a good refresher course.

I can't understand why they would feel that way. For one thing, I have worked (as a nurse) since I graduated. For another, I know and can do a hell of a lot more now than when I first got out of nursing school, so this makes absolutely no sense to me.

The more I think about it the more turned off I get.

But they can take their job and shove it (why do I keep quoting country songs today?)

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2007

There are two ways that I know of that you can get your foot in the door of acute hospital nursing:

Take a nursing refresher course. Beside sitting in lectures to refresh you of all the information, these courses have clinical "labs" that are clinical sessions similar to what we all did in nursing school. The difference is that you are treated better because you are already licensed and the hospitals where these sessions are done are usually watching the students and looking for potential nurses to employ on their staffs, so put your best foot and attitude forward if you do one of these programs. Many state boards of nursing are now starting to list these programs on their web sites.
Sign up with a temporary nursing agency to do staff relief in the hospitals. If they give you some hospital shifts, they will be hair-raising shifts, to say the least, and you'll be pretty much left on your own to learn things. You'll go home after every shift and have to hit the books to catch up on things you are rusty on. Eventually, you make friends and start networking with the nurse managers and supervisors and begin talking about a staff position as they get to know you and how you work. (I started out in LTC. This is how I landed my first job in an acute hospital.)

As for learning how to do IVs, I would recommend that you take an LPN/LVN IV certification course. You don't have to be an LPN/LVN to take these courses. RNs can take them too. It should count toward your continuing education hours for your license renewal. You'll learn everything you need to know about how to start and maintain an IV. All you'll need are patients to practice on. You may be able to make special arrangements with the course instructor to do the required sticks with them that the LPN/LVNs have to do.

nursemike, ASN, RN · Aug 21, 2007

I think you need to figure out the type of job you want, and apply for that. As you observe, you have plenty of nursing skills--no reason on earth to suppose you can't learn any others you need. I suspect the interviewer may have noticed your lack of enthusiasm, and that may have been the reason for your rejection.

On the other hand, you could be blunt: "Look, I'm an experienced nurse. I'm not a GN, and I don't do giddy. I'm looking for a job, not a religious experience; I intend to do it well, but I already know it's going to be a lot of hard work and some days are going to suck." Heck, with an attitude like that, I'd hire you in a heartbeat. (I wonder if my facility has any openings in HR...)

Jo Dirt · Aug 21, 2007

I'm also back in school for the BSN, so I guess when I'm done with that I'll essentially be a NG yet again.

I'm so stressed out over what to do about bringing in an income. Getting a job in this area is impossible unless you're so and so's first cousin's uncle's half brother and you know this or that person. I'd like to smack people when they tell me I can go get a job anywhere and making all kinds of money. Ha ha. I looked in the mirror the other day and was shocked at how old and tired I looked. No wonder people are thinking I'm my 2 month old son's grandma.

I'm not completely without options. The former DON of the HH agency where I was working has been after me to come sign on with her at the new agency where she is. Only thing is...I hated doing HH.