Giving up

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Specializes in ICU, OR.

I am an experienced RN of 12+ years. I am working right now, but not in a specialty I love. I have been trying to switch specialties for 5+ years with no luck. It seems all of my experience is worth nothing. For now I am giving up, taking a break. I will keep my per diem job but will stop applying for FT and PTin my preferred specialties. I will just be a stay at home mom for now. Maybe I will start job hunting again next year. I just can not handle the rejection anymore. I don't understand why my experience is worth nothing. I think new grads are getting hired before me.

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Specializes in LTC and School Health.

I could have written this post myself, except I've only been a nurse for 4 years. You and I both want to work in OB ( I have read your other posts). OB is all I ever wanted to do since graduating. This passion for the specialty was confirmed when I studied OB in nursing school, everything just came naturally. My clinical instructor said I was one of the best students in the class and she gave me a great letter of recommendation.

Right now my heart is crushed. I have been on not one but TWO interviews within the pass 3 weeks for PP and L and D. The first interview was at the hospital I resigned from, the interview and share day was awesome but my supervisor did not give me a good reference so therefore I did not get the job. I was crushed.

The second interview went great. I interviewed with three different people and got great feedback. I was given the option of FT/PT/ days or nights because this hospital had so many openings at the time. I was even given the date orientation would start. All the staff loved me. I knew I would fit right in. One week later I get the rejection email. I was crushed. I cried and was depressed for a few days after. I thought, it must have been my reference from my previous job.

I was even thinking about writing the nurse recruiter to see what went wrong or to see when I can reapply, but I don't think it'll do any good. I want to apply for more OB jobs but my heart cannot take another rejection.

My only suggestion is to volunteer in that specialty. My friend did this for six months and got hired, she is a tech but I still think it may work.

My husband thinks I should work outside of nursing until I get my OB job, but I told him I can't do that since I'm still just starting my nursing career. I was LPN for 3 years and have been a RN for only 1 year. I still have to keep my skills up.

Your situation is different so your options are different.

I feel your pain. I hope we both find our home this year. I'm hopeful and I will say a prayer for both of us.

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I really think volunteering would be a great idea to make a great impression and to prove ones self while maintaining good attendance and skills.

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Nursing Recruitment / employment has really changed. There are so many nurses to choose from in this snail economy but remain optimistic and believe that you did not get those jobs because it was not your destiny but do find where you belong. Good Luck! ?

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Specializes in RN-BC, ONC, CEN... I've been around.

I'm not sure what specialty you're trying to get into but I was in a similar position (9 years LPN, 2 years RN) and wanted to go into the ER. Immediately after graduating I took the first appealing job that I could get (i.e. it looked like a decent place to work, the manager seemed nice, good overall environment... and it turns out I loved everyone there). I stuck with it there while I cut my teeth as an RN and when we knew we were going to move I started to try and make myself more appealing to the ED. I took ACLS while still working ortho and went ahead and got my ONC as well. I think it shows that 1) you are willing to go out of your way to learn new skills, and 2) you are in fact "teachable". I think it was those things that made me stand out a bit vs the new grads. Right or wrong I do believe there is a bias towards them... units can train them up as they want, don't have to deal with ingrained bad habits, and they work for about 15% less than a more experienced nurse. I was hired after my second interview (within the first week of my arrival in the new city), but without the prior leg work I'm not sure that I would have been so successful.

I can't imagine it would hurt and you might have to pay out of pocket if it's not applicable to your current unit (i.e. an adult cardiac floor would have little need for a PALS certified nurse) but maybe you can get an applicable cert or two while you are trying to switch up. Also, I would definitely look into what exactly happened that caused your application to fall through, especially since it looks like they had offered you the job (never worked someplace where I was set up for orientation without a pretty firm job offer. It may have been the reference... it might not have been. In either case perhaps there are things you can do to mitigate that damage?

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Specializes in Trauma-Surgical, Case Management, Clinic.
Right or wrong I do believe there is a bias towards them... units can train them up as they want don't have to deal with ingrained bad habits, and they work for about 15% less than a more experienced nurse. [/quote']

I agree. I met an experienced nurse who I was talking with about wanting to change specialties. She was encouraging me to aggressively pursue it because she felt she waited too long to try and make a change and she has not been able to get hired in a different specialty. I have 3 yrs med surg exp so I feel now is a good turning point. She had 9 years med surg/tele and was feeling really discouraged about not being able to do something different. She told me she enrolled in a masters program. Maybe if experience doesn't help, then education will.

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You can start to take some certifications specific to OB while working per diem--lactation consultant, NALS--and volunteer for OB to be able to take your OB certification. Otherwise, there's lots of reasons why perhaps you did not get your dream job--and it may have been nothing to do with your former employer--many hospitals now have nurses floating, especially if there were lots of openings. I know hardly anything about "birthin no babies" LOL but part time in an OB gyn office may also be good experience, especially if you need to work.

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I could have written this post myself, except I've only been a nurse for 4 years. You and I both want to work in OB ( I have read your other posts). OB is all I ever wanted to do since graduating. This passion for the specialty was confirmed when I studied OB in nursing school, everything just came naturally. My clinical instructor said I was one of the best students in the class and she gave me a great letter of recommendation.

Right now my heart is crushed. I have been on not one but TWO interviews within the pass 3 weeks for PP and L and D. The first interview was at the hospital I resigned from, the interview and share day was awesome but my supervisor did not give me a good reference so therefore I did not get the job. I was crushed.

The second interview went great. I interviewed with three different people and got great feedback. I was given the option of FT/PT/ days or nights because this hospital had so many openings at the time. I was even given the date orientation would start. All the staff loved me. I knew I would fit right in. One week later I get the rejection email. I was crushed. I cried and was depressed for a few days after. I thought, it must have been my reference from my previous job.

I was even thinking about writing the nurse recruiter to see what went wrong or to see when I can reapply, but I don't think it'll do any good. I want to apply for more OB jobs but my heart cannot take another rejection.

My only suggestion is to volunteer in that specialty. My friend did this for six months and got hired, she is a tech but I still think it may work.

My husband thinks I should work outside of nursing until I get my OB job, but I told him I can't do that since I'm still just starting my nursing career. I was LPN for 3 years and have been a RN for only 1 year. I still have to keep my skills up.

Your situation is different so your options are different.

I feel your pain. I hope we both find our home this year. I'm hopeful and I will say a prayer for both of us.

Is it possible, that at the job with the supervisor who had negative comments, to find someone else for future employers to contact? such as a floor nurse or unit coordinator? i think if this ex supervisor is clearly saying mean things,

i would not want anyone to contact them.

Or when you apply to jobs, could you write to write "don't contact this employer" then when the interviewer asks, explain in brief terms why you and the ex supervisor don't get along?

I would hate to see someone lose out on a job because of one bad reference.

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DONT GIVE UP! I graduated with my ADN last December. I worked while finishing my BSN. I, too, LOVED my OB rotation and knew right away that was where my heart was. I had no idea how hard that department was to get into to. I took my first job offer from the hospital less than 2 minutes from my house. It was a med/tele department nurse and there was not even an OB department in the hospital. For the last year, there has been talk of that department opening back up and I made my interest known right from the beginning. It was decided that anyone they hired for that dept needed to have at least 2 years experience. That is what I kept running into everywhere I applied in OB. Finally I contacted a friend in another hospital in town and asked for the contact name and email for the dept head over OB. I sent that manager an email and just expressed my dismay over not being able to "break into" OB. She offered to give me an interview. I had a former fellow schoolmate that began working there about this same time. She was able to put in a good word for me. I am happy to say I start in the LDRP next week and CANNOT wait! I believe it is a matter of Gods timing, but if we do not put ourselves out there, He may not be able to open the doors. I would contact anyone that you can to see what would make you more marketable for the specialty you are pursueing and I would FOR SURE contact someone that seemed like they were about to offer you a position and went with another candidate. There is the chance they just may let you know why you were overlooked and if it was close, it may be just the impression you need to be first in line for the next opening. Anyone should be able to appreciate someone trying to do what they can to position themselves for a spot in the department they are passionate about. Persistance really does pay off! Hang in there!

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You may want to find other specialties or be a nurse educator.

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It's okay to take a break for awhile and take a breath! For now, there might be no opportunities for you yet but I do believe that everything comes at the right time! Just don't give up=)

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Specializes in LTC and School Health.
Is it possible, that at the job with the supervisor who had negative comments, to find someone else for future employers to contact? such as a floor nurse or unit coordinator? i think if this ex supervisor is clearly saying mean things,

i would not want anyone to contact them.

Or when you apply to jobs, could you write to write "don't contact this employer" then when the interviewer asks, explain in brief terms why you and the ex supervisor don't get along?

I would hate to see someone lose out on a job because of one bad reference.

This is very possible. I didn't list this supervisor on one of my applications and got offered a job. Other employers, instructors, and preceptors gave me great recommendations. I will continue to use them.

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