Having Trouble Returning to The Workforce After an Accident

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Dear Rusty,

Glad to hear you are recovered and I'm so sorry for your ordeal.

Your work history is interesting in that you left acute care for assisted living and then left assisted living for part-time agency gigs. Be prepared for questions on those choices.

Landing a job is a function of qualifications, experience and opportunity. Go to Indeed.com or another job site, make an account, and start searching for different jobs to get an idea of what's out there and what qualifications and experience are required.

An employment gap is always a challenge. It's easier to land a job when you're working than when you're not working, so it's really important to just get back out there in the workforce. Landing a job trumps landing your dream job right now. Take whatever job you qualify for now, even if it's bedside nursing in sub-acute or SNF on the night shift. It's just a stepping stone. Once you've started working, you have more leverage.

You ask if you need to go to school-if you don't have your BSN and you no longer want to practice at the bedside, then yes.  Enroll in a BSN program that will work around your work hours. If you're talking post-graduate or certification, wait until you have a better idea of your career track.

• Do consider an RN refresher course. Even though you don't want to practice at the bedside, it will be good on your resume, and many skills are transferable. Take advantage of the contacts you'll make and network.
• Also consider a multi-state (compact) license if you plan to apply for work-from-home positions, such as case management.

Basically right now, apply, apply, apply. Polish your resume and brush up your interviewing skills. I'll post some helpful links below.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

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[Cricket183, BSN, RN]

I returned to nursing after an 11 year gap (2008-2019) due to medical disability.  I had so many fears and concerns whether I would ever be considered for a position or not.  After reading many books/articles on the subject (including advice from Nurse Beth-thank you), I took the plunge.  There were a few things I think that specifically helped land me a position very quickly.  
First, as part of reactivating my RN license I took a refresher course and used the instructors/preceptors as contacts & references.  
Second, I redid my resume and used my cover letter to explain the employment gap and very specifically tied the things I learned from my medical disability & time away from nursing to the qualities that aligned with the vision & core values of the facility where I was applying. 

During my interview, I mentioned how being on the other side of the bed gave me a new level of compassion and a whole new perspective on health & wellness (especially in regards to chronic health conditions).  When asked questions about tough stuff like explaining the long gap in employment and whether or not I could physically meet the job requirements, etc.  I was very honest, matter of fact and succinct in my answers (ie, did not elaborate about my health condition and ongoing disability) but also used it as an opportunity to stress something positive or how the skills I learned could be an asset to my future employer. 
I will soon be facing this situation again and I’m concerned about once again having to explain yet another gap in employment for health reasons.  I had  severe Covid (from work) in July 2020 and developed complications from respiratory failure.  I was on oxygen for 13 months and developed long Covid.  I’m hoping to return to work after the first of the year.  I anticipate this time will be a lot harder even though the gap is much smaller (2 1/2 years).  
Wishing you the very best!