How to explain 4 year employment gap

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Hi, I'm an RN with two years of experience in medical-surgical nursing. I have been away from the bedside since Aug 2020. I left bedside nursing because I moved and because there was an unexpected death in my family. My sister had passed away, and I took time away to deal with this and to help my sister's kids get settled as well. Anyway, after some time, I decided to take online AGAC-NP classes. So far, I have completed the MSN core classes, but I decided to put this on hold and return to the bedside. My question is, do I mention this to a potential employer that I am in an APRN program? I don't want to mention it, but I have an employment gap. Any advice?  I know I should have gone back to the bedside before taking this class, but I knew that I wanted to do APRN in the future and do something productive until I was ready to return. 

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.

It's great that you're considering returning to the bedside and approaching this with a potential employer. First, I'd like to reassure you that taking time off for family matters is completely understandable. Your decision to pursue further education shows initiative and a commitment to advancing your career.

However, telling a potential employer you plan to pursue another career is rarely good. Some employers may see you as a flight risk or someone who always needs time off for school.

Likewise, it may not be relevant to say that you were away from the bedside for over four years to pursue your education without a degree for your efforts.

Focus. Your goal and challenge are to land a job with a 4-year employment gap and 2-year work experience. Consider taking a refresher course and applying widely and far. Be open to opportunities to get your foot in the door and start building your work history.

Be selectively transparent

You could describe it as a period when you focused on personal matters, including family responsibilities and educational advancement, without going into too much detail unless asked.

You might say something like:

"I took time away from the bedside to address personal family matters and also pursued education to further my career in the future. I'm now focused on returning to hands-on clinical work and am excited about nursing."

Be honest about your intentions.

If the topic does come up later in the interview or you're asked about your future career goals, it's okay to mention your aspirations to become an APRN. This can show you're committed to professional development and have long-term goals. However, reassure the employer that you're fully dedicated to returning to the bedside and contributing as an RN.

For example:

"While I plan to pursue an advanced practice role in the future, I'm focused on honing my skills at the bedside right now and contributing to the team in a clinical setting."

The benefit of being transparent

If you're applying to a progressive hospital or a unit where the nursing leadership values continuous education, being upfront about your studies may work in your favor. This is especially true if the hospital or unit understands the value of investing in nurses who are continuously learning.

Overall, the key is to balance honesty with your immediate career focus. Your time away to handle personal matters and pursue advanced education is an understandable and even commendable choice, and you can present it in a way that emphasizes how it has made you a stronger, more dedicated nurse.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

 

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