How to get hired without experience

[midcom]

I am a new LPN grad who wants to work in a clinic but after every interview, I learn that they offered the position to a nurse with experience. I'm getting very frustrated. I won't ask how to get experience when I can't get hired but since you already have a clinic job, maybe you can suggest some ways of getting experience. Would working in LTC help at all? I'm at a loss for what to do.

I am a mature graduate & have had lots of life experience, I was the top student in my class, learn quickly, I have a great letter of recommendation, wonderful references, am personable, have excellent communication skills, and get along with everyone. I would be an assest to any practice that would give me a chance, if only I could get that chance.

Dixie

[blueberrybon]

Well, by this time I would almost be willing to bet you are working somewhere. Am I right?

Let us know where you landed a job, and how you like it.

Blue

[midcom]

Well, by this time I would almost be willing to bet you are working somewhere. Am I right?

Let us know where you landed a job, and how you like it.

Blue

I only wish that were true but, nope no job yet. I have had some very good interviews; one went to a second interview & she led me to believe the job would be offered to me, however, that wasn't the case. Last week I had another good interview at a very large clinic. I asked if they ever offered jobs to inexperienced nurses & she told me that until recently she felt all nurses needed hospital experience & didn't hire any without it but now does. I hope this will be one of those times although she did tell me that she was interviewing several candidates.

Perhaps it's for the best that I haven't found anything yet. A month ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I've since had a mastectomy and fortunately it hadn't spread to my lymph nodes so probably won't need further treatment besides Tamoxifen. I got the call from the above clinic as I was checking out of the hospital. I interviewed a week after my surgery & didn't tell her. My surgeon said not to tell & also that she felt I would be in shape to work well before they would be ready to start me.

Dixie

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I'm sorry about your news Dixie. but glad your lymph nodes were negative. Please take care of yourself.

[blueberrybon]

Wow, what an ordeal! You are a cup half full type of person aren't you. They say that your type of personality is the kind that can get through the tough diagnosis' more successfully than the cup half empty sort.

You say the inability to land a job thus far must have been for the best. That is a cup half full mentality. Another person would have said; "First I can't find a job, now this! What's next?" But you are choosing to take what comes along as it comes and go on from there.

I may not be thinking of all the angles, but I think the prospective employer should know your situation so as to see the type of person you are, which sounds to me like the kind of positive personality that anyone would benefit being around, co-worker and patient alike. Not to mention that you will have first hand experience in a medical diagnosis and treatment that you can personally share with patients if you so choose.

All my best to you. I pray you will not only find the right job, but be well and happy in it for many, many years to come.

Blue

[midcom]

Wow, what an ordeal! You are a cup half full type of person aren't you. They say that your type of personality is the kind that can get through the tough diagnosis' more successfully than the cup half empty sort.

You say the inability to land a job thus far must have been for the best. That is a cup half full mentality. Another person would have said; "First I can't find a job, now this! What's next?" But you are choosing to take what comes along as it comes and go on from there.

I may not be thinking of all the angles, but I think the prospective employer should know your situation so as to see the type of person you are, which sounds to me like the kind of positive personality that anyone would benefit being around, co-worker and patient alike. Not to mention that you will have first hand experience in a medical diagnosis and treatment that you can personally share with patients if you so choose.

All my best to you. I pray you will not only find the right job, but be well and happy in it for many, many years to come.

Blue

Thank you, that was such a nice thing to say, that I'm a cup half full type of person.

The reason I decided to not tell is because I felt that they would automatically think I'd be a liability, that I'd not be able to work as well or as hard as someone who has not recently had surgery. And to be honest, since I still have to see an oncologist, I may be a liability afterall. However, when asked at my interview what I could bring to them, I stressed that I know what patients are experiencing because I have or are experiencing the same things. I went on to point out several things I have been through, even mentioning a couple cancer scares (these were earlier) I just didn't mention that I had BC. I hope she would see that I would be an asset.

Thank you for your good wishes. I will definitely post WHEN (not if) I get hired.

Dixie

[midcom]

YES!!!!!!! It happened. I was hired today! The job isn't be best. I'm sure some of you will be rolling your eyes at it but I look at it as a real good opportunity for learning.

I will be working at a large clinic in a neighboring town, every other weekend (urgent care type work) and 2 days a week floating amongst the various doctors, filling in for nurses on their days off. This is a large clinic with mostly family practice doctors but also a podiatrist, an OB/GYN, a gastroenterologist, and a pediatrician.

I'll be orientated with the family practice doctors first & then the specialists. Finally, I'll start working the weekend hours.

This group is not new to me. This was where I went as a child & one of the doctors actually delivered my youngest son, 30 years ago. It's kind of a unique group; all the doctors working there are very devout Christians. I was told that the atmosphere is different from most clinics. The doctors are not prima donnas(actually share offices) & are very patient with their employees.

I go for my drug test tomorrow and orientation at the hospital that the clinic is associated with on Monday. Oh, and they now know about my breast cancer & they are OK with it.

Thanks all for your encouragement. I am so thrilled!

Dixie

[blueberrybon]

let us do the online dance of joy! :anpom:

keep us informed please. urgent care will probably be interesting. and of course once you have your perverbial foot in the door, you'll land a more steady schedule if you end up wanting one.

have a great time orienting!!!

blue

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

dixie!!!!

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

Came across this interesting thread by accident ...

I would really like to read an update from Dixie on this thread. How are you feeling and how is the job? It has been over a year since we heard from you here.

:wink2:

[midcom]

I apologize for not updating sooner. My job is everything I hoped it would be & then some. I work with great people, both nurses & providers and, since I work as a float, I get a real variety of experiences. This week, for example, I worked on Saturday in our urgent care clinic, Monday 12-8 with a doc who takes mostly walk in & acute cases, Tuesday I spent the day with one of the pediatricians, mostly giving shots(not my favorite thing to do). Today I worked for a family practice PA and Friday I am with the gastroenterologist. He, by the way, is the only provider I'm not fond of working with. However, I am one of only a few nurses who have trained to work in his practice so I usually spend at least a half day a week with him.

Shortly after starting my job, I had to undergo 2 months of chemo due to the breast cancer diagnosis. My fellow nurses & the providers were all wonderful. When my immunity was compromised and I had a patient who was contagious, that person more often then not would just appear in one of my rooms, with the intake already done for me. Some of the doctors kept an eye on my WBC counts & were especially concerned for me when they got very low. Now that my treatments are done they celebrate with me whenever I get a good report from my surgeon.

I'm still hoping to someday to be assigned to just one doc & be his/her nurse. I want my own spot at the nurse's station instead of using someone else's spot. I want to be the nurse that the patient expects to see instead of being the one filling in for the regular nurse. I did apply to be the nurse for our most recent hire but was beat out by a nurse with more experience. My time will come eventually.

Today I received a compliment. The PA I was working for pulled me aside & told me that the patient we had just treated had told him that he wished all nurses were like me, professional & caring. He had been treated very rudely the night before in a local ER and acused of being a drug seeker. I suspect he is an addict but he was also a man in pain who needed our help, not our judgements.

Thank you for your concern & interest. I love being a clinic nurse!

Dixie

[CarrieH]

I so happy to hear that you are being treated so well! As someone who has worked both as a "float" and with just one doctor I hear you on the I just want my own desk thing... but one real advantage to floating is that you never get burnt out in one area. Just when you're starting to feel that burn out, you're on to the next area. Give it time and you will have a few patients that will know you even if you don't see them every time.

You might want to ask if you can have your own mini-spot some where in the office that can be officially "yours". Put a stapler and pen holder with your name on it there. I did that for a while and even though I wasn't always sitting at that spot, it made me feel a little more permanent.