How did you get your self esteem up to go on job interviews???

[GotoGirlRN]

:cry:To make a long story short, my nursing license went on "probation" in March re: psychiatric problems (I was going through anxiety and depression and ended up staying 2 days on a psychiatric unit) my job at the time found out about this and then said I had been acting strange at work and one nurse reported that I smacked a "patients bottom open handed while putting on Aloe Vesta" (which I didn't). Anyways I was fired from that job (resigned or be fired) Mind you, no patient complaints, this was a report from a fellow nurse who remains anonymous. I moved on and worked at a job I loved for almost a year when I was contacted by the board of nursing and went through all the "Consent Agreement" procedure (yes I had an attorney) and now I am on probation. I do not really have any restrictions (no med restrictions, I just can't be a Nursing Supervisor). My monitoring agent is very cooperative about approving me to work any job. I was fired from my current job back in April after my consent agreement went into affect, although I was 100% approved by the BON to work there, I was still fired. I am now on my 3rd appeal for unemployment (there saying my nursing license isn't valid so they had a right to fire me). Well I finally got the nerve to apply to other jobs, I have got calls for a few interviews, problem is, I am soooo embarassed and ashamed and do not know how to bring this up when I go on interviews. This has affected my life so greatly. I am on the verge of bankruptcy, My husband has MS and recently had a relapse and so I feel like I cannot talk to him about this for fear I will stress him out and cause another relapse. I actually rescheduled an interview I had because I become physically ill thinking about how I would explain this to the person interviewing me (my license being on probabtion). Basically, how did you get the nerve to go on interviews, I know I need to "man up" or (woman up) and do it, but I am scared I will start crying and don't know how to get my nerve up to go on interviews, I am so scared of rejection and embarassment this is really paralyzing me. I thought about getting a job in another field, I feel so scared to try and get a nursing job. ANy advice is appreciated! Thanks.

[ms. papa RN AGAIN]

I just wanted to give you a quick burst of support and hopefully a tiny boost in your mood. I don't really have any all knowing, sage advice for you, but I am familiar with the anxiety provoking interviews you speak of. It sucks bad enough to try to "sell myself" without bringing all my baggage to the table. Today is my first interview of round 2. I took about a year off to do some volunteering as an RN (counted with the BON) and have a baby. But today I run back into the fire. And although my license is clear now and I am done with my penance if you will, I have decided to continue being upfront. It is really the only way to explain my terminations from prior jobs and my lengthy absence from the field. I just try to consider this all to have been a very, very long road that lead to a place of great personal strength. I hope (and on good days I "know") that someone will one day give me a chance. And that goes for you too. You can do this. And well hell, if you blow an interview by crying, just think of it as practice, and move on. If your still here today, you are stronger than you think. GOOD LUCK!!

When the time comes that I finally land a job I am going to treat myself to my first ever tattoo to symbolize my life, complete with struggles, pain, joy and pride coming full circle. Its going to be the word "synergy" encircling my ankle, in a complete circle,

I can't wait!

syn-er-gy (sĭn'ər-jē)

n. pl. syn-er-gies

The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.

[GotoGirlRN]

Thank you so much. It is nice to hear that people care and I will take some of your advice into account. Maybe I am stronger than I give myself credit for. Maybe I just need to get out there and interview, I mean , hey, if I blow an interview, I am in the same position that I am in now..... JOBLESS :)

[elkpark]

What an awful situation!! Keep telling yourself that people have lived through worse, survived, and gone on with their careers.

You may find it helpful to practice answering the difficult questions you know you're going to get asked in interviews in front of a mirror, and then move up to practicing "live" with friends. The best thing you can do (IMHO, for what that's worth :)) is get to where you are comfortable talking honestly and openly about the previous situations without blaming your previous employers or sounding defensive, and a lot of that is just "desensitization" -- the more you do it, the more comfortable you'll become doing it. Be prepared with answers to the tough questions in advance; don't wait to see what pops into your head at the moment in an interview!

I was involved several years ago in hiring an RN who had a history of drug diversion and use -- she had eventually been dealing on the street, was convicted of felony drug charges, and served significant prison time. However, after she got out, she doggedly completed all the requirements and steps she had to in order to get her license back in her "home" state and had moved on from there. When she came for an interview with my organization, in another state, she came in with her head high, a smile on her face, and a huge folder of documentation of all the steps she had completed to get her license back, complying with ongoing monitoring, references from former employers, etc. She was v. open about her past and what she had done to overcome it and move forward. We thought about it long and hard, but we did hire her, and she worked out great on our staff.

Best wishes for your journey! :redpinkhe