How long did it take you to find a job? How far do you drive?

[Busia]

I'm starting to get discouraged! There's not much to choose from in the area I live. Three LTC facilities and the hospital. I've applied at all three homes (hospital has no openings anyway, two of the LTC had positions open on their website and the third didn't but I put in an app anyway) and not even a single interview. I live on the state border, and there's one LTC in the state I live in, but there's no reciprocity anymore so I can't work in that state. Everything else is quite a drive, and while the drive isn't so much the issue, daycare is. I wouldn't have a daycare that would open early enough for me to make it there on time for a morning shift.

I look at my resume, and the only thing I can think of that is holding me back is the fact that I was self-employed for the past 6 years and a SAHM for the two years prior to that. Or that I'm a student, which I almost thought would work in my favor since I'm willing to work weekends and holidays!

I enjoyed clinicals so much when I took my class over the summer, and really want to get back to it! I know I'm not going to make much money working part time, but it sure would help offset the cost of daycare while in school, and that's all I'm looking for, plus some experience.

I don't know if I should start applying further away, or hold out for something here. The places I've applied to are only 10-12 miles away, if I go further out I'd be looking at 30-50 miles, which I would hate in the winter!

Thanks for listening to my rambling!

[NurseNotRatched, ADN, BSN, CNA]

i guess it really depends on your location, but i finished my cna course in early june, took my state exam at the end of june, applied at 2 facilities a few days after my exam, and one of the facilities called me back a week later for an interview. i was hired that same day. i was actually surprised to hear back from this particular facility because it wasn't a nursing home, but an assisted living place....an "upscale" facility at that. i thought for sure that they would have wanted some experience. but god worked in my favor, truly, because the resident services director (don) had put her resignation in right before she interviewed me and as she was reviewing my application and resume, she noticed i had received my training through a home health agency and she knew the nurse who created the agency. my first day was july 10th of this year. i started as prn, but they quickly offered me both full time and part time. i had to decline because i'm also in school and the schedules conflict. i'm happy to be prn though b/c i'm usually one of the first people they call if they need help and have no trouble getting hours. i might take on full time next spring semester before nursing school next fall. but about 75% of our residents are independent. they have their own carpeted rooms (more like studio apts) with sitting areas, kitchenettes, and some have french doors to the courtyard. they have their own private bathrooms with showers, and i don't deliver meal trays or record i/o. they have "fine" dining with table clothes and cloth napkins with a choice of entrees. i really can't complain. i've heard a lot of my coworkers talking about their past jobs in actual nursing homes (like where i did my clinical) and this is nothing like that. god is good!

best of luck to you. the right opportunity will come along soon.