How to make money while searching?

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 24, 2012

Since it appears from your post that that you have nursing experience, why not try agency/registry nursing? That would give you income and keep you active in nursing while you're looking for the next job.

kcmylorn · Dec 24, 2012

Why not go to unemployment- at least apply for it and see what they say. Don't assume that you don't qualify and don't believe every thing the employer/hospital/nurse manager tells you- they don't know the unemployment rights and laws as I have found out some do and deliberately give out false information to save the hospital money in unemployment benefits. It is the hospital who pays these benefits for each emloyee it lays off, fires , coaxes out of their job. (The hospital employer pays apporx $15,000/year for each employee). Especially if your were forced to into a resignation/leaveing- "concentual discharge" Look this information up.

I made that mistake of ASSuming I was not qualifed for unemployment and used up all my savings. I had gone with the belief for many years that "nurses are not allowed to file unemployment" and had a nurse manager( in a Philly hospital) who bragged about how she went to these unemployment hearings and refused to give employees, she had fired, their unemployment and how she was even trying to keep from giving them their well earned pensions!! This case nvolved a old unit secretary who had worked that hospital for 30 years, which she fired over some stupid mistake that was ot even the unit secretaries job description, just based on the hearsay of some one else and even tried to keep this woman's pension!! This is when I began to rethink my opinion of nurse managers- this was so dishonest and underhanded. This manager used to come back from these unemployemnt appeals hearings - laughing at what she had been able to pulled off. This case was going to be the star in her crown!!! I have been told by unemloyment investigators that the decision to grant unemployment is not up to the employer and that they will tell you anything to keep from paying. These are "good corporate butt kissing nurse managers"

Go to unemployment and get the facts. I am, on wendnesday after christmas going to start applying for jobs out side of nursing that are not even remotely associated with nursing. I have been an RN for years with all hospital experience and can't find a job. This is my second stretch on unemployment- I have been doing temp positions I had found on my own and even went with a really bad agency- Favorite Healthcare- I was given assignements that were 80,90 and 100 miles each way from my home with a 13 year old car, I was given assignments that were so far below my skill level " experience, education and payscale levels"( direct quote in writing )as deemed per the unemployment investigator, now it has been over 2 years since I have been in the hospital, I don't think I can ever get back into a hospital. This agency sent me on LTC assignments only. I found another temp position with out their help and never checked my profile with this agency. When I went looking for per deim agency assignments as the payscale for the temp position was so low, I could not understand why a hospital this agency submitted me to, had rejected me- I had years of tele and step down experience. It was when I was updating my yearly credentials for this Favorite healthcare that I discovered the only experience this agency has me down for on my profile was LTC which I had really no experience in only scattered shifts through the Favorite healthcare. There was absolutely no notation or reflection that I had any acute ccare hospital experience at all. There was 30 years down the drain!!! What these nursing agencies do is- they receive these orders/contracts from these compaines( either hospitals, medical supply companies, LTC facilities) for supplemental staffing. These agencies work off commissions from these places to fill their staffing needs. The agency is loyal to these facilities and companies and not the nurses who work for them. These non nursing agency office workers( also known as: have tierra crowned themselves as nurse recruiters) place who ever they can into these work orders just to get that commission. In reality- to H$$$ with you, the nurse and your career that you worked for. They are clueless as to what a nurses role and job skill is all about. These agencies are given big bucks /hour for "a nurse" for example: they could be given $100/hr for a nurse- that nurse will only see $30/hr. the agency keeps the rest. Not bad pay for a person with only a high school education!! The unemployment is aware of this also. Many of these agenies do not participate in a state unemployement plan.

This has been a financial disaster for me and my family. Not to mention the destruction of my career I worked for, for 30 years.!!

Aviationurse · Dec 26, 2012

I have been an RN with BSN x 19.5 years in Illinois and 27 years internationally ( nurse midwife back in 85 and also an RN in UK 90 )and left the last OHN agency/temp job bec of bankruptcy and got tired of not getting OVERTIME PAY from agency for one and a half years working for the client ( major airline ) and non stop verbal abuse FROM dingbat nurse manager who dont even know how to draw blood or ekg.

To keep afloat...i have been working as a driver for senior who needed help with groceries.....ive also applied at the casino....Have not applied for unemployment bec I was just agency and i actually quit the job...Have worked inpatient psych in 2010 but quit the job after work related injury ( severe back pain secondary to non stop beatings from patient) and have been going to diff temp RN assisgnments to pay the bills since 2010 AFTER leaving last hospital job....ie OHN/AVIATION assignment, Palliative Care Prescription Refill, Adolescent Psych ( Agency ), Home Peritoneal Dialysis