I worked in Med-surg for almost 2 years ending in December 2018. I also worked as a CNA in an SNF for 3.5 years and a nurse there as well for 8 months. My dad received a diagnosis for HCC and was immediately put on the liver transplant list. I am his only surviving family member, daughter and best friend. So it was a no-brainer to me that I had to quit my job at the hospital (one that I was sure I would be working at for a long time) and move a state away to care for him. I thought it would only be a couple of months off work but he ended up having serious complications that continue to this day. I think he is at a place now where he will be OK with me moving out of his home (to protect him from COVID) and working again. I can still swing by and take his garbage out, mow his lawn, clean his house while wearing a mask and opening windows. I'm just really bummed right now because it seems like all the hospitals in my area aren't hiring. Even if they would, why on earth would they want me when I have less than 2 years med-surg experience and have been off the job for a year and a half?
I applied to some travel nursing jobs because I live near Bellingham WA and could easily hop around all the major hospitals in the NW area of WA. The recruiter basically told me that I didn't have a shot in hell at travel nursing because of the lapse in nursing. Believe me, I have been flexing my nursing muscles during that time off. I have a HUGE list of continuing education, I finish my BSN in 2 weeks, and I have been a patient advocate for my father (which came with a TON of research, keeping track of his meds, labs, and asking the doctors sooo many questions). I feel so hopeless right now. All the postings that I am seeing are for travel nurses.
Can someone offer me some insight and/or advice?
I don't know how to network with COVID happening and I have no friends in the medical field in this area. Any help appreciated. There is NO way that I am going to start from scratch at an SNF. I'm 36 years old and have a toddler so it's time for me to get rocking on my career!
Sometimes we just have to suck it up and do things we don’t like. If working for 6 months in SNF put me in a better place to find work, that’s what I would I do. Not sit around for 6 months complaining about not being able to find work.
Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
You may just have to keep banging on doors. Talk to a few more recruiters. One recruiter's negative outlook may not actually be the real story. Even if it is, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take, so go ahead and fling some at the net and see what happens.
Here in Dallas we are hiring like crazy and can't get them on-boarded fast enough. Your gap is going to slow this down for you and unfortunately caring for your dad and earning your BSN aren't really seen as contributory. What every hospital is wanting just now is real, provable experience. You are in a funny spot - not really all that experienced to begin with, now with a gap almost as long as you were working and not a new grad. Long and short of it...you're a gamble during a pandemic when there isn't a lot of ability to do the kind of hand-holding they fear you may need. On paper, you look 50/50 and that feels risky.
You may have to look in some places others aren't willing to in order to get your foot in the door somewhere. If you are dead set against SNF nursing, so be it. Apply for night shift at the worst hospital in town and stay long enough to look recent again on your resume. But don't slam that door on SNF too hard. It's a valid specialty, it isn't bad everywhere and its a bit insulting to those who do it to act as if it is beneath you. Be kind.
Good luck with your search and all my best to you and your father.
To be honest many nurses are struggling to find or keep consistent work due to the Covid 19 pandemic. I am actually struggling myself without a lapse in employment. I would recommend trying home health, training is usually offered for at least a week. And it only requires a year of experience.
Also, family is always a priority. A job is replaceable. A life is not.
Don't give up! I am in Florida. Plenty of jobs but there were quite a bit of hiring freezes for a while. If new grads can get jobs, you certainly should be able to with experience. Besides, it's not like you don't have a legitimate reason for the lapse in employment. I would stick with hospitals, the longer you stay out the harder it is to get back in. Good luck!
You may have to look in some places others aren't willing to in order to get your foot in the door somewhere. If you are dead set against SNF nursing, so be it. Apply for night shift at the worst hospital in town and stay long enough to look recent again on your resume. But don't slam that door on SNF too hard. It's a valid specialty, it isn't bad everywhere and its a bit insulting to those who do it to act as if it is beneath you. Be kind.
Good luck with your search and all my best to you and your father.
SMS - TY so very much for speaking up in our interest!!
Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
Not all SNFs are equal; If you do work at a SNF do your research! Talk to current or former employees if possible, and ask about retention. Are there any covid testing centers looking for temporary employees? That could lead to a full time later. Are you open to non hospital jobs like clinic, hospice, home health, insurance? M-F regular hours might be good for your situation. I really hope your dad's health improves and that you can find a job that works for the situation. Wishing you and your family the best ❤️
Many hospitals and facilities have downsized or layed off their employees. Basically, it won't be easy finding another job plus many areas like to hire those with resume experience from their area. You may need to work at a less desirable place to get some current experience quickly. Good luck tho.
Try a dialysis clinic; it's a good place to get some experience built back up and get back into the work game. And dialysis patients always need treatments, so no layoffs or furloughs
On 8/5/2020 at 12:25 AM, Love and Resilience said:
Well, I was being a bit dramatic. I've only talked to 2 recruiters and haven't applied to very many places. I was just frightened by the prospects (or lack thereof) for stable jobs instead of agency jobs. I wanted to get a feel for what the job market looks like right now. My dad is really sick and I don't want to have to move 3 hours away to the Seattle area, or leave him alone at all for that matter. Admittingly, I said that in hopes of people reading my post. If I didn't mention it, he has HCC mets that they didn't catch before the transplant. I was actually looking for advice tailored to my experience and feel really scared and lost right now because I haven't been through this COVID fight yet plus I worry (as I'm sure most do) about my family.
Not really sure what you mean by "initial pandemic" because it never stopped or really slowed down. The "curve" dipped for a brief period then shot right up again. If you are talking about what the working situation looked like, that's part of why I was concerned but I was still seeing a bunch of hospitals hiring for positions I could easily qualify for in the area... until very recently.
I was hoping for kind words of encouragement or leads, but hey, good luck with that. I was under the impression we were supposed to be here for each other on all levels here, on this forum, but your tone and "advice" felt belittling. For instance, sarcastically saying "good luck with that"? Whatever.
I will have good luck. I believe in myself and have a lot to offer. It's probably just going to take some perseverance and networking.
My BSN is done next week and that's a HUGE leg up in addition to all the CNEs and volunteer work I've done.
No need for rudeness. I was trying to sympathize with you. I definitely do not have to waste my time here. I probably have more years of PAID nursing experience than you have on this earth. Live and learn..
You want to be near your dad and have a little one so I am confused as to why you want to travel. I could not get into travel nursing after a lapse of 2 years. In the travel biz, recent experience is within one year. I did 6 months of agency work to get myself current. That opened the door to travel and hospital work.
Good luck, best wishes to dad.
Thank you. That's very helpful. I received similar advice from an old-school nurse friend yesterday. I am definitely going to look into contact tracing jobs.
EDNURSE20, BSN
451 Posts
Sometimes we just have to suck it up and do things we don’t like. If working for 6 months in SNF put me in a better place to find work, that’s what I would I do. Not sit around for 6 months complaining about not being able to find work.
seems like a small sacrifice to me.