I can't get a job!!

[ThatBLURN]

Hello nurses,

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!

Thanks,

Jennifer

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

20 minutes ago, TAKOO01 said:

Hi L&R,

Im not sure that home health will be as safe as you imagine. You can't control who or how many people and animals are in a patient's home. When you walk in, there can be ten family members with unknown infection status, or there can be just the patient, who is unknowingly transmitting COVID from recent exposure.

I also found that there wasn't much time for a therapeutic relationship in home health, as there was a daily quota to be met and you had to figure in travel time between patients.

I have never done it, but dialysis seems like the clinic would need to be ultra safe due to patients being particularly vulnerable to infection. Maybe that would be a good area for you as suggested by a previous poster.

Its going to be a gamble in any specialty unless you work from home.

We also have good PPE supply. Just due to the nature of the activity

[CKPM2RN, ASN, EMT-P]

Have you checked Indeed? Put your resume up and peruse the listings there. It is a great resource. I've found all of my nursing jobs there. Seriously, every single one.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

6 hours ago, Love and Resilience said:

I have talked to recruiters that can float me in travel nursing just throughout Bellingham (where I live), surrounding cities, and Seattle. She is not in school yet so I thought it would be a viable option considering what the job posts are telling me.

What type of agency did you work for, if I can ask? That's really helpful information!

There are hundreds of agencies wanting to put you to work. They only get paid when the nurse works! I started out with a small local agency that treated me pretty well. You could sign up with two or three.. see how they treat you and where they want to send you. I had some decent assignments, some I would not go back to. The agency nurse forum here might give you more ideas.

[ThatBLURN, BSN, RN]

16 hours ago, CKPM2RN said:

Have you checked Indeed? Put your resume up and peruse the listings there. It is a great resource. I've found all of my nursing jobs there. Seriously, every single one.

That'a one of the sites I use. I also go directly to the hospitals and look at their postings.

[ThatBLURN, BSN, RN]

17 hours ago, Hoosier_RN said:

We also have good PPE supply. Just due to the nature of the activity

Truth! I just never thought of dialysis nursing. But if it's a foot in the door that puts me in an environment where I can have more time with patients. What is the culture like, from your experience?

[ThatBLURN, BSN, RN]

I want to thank everyone for all your suggestions! I have a lot more hope now. I just need to back away from the local travel nursing companies. I wasn't thinking about a lot of these options. A lot of you folks have been so kind to lend some of your time to steer me in the right direction! Thank you!! ❤️

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

2 hours ago, Love and Resilience said:

Truth! I just never thought of dialysis nursing. But if it's a foot in the door that puts me in an environment where I can have more time with patients. What is the culture like, from your experience?

I have two very good friends with dialysis experience. One is an outpatient peritoneal dialysis expert, the other hemodialysis. It’s an important specialty. Lots of teaching. Lots of psychosocial issues from the ways the disease makes life hard for the patients. Lots of critical thinking.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

On 8/6/2020 at 3:58 PM, Love and Resilience said:

Truth! I just never thought of dialysis nursing. But if it's a foot in the door that puts me in an environment where I can have more time with patients. What is the culture like, from your experience?

It will truly vary by clinic, even in the same company. But, you see the same patients on a continuum, so the chance to build relationships is there, plus you see so many comorbidities. It is truly a learning experience

I will warn upfront that there is a huge learning curve at the beginning. It takes a year to get really comfortable with the job. But it is sooooo worth it

[amoLucia]

OP - I'm surprised that you didn't find LTC/NH conducive to developing that close nurse/pt bond. I had no problem with autonomy, advocacy, critical thinking, skills performance, time management, family dynamics, prof interface, etc. Even when on my fav 11-7 shift.

Now the difference may be attributed to the fact that I was older with YEARS of LTC experience. Honestly, I doubt much of that will be achieved for you on a day shift, unless you're talking a specialty practice. Just reading along here on AN, you just may find things more brutal & unsatisfying for what you seek. Many day-shifter respondents remark about the unending pace and running, running, running ... unsupportive admin/mgt, petty coworker relationships, etc.

As for your safety, EVERY job will pose risk a for you, and your little one & Dad. Just going to a grocery store has its risks! Nothing is totally safe.

Respondents on this post have offered some excellent suggestions & sincere advice. Hope you find something that you will like.

[ThatBLURN, BSN, RN]

20 hours ago, Rnis said:

Good luck on your job search. I wonder if you may need to share a little why you have the gap in your resume. I am a pessimist and would just assume the worst on why you have a gap.

Try to steer clear from travel nursing. your experience was pretty limited to start with and you have been out of the field for a few years. being expected to hit the floor running sounds like a recipe from disaster.

Unfortunately a nurse with a gap in their resume can be less desirable than a new grad to a hiring manager........ but you just need one person to give you the chance. good luck!

It's a year and a half. My dad had a liver transplant and needed a caregiver for a few months after. I was going to get a job again then but he developed really horrible complications from the vasculature not matching up. I ended up pretty much being a private nurse for him... while raising a then 7-month-old. He was fine by Feb of this year but then COVID happened and I was concerned about bringing that home to him being medically immunosuppressed (I have taken him to the ED several times for intractable n/v- prob food-borne despite me being a clean freak). I was talking to a couple of places but then he started getting this unbearable pain in his right leg and could barely walk. I had to resume helping him again. Turns out, they didn't catch a met that was on a lymph node behind and around his femoral artery. He's had surgery and is doing better now thanks to his strong perseverance which is good timing because I will have my BSN next week. I have money saved to move out and get my own place while I job hunt but that'll probably only float me for 2-3 months. I thought I explained the gap. Mostly it was to take care of my dad but it was also to raise my new baby (just worked out that way). Hope that clears it up. I think the story might help me. I've learned a lot about transplant medicine!

[jobellestarr]

I was going to say also that maybe home health would be a good fit. Also, I worked long term care, snf, rehab and I loved it. Not sure why you wouldn’t want to try it. Assisted living facilities are nice too and that’s a pretty low stress job. I’m not sure if it’s work you want or if you’re trying to pick up where you left off in M/S? Maybe you could think about that because it might clarify areas that you might not have thought of. Also, dialysis might be another option. And I think that nurses are saying there are layoffs because the elective piece of medicine pretty much stopped with Covid so no elective procedures, etc. My sister couldn’t even get her chemo. I kid you not.

But I wish you the best of luck to you and your dad. I was a transplant nurse for many years and I know how tough that can be ❤️

[Rnis, BSN, DNP, APRN, NP]

4 hours ago, Love and Resilience said:

It's a year and a half. My dad had a liver transplant and needed a caregiver for a few months after. I was going to get a job again then but he developed really horrible complications from the vasculature not matching up. I ended up pretty much being a private nurse for him... while raising a then 7-month-old. He was fine by Feb of this year but then COVID happened and I was concerned about bringing that home to him being medically immunosuppressed (I have taken him to the ED several times for intractable n/v- prob food-borne despite me being a clean freak). I was talking to a couple of places but then he started getting this unbearable pain in his right leg and could barely walk. I had to resume helping him again. Turns out, they didn't catch a met that was on a lymph node behind and around his femoral artery. He's had surgery and is doing better now thanks to his strong perseverance which is good timing because I will have my BSN next week. I have money saved to move out and get my own place while I job hunt but that'll probably only float me for 2-3 months. I thought I explained the gap. Mostly it was to take care of my dad but it was also to raise my new baby (just worked out that way). Hope that clears it up. I think the story might help me. I've learned a lot about transplant medicine!

I meant you have to explain it to a nursing manager....not here. I definitely think your personal experience could help you, I was simply suggesting you use it to your advantage ? I have a family member with a complicated medical hx /story. The key is to share a little of your journey and how it has influenced you as a nurse. you don't want to share too much that they may think the medical condition could make you unreliable in the future.