Mini Rant

Nurses General Nursing

Published

So, I have 4 years of pediatric experience in home care. I'd like to expand my skillset on a pediatric hospital floor. Not even a specialty floor, just a regular pediatric floor. Trouble is, 3 years of my experience was as an LPN, so on all of these filtering systems used by the hospital hiring algorithms I look like I only have 1 year of nursing experience because all they ask about is RN experience. My duties changed not one iota between being an LPN and an RN in my position. What's more, I don't have my BSN so I am rejected out of hand despite having years of experience. I am highly motivated to earn my BSN. The whole point of wanting to break into acute care is to not only expand my skillset but earn enough and work a schedule that would allow me to go back to school. The company I work for is too small for proper benefits and I'm working rotating shifts plus a second job trying to make ends meet.

It's just tiring because I feel like goalposts are always moving. First I couldn't be hired as a tech because I was an LPN student, so I missed out on that opportunity. I went to school to get my RN to try to satisfy that requirement to move up. Then I couldn't take a pay hit to be a tech in RN school, so I missed out on that opportunity. Now I am being rejected for not having a BSN and not knowing the right people from not being fed through their tech system. It makes me feel burned out after only 4 years on the job and only making $19/hr after going thousands in debt.

Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.

I also am sorry for the situation you are in right now. Just wondering if it would be possible to add a note somewhere on the application that states all your experience, or if you could email HR with that info in a little note. Worth a try!

Hope the situation improves!!

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Have you tried to meet with the manager of a floor you want to work on? And give them your work experience, and ask if they would look at your application despite being "weeded out".

Lot of people have told me the hospital recruitors were not helpful but the ones actually doing the hiring were pleased to get their resumes.

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interesting because up here in Canada in order to be an RN you must have your BScN, it's a requirement, there are no RNs without BScNs (unless grandfathered in)

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8 hours ago, canadianedmurse said:

interesting because up here in Canada in order to be an RN you must have your BScN, it's a requirement, there are no RNs without BScNs (unless grandfathered in)

In the States we have diploma, associate degree, and bachelor degree RNs. Diploma and associate degree RNs learn the same as bachelor degree RNs only in a shorter amount of time. I did the associate then went on to do bachelor, and I can tell you my associate program was intense! Bachelor was more laid back.

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Is there any way that, if you're unable to get in to acute pediatrics, that you possibly try adult med/surg to get your foot in the door? It's a suggestion I see on here often. Good luck, the right job is waiting just for you!

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Nursing is a suck *** profession period. When I became a nurse it was back when, as a woman, your choices were limited. Nurse, Secretary, etc. This is no longer the case. Hospitals want highly educated people to do these jobs without paying a decent wage. Why? Cause when push comes to shove it is “women’s work” And therefore the pay is *** compared to comparable work if it were a traditional man’s field. I’ve steered my own child away from this profession. Going to college is a financial decision that should give a good return on investment. If you have enough smarts to be a nurse you have enough to be an engineer. Your future and options are better as an engineer.

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1 hour ago, Claireofgreen said:

Nursing is a suck *** profession period. When I became a nurse it was back when, as a woman, your choices were limited. Nurse, Secretary, etc. This is no longer the case. Hospitals want highly educated people to do these jobs without paying a decent wage. Why? Cause when push comes to shove it is “women’s work” And therefore the pay is *** compared to comparable work if it were a traditional man’s field. I’ve steered my own child away from this profession. Going to college is a financial decision that should give a good return on investment. If you have enough smarts to be a nurse you have enough to be an engineer. Your future and options are better as an engineer.

If you do what you love you'll never work a day comes to mind. Adding if you do what you love the money isn't that important. Anyhow I think nurses make good money.... which has never been my goal in life. Poor but happy beats rich but miserable every time.

I grew up in a very comfortably rich family....but a miserable family in many ways.

Money can't buy happiness.

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21 hours ago, NurseBlaq said:

In the States we have diploma, associate degree, and bachelor degree RNs. Diploma and associate degree RNs learn the same as bachelor degree RNs only in a shorter amount of time. I did the associate then went on to do bachelor, and I can tell you my associate program was intense! Bachelor was more laid back.

Huh? Are you saying ASN is the same as BSN? If that were true there wouldn't be a distinction would there?

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On 6/28/2019 at 12:48 PM, ShadowNurse said:
On 6/28/2019 at 12:48 PM, ShadowNurse said:

I am highly motivated to earn my BSN. The whole point of wanting to break into acute care is to not only expand my skillset but earn enough and work a schedule that would allow me to go back to school.

The above is a great thing to add into a cover letter, maybe reword it, and mention your experience as well. I hope you find a way if that is what you want. Good luck.

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15 hours ago, Claireofgreen said:

Nursing is a suck *** profession period. When I became a nurse it was back when, as a woman, your choices were limited. Nurse, Secretary, etc. This is no longer the case. Hospitals want highly educated people to do these jobs without paying a decent wage. Why? Cause when push comes to shove it is “women’s work” And therefore the pay is *** compared to comparable work if it were a traditional man’s field. I’ve steered my own child away from this profession. Going to college is a financial decision that should give a good return on investment. If you have enough smarts to be a nurse you have enough to be an engineer. Your future and options are better as an engineer.

somebody's miserable. In Canada we go to school 4 years to be an RN and we get paid great. Our union is fantastic. I made 76k my first year out of school doing regular hours. You can look up the ONA Collective Agreement and by 8 years RNs are making 46$/hour. Not including shift premiums. Your negativity is awful.

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1 hour ago, Forest2 said:

Huh? Are you saying ASN is the same as BSN? If that were true there wouldn't be a distinction would there?

Not at all what I said. What part of ASN does the same work as BSN and learns the same thing in a shorter period of time is wrong? The only extra difference arre fluff classes. I know because I also said I did the ASN and went back to take the BSN in the same post.

As far as working, there is no difference. The only difference is in education. When working on a unit, you can't tell the difference in ASN/BSN because they're doing the same things. There is a distinct difference in LPN/RN duties but not ASN/BSN duties except within facilities and even that is dependent on the facility policies. What part of that is wrong?

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57 minutes ago, Forest2 said:

Huh? Are you saying ASN is the same as BSN? If that were true there wouldn't be a distinction would there?

Welcome to the great BSN ADN debate, this educational difference has been the norm for over 40 years.

In "most" situations a bedside nurse in an acute care hospital has the same job and pay whether ADN or BSN.

For over 30 years there has been a debate that all RN's should be BSN.

Some hospitals only hire BSN nurses. Some hospitals "grandfather" their long time ADN nurses into their position even if they're only ADN.

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