8 months PICU exp, out of nursing for 2.5 yrs to be an actress, how to explain?

[Jakijo]

So, I graduated with my BSN in Dec. 2011, got my first job as a part of the Versant RN Residency at a children's hospital in the PICU right after graduation. Loved it, but I unfortunately had a medical issue that caused me to miss shifts and I eventually needed surgery and I didn't qualify for FMLA (since I'd only been working there for 8 months) so I had to quit my job. Got the surgery, did the extensive PT, and now I'm great.

After I rehabbed, I worked as a professional actress in Los Angeles (something I'd always wanted to do, blah blah). Kept up my RN license and such in the 1.5 years I did that for and I also tutored math, science, and NCLEX prep on the side. Then my husband gets transferred to Texas, so I quit acting and move with him. From 2011 to 2014 I also worked as a part of the medical staff for a diabetes summer camp which involved extensive RN work (dosing insulin, diabetes education, infirmary first aid, even IV infusions).

When I get to Texas, I consider going back to nursing, but honestly it scared me. I was afraid I'd get sick again and mess it all up, or I wouldn't be any good after being away for a while. So I chickened out for a year. But now I know I can do it and I'm getting my BLS and ACLS done as we speak.

As far as the resume and cover letter go, I'm really at a loss as to what to do about my work history in the interim. I know that an employer would like to see that I was working while not in nursing, but acting? Even though I have a moderately successful acting resume, I'm pretty sure they won't care at all. The diabetes camp RN stuff is good, and I have that as my top post in my "Volunteer Experience" portion. Right now I have my PICU job listed, my RN residency listed, then tutoring, and then the acting stuff in a general category with minimal description, then my previous customer service jobs (restaurants, research assistant stuff, etc). Should I just leave off the acting stuff?

Also, I'm only applying to jobs that require 6 months of nursing experience (since that's all I've got), but should I consider applying to jobs that require 1 year because I did the RN residency?

My main goal is to get really any RN job where I can diversify my skills (since I'm all peds and diabetes right now) so I can get the two years experience required to get my Certified Diabetes Educator certificate and then work as a CDE.

Sorry for the lengthy post! Thank you to anyone who reads it.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Are you kidding me??? Don't edit your resume to downplay your acting jobs... I'd say this would make you super qualified to teach nurses how to raise those HCAHPS scores!

Seriously, it would be better to go ahead and list everything. It would certainly make it intriguing and catch a hiring manager's eye in order to get your foot in the door for an interview. If you explain it just like you did here, you should be OK. Don't exaggerate your clinical experience. If your residency did culminate in you taking on a full patient load without assistance, you could include this as 'experience', but not the entire residency.

Best of luck to you in your job search.

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

Are you kidding me??? Don't edit your resume to downplay your acting jobs... I'd say this would make you super qualified to teach nurses how to raise those HCAHPS scores!

Especially if you played a nurse as an actress.

[Jakijo]

You know, I did play a nurse as an actress, multiple times, it's even on my reel!

So I shouldn't consider myself as having 8 months of experience? My residency lasted 18 weeks, so would I consider myself to have 4 months experience (just the post-residency work)? If so, that stinks. I don't know what kind of job I could get with just 4 months of inpatient experience.

[lorichka6]

Just be honest. Being an actress requires skills valuable to an RN - interpersonal skills, commitment, ability to take "feedback"... spin it however you want - I don't see it as a "flaw" (but I'm not management ). Be honest about your clinical skills. 6 mo in PICU probably has given you some clinical expertise that most general peds 1 year nurses still might not have - so I would certainly apply to the 1 year jobs. I bet managers decide all the time that new employees are worth training if they seem like a good fit - regardless of if the job posting was for 6 mo, 1 year, etc. Worst case - you send out a few extra resumes - you'll never know unless you try!

[gonzo1, ASN, RN]

I don't think you should be worried at all. I was also intrigued reading your history. Just downplay the medical problems part. Don't worry about the acting part, it's probably a bonus. We have lots of former airline stewardesses working as nurses. Some of these careers are an advantage. My boss always says he hires for personality and then teaches the skills.

The fact that you have any peds experience is a plus. I believe there is a need for peds nurses. A lot of nurses are scared to death of working with kids.

[Jakijo]

Ok, thanks for the encouragement, I could really use it! It's so daunting looking at all these job postings requiring 1 year of experience, but I guess I just gotta suck it up and sell myself. I just applied to volunteer at the children's hospital I have my eye on, so hopefully that should help me get a foot in the door.

You guys are so nice! I didn't really think about how acting could help with nursing, but you're absolutely right. I know how to take criticism, I'm used to people yelling at me (not that that happens in every nursing job, but still), I can always put on a bright smile and I can act like I'm not nauseated by a weeping tunneling gangrenous stage IV pressure ulcer (which I have seen. blergh). Thanks for the encouragement fellow nurses!