New path for experienced nurse

[Forest2]

I have been a nurse since 1983. In the past two years I completed my BSN and MSN thinking this would give me a boost in obtaining a position where I no longer have to work bad hours. Unfortunately I have not been able to procure work, I now have 52 applications completed.

I have 20 years in home health care, 5 years in LTC and 3 years acute care. I would like a position in hospital education or quality. I am credentialed as a gerontologial nurse and am a BLS instructor.

What can I do to get a great job working days during the week? What I fear is that I will have to find a 12 hour night shift job on med/surg. So basically that is what I started out doing when I first graduated nursing school. The thought is disheartening and it is a waste of my good talents. What to do? Should I get ACLS even though I do not want to be a critical care nurse?

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

With your experience, you certainly have the clinical expertise that is required of non-academic educators. However, you also need to have 'education' expertise (skills & knowledge). In a hospital, entry-level education positions are generally at the department level but in my area of the country, it is not unusual for LTC facilities to hire 'inservice coordinators' who don't have education experience. There are requirements for CNAs in LTC to have at least 1 hour of CE per month -have you tried 'marketing' your services to do this? It could lead to a full-time gig.

[Forest2]

How ever much this interests me, I think I can only get about 22 per hour around here. I make over 28 hr just doing prn home care visits. I just am not sure what to do, and funny thing is. I have applied for jobs that I am perfect for and made my resume and cover letters specific to just to get told, NO. Application 56 is now in. More training???? Or just give up and go back to the floor, which is a killer. It was terrible at age 23 working 11-7, now that I'm older, working 7pm to 7 am, well..... I just don't know if I can do it or not. What I do know is that I don't want to. Did you see the questions that were posted to ask recruiters if you could? I thought that was great. I wish I could and someone would answer those questions!