I Have an MSN and Can't Get Hired.....ANYWHERE

[Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN]

A little background to start. I'll try to keep it short but it's a lot. I have been a dialysis nurse my whole career. I took a travel position and they liked me and wanted me to hire on permanently with the contingency that I get my BSN within 2 years.

Did that.

There was a supervisory position open in the department that had been vacant for 3 years. My coworkers suggested I apply for it. I approached the manager and asked what I needed to do to qualify. She said to enroll in a master's degree program. I didn't have to have the master's degree to start. I just needed to enroll.

Did that.

They gave the job to someone else. I went ahead and finished my master's degree because I figured I might as well since I started it anyway. All i heard was that if I had a master's degree, I could go anywhere - do anything. It would open doors for me.

I took a job as a research nurse for a about year, but between the four hour commute - each day - and the toxic atmosphere, I decided it wasn't for me. I decided to go back to dialysis because I felt comfortable and there wouldn't be a long learning curve.

Well.

I took a job as the nurse manager at a chronic unit. The prior manager blew the place up. So many things were done wrong - taking patients off 30 minutes early every Saturday so everyone could go home early, no assessments done on new patients at all, charge nurse can't be found and not even physically in the building, and so much more.

So I come in to do the job and went through orientation, but the person I would replace refused to train me. I managed to coordinate my own training, sort of, and finished orientation. About a week later BAM! Here comes the state. We had an immediate IJ and have been working under conditions for a couple of months. So now everyone is looking at me like I did it. I barely had any training and I've been working hard to try and learn everything, but to them, I'm not catching on fast enough. The other day I was written up. I have never even been counseled or talked to, much less written up, in all my years as a nurse!

I have tried to find a job - any job - to get out of there and no one will hire me. I can't transfer out because I've been written up, and you can't transfer if you have been written up.

I finally agreed to step down because I just can't succeed in this position. This sucks because now I have gone backwards in my career instead of forward. They are transferring me to a position as med nurse - which an LVN can do - and not saying that it's not hard work because it is - but I spent years of time and money on getting a master's degree only to wind up here.

At this point I am desperate to do something else. I have no other experience besides dialysis, and that keeps coming back to bite me. I though that maybe I could work med surg for a year or two to get some experience to put on my resume, but no one will hire me. I have applied as an assistant DON at nursing homes and LTACs, but without experience they won't hire me. I have applied for radiology, nurse IT, case management, OR, endoscopy, and a few others I can't think of right now. I even tried to get a job at a doctor's office and NOBODY will hire me.

So here I am with 10 years of dialysis experience, a BSN, and MSN......and no prospects. Where do I go from here?

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Get a PRN job on the floor in acute care. Work it while you look for other opportunities. Dialysis is the problem moreso than the MSN. You don't have the experience needed to make you attractive with your MSN. Having an MSN is an advanced degree intended to show expertise in more specific things, such as education or leadership. You don't say what your MSN focused on.

[Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN]

My MSN is in leadership and management. I did that because I had a specific job in mind at the time. I'm not all that sure I am interested in management. It was just what I wanted to do at the time. I wish I had done nurse practitioner or education. Those things interest me more. ANd I know that I don't have experience to make the MSN attractive. My dilemma is what do I do about it.

Meanwhile I cannot get a PRN job in acute care. No one will hire me.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

My MSN is also in management and leadership. Do a post-MSN certificate for an APRN role if that is the direction you want to go.

Nephrology APRNs are difficult to find - you might find your niche there. I agree with others that since dialysis is so specialized it takes a great resume highlighting your acute care skills as well as strong interviews to get out of dialysis. Best wishes