Starting a career as RN after a 4 yr gap from graduation

Nurses Job Hunt

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Hello, Im planning on relocating back to California (presently in India) to start a career in nursing. Though I graduated as a BSN 4 yrs ago, I dont have any work experience as I was a stay at home mom afterwards. I cleared NCLEX RN last month and I want to get back to nursing and I dont know where to start and what to do and frankly, im freaking out! Some people tell me to get my BSL and ACLS before applying, some say u can get it afterwards. Can anyone please help me and tell me how to go about, what all do I need to do before I apply and if there are any hospitals in San Diego which have BLS and ACLS training in the end of May or beginning of June and if any hospitals are hiring now? I would be really grateful for any help and assistance.

thanks in advance.

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

Get your BLS/ACLS/PALS as soon as possible, on your own. Tons of companies offer the course, it's just a quick Google search.

Be prepared for a very, VERY long and difficult Job Search. The market is saturated all over the country and California is the worst in terms of the nursing market. BSNs with experience can't find jobs. No one is hiring new grads, and your 4-year-old degree and lack of experience is going to put your resume at the very bottom. Add to that the tendency of CA employers to hire American born citizens first over foreigners (sorry, but it's true) and you can pretty much guarantee a rough time finding employment.

Try nursing homes, rehab facilities, home health, hospice, travel and registry nursing, in small towns and rural areas. That will be your best bet right now.

I am on a hiring panel for my company in SoCal and have a good, observant prospective on this. You will have a very challenging time finding a job. Good luck.

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I am an American Born citizen, just got my graduation done in India :(

does that help? i know i sound desperate, its coz, i am.. :-/

Anyhow, thank u for letting me know. Really wanted to get the real picture of whats in store...

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

You will always be considered an internationally educated nurse, even as a US citizen.

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

Well, that's definitely in your favor!

I think you will need a really, REALLY GOOD résumé and cover letter to start, and I advise not making too big a deal about your 4 year period not working. Don't get too personal about it on paper, just a vague mention in the cover letter ("after graduation, I was focused on family until 2013. During that time I studied current nursing research, read many books and nursing publications regularly. Please refer to my reading list. In February my NCLEX-RN was cleared, I received my State of CA RN license and obtained an ACLS/BLS/PALS certificate in May.") Be prepared to say specifically WHAT nursing research & publications you read and WHICH books. Include a reading list on the resume. This is not conventional but you will need to show you did SOMETHING while you raised your kids to keep current with what's going on in nursing.

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

And, drop the text speak. It's not only discouraged in this forum, it makes anyone who uses it look less intelligent. You can type out "you" instead of "u." Making a good impression with your grammar and spelling goes a long way in establishing your credibility.

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Thank you. This has really created a stepping stone for me. And I hope to build upon it. And thank you for the corrections as well, I wasn't aware. I'll work on the resume and will be back for more help on that, the reason being the differences in the resumes and how they are expected in India and how that differs from what they expect in the US.

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