backinthesaddleRN

Just so all you new grads don't feel so bad, I have TEN years experience at two of the top ten hospitals in the country! The catch: I haven't worked in 19 years. I went back re-took the boards and got my BLS! I get calls because of my resume and they go like this...."Call us back when you have 6 months RECENT experience" So I, like you new grads, am stuck in a catch-22. How can I get recent experience if no one will hire me without recent experience? I took a job with the census and that gave me some recent supervisory experience but I don't think that will solve my problem. Hang in there...Nursing is very cyclical. Good luck to all of you!:redbeathe:)

Thanks for your kind words of support! Good Luck in Haiti and God Bless!

Hi, Thanks for your interest. I applied to about 6 hospital positions.....A Kaiser personnel RN called. She said I needed 6 months current experience before they would hire me. Kind of a catch 22, we can't hire you without RECENT experience so where do you get that? I am in the hunt for a state position but they are very slow at filling them. I started the process in October went through one round of interviews in Dec., ranked no.1 and am still waiting for round #2! Thank goodness my husband has a great job and we are not depending on me getting a job to survive! I have a friend in home health placement....she said they would have to place me as an LPN.....that made no sense, you can't get RN experience working as an LPN! So I search apply and wait! I did get my BLS!

Calliotter, That is what I would assume, so I was surprised the headhunter mentioned it. A recruiter for Kaiser told me I needed 6 months recent experience and she'd hire me immediately. So where am i suppossed to get the experience...it's a Catch 22.

I think having an RN License covers it.

Hi All, Looking for some advice. I've been out of nursing 18 years. Re-took boards and passed, have done my BLS. I have 10 yrs experience and strong resume(worked at 2 top 10 hospitals). Everyone keeps saying I need recent experience. I've been told one way to get it is take a position as an LVN. I don't understand that but if it is true and in the end it will get me an RN position I'll do it! Any thoughts?:loveya:

I retook the boards in June after an 18 year absence from Nursing. I took the time off to raise my four kids. Tell your mom she can do it!!! I bought all the review books but the best thing I did was an interactive online review through a site called Evolve. You took a pretest and it focused on your weaknesses. At the end you took an actual CAT style test(exactly like the actual NCLEX). It shut off at 75 for me...as did the actual NCLEX!! So good luck to your mom!

Hi, I did finally hear...I passed! I guess 8 yr re-takes were all handled by one person who had been "out" for an extended time. I was actually told over the phone because it had been 4 weeks and a day. I received a follow up call from BRN apologizing for the delay and received my card in the mail a few days later. Glad that is over!

Congratulations to you!!!! I know how daunting the whole process is!!! Good luck with all future endeavors!!:yeah::yeah:

Hi I just re-took my NCLEX RN after 17 years off duty being a mom. I got a bunch of review books but the best thing I did was an online Saunders interactive review. I think it was $59.00 and it was totally worth itThrough a website called Evolve.). You take a pretest and from that they fashion the course by your weaknesses. At the end you take an actual CAT type test. My test stopped at 75 and so did my NCLEX RN and I passed. You can even choose how long you want the material spread out and they make a calendar for you. I highly reccommend it!

I will keep you posted.....and I will change my name!!! I'll let you know what it is when I decide!

Karen2, Hi and thanks for all the info. I plan on taking The 8 hour CPR/AED class for healthcare workers at The Red Cross. They offer it almost once a week. I will talk to my friend and see what is out there and decide what to do from there. I graduated in 1981 with my BS so I think you and I should be very proud of ourselves. And I agree...we can conquer anything!! Did you look on the BRN site today? My name was there...finally. What a relief and joy to see it.Let's keep in touch and see how the journey goes.

Karen2, I don't have any plans yet. I'd be interested in getting info on your re-entry class. I have a friend that does placements for healthcare but not sure what route I want to go.

I received a call from CA BRN....I passed! The person responsible for 8 yr. re-takes has been out. They were really nice, apologized for my long wait( 4 weeks 1 day) and told me my license number will be on the site tomorrow am. Thanks to Karen on other thread who encouraged me to keep calling them!

I just received a call from CA BRN!!!! They called to say the woman who did all the eight year re-takes had been out.They apologized for my long wait (4 weeks 1 day) and told me i passed and license no. would be on the site tomorrow. That was great!!! I am so relieved!!!