sjoe

It seems to be nationwide, from the information found surfing this web site. Florida, for example, has a LOT of posts here and elsewhere from unemployed nurses, RNs and otherwise, doing everything that has been suggested here to find a job, even though the payscale here is always one of the lowest in the country. No dice. The PR, however, remains the same, such as this story in today's online news: Florida needs 15,000 nurses, new survey says - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com The news does not coincide with experience, since most of it serves to 1) justify importing nurses from foreign countries who will do whatever they are told, whenever they are told, for little money AND 2) entice even more nurses to move here, which further dilutes the labor pool. Just as what happened in the Great Depression (watch "Grapes of Wrath" sometime). You can't easily fool HR departments by leaving off dates and so on. They've seen it all by now and have MANY MANY applications from which to choose. If yours requires them to do a little work, it goes straight into the wastecan. My best suggestion would be to try to get into corrections nursing, as I did for numerous years. Private jail-management companies are the very worst, in my experience, but come county/city jails can be good. You have to try them out. The VA is often the very best gig, wherever they are, but HARD to get a job there initially.

"The census is low" PLUS we can get our current nurses to work double shifts and overtime WITHOUT NOTICE when things pick up a bit PLUS we can get any 2 nurses to do the work of 3 anyway, so why would we hire someone else? We'll just work our current employees harder.

Exactly right. Plus they won't complain nor try to change things, since they won't be around that long AND you can complain to their agency if they do so they never get another job. Nice. Not to mention the fact that usually travel nurses (and I did that myself once) are often given sites and assignments that are very dysfunctional, conflict-ridden, and hostile to begin with, that no current employees would accept (which is why they hired a travel nurse).

Great attitude. Why not take a FREE online short wordprocessing course? Or just by fumbling around and clicking on "help" now and then, teach yourself? Not being able to use one is similar to not being able to use a typewriter back in the 1970s.

Since it is anything but clear what your current abilities are, any useful answer is improbable. Can you use a computer, hands-free phone, calculatior, write? We don't know how your shoulder or pain limit you, you see. If you can use these kinds of normal office objects, you might think of becoming a telephone triage nurse, WC phone nurse, etc. If you can't use these objects, I'd suggest going on disability.

Med school is the very LAST thing I would ever suggest to someone I liked. Talk to some doctors about what it is like today to try to practice. The only thing even close that I would recommend is a PA program.

Check out a Physician Assistant program. Better pay, more authority, more respect, similar training time and $$ required to that of a NP.

Do it. A well-run Waffle House with mutualy supportive staff and management (and some of them are NOT) could really brighten your day. But ANY place with that kind of support could be fun. Not to mention the Valentine's Day Specials.

Been there, done that. My experience with Kaiser as a call center nurse was anything but relaxing, but within corporate limitations, one could work as few as 20 hours/week (which I did).

Welcome to the real world. You are right, we don't get taken care of, no pension, small 401(k) if any, etc. unless you happened to have worked for only one company the entire time AND they had a good pension plan (like the VA does). I, too, live on social security only and it can be done, particularly if your total income is low enough that you qualify for HUD housing. Here are a couple sites to check out, if that is the case: ncr.org and rhf.org There comes a point where remaining in mounring/grieving a loss is NOTHING but destructive. If the volunteer opportunities others have suggested, and perhaps, pastoral nursing with some local religious organization, are not suitable, it may well be time to LET GO.

Not just "expensive" in terms of pay, but in terms of health-related absences, being more demanding and critical of the way the company does business, being less willing to change shifts, work double shifts, take mandatory days off, and so on.

First of all THERE AIN'T NO STINKING NURSING SHORTAGE. That is mostly BS and a recruiting tool for nursing schools, as well as an excuse for companies to import foreign nurses who will do what they are told, when they are told, and how they are told. Same story in the IT industry. Secondly, NO THEY DON'T WANT YOU or anyone else who has any kind of "special" needs. Why would they, when they can get someone else and transfer them at will to any unit if they so desire? Why would they hire someone with a long history of on-the-job injuries and take on that liability? Third, the fact is that you CAN NOT outperform any younguns (who can't find jobs either, of course), who are willing to work 12 hour shifts, midnight shifts, double shifts, changing shifts, on-call, per diem and anything else the EMPLOYER needs, not what the EMPLOYEE needs (or wants). Fourth, you are NOT entitled! Get off your high horse. You've already experienced the fact that you can, and have been, easily replaced. It is you who has to fit in, not the employer, after all. Fifth, check out getting on disability if you can't find something better to bring in the bucks. My 2 cents that you will hate to hear.

Check out corrections nursing.

Check out opportunities in corrections, would be my best advice. And you are corrrect that Florida is always one of the very lowest-paying states for nurses, year after year.

Yeah well good luck getting into the VA. That's where everyone would like to be--everyone with an interest in security, good training, good benefits, good pay, etc. that is. Try corrections (jails and prisons). They are all required by law to have medical personnel and I found them much safer places to work in than mental hospitals, for example.