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On Tuesday morning, I recieved a phone call from HR and the DON to notify me that I was being terminated. You see, I forgot to renew my nursing license, which is grounds for immediate termination. I recently moved, and the renewal info from the state was sent to my old address and never forwarded to my new address. So, in all honesty, it totally slipped my mind, and the price I had to pay was losing my job. I explained the situation to my state BON, who then reactivated the license and had me pay a late fee. So, my license is active once again. I also feel very fortunate that no legal action was taken by the state since I had been practicing without a license due to my forgetfulness. So anyway, I'm trying to be optimistic and move on from this, which means it's time to jump in to the job hunt, but I've hit a snag. On almost every application, the question gets asked, "reason for leaving previous employer." What in the world am I supposed to say? I'm sure this topic will come up in interviews as well. How would you handle this situation?

I copied and pasted it from Microsoft Word, so the format is a bit off. It fits exactly on one page. Do you think I'll land a job with this resume? Would you hire me? Thanks for any feedback! Sarah LastName, BSN, RN Street address¨ City, State, Zip ¨ Phone # ¨ E-mail address EXPERIENCE Registered Nurse, Facility Name, City, State Transitional Care Unit (May 2011-January 2012) Served as an RN for a caseload of thirteen patients on a forty-nine-bed rehabilitation unit Coordinated and provided direct care for patients recovering from cerebrovascular accidents, myocardial infarctions, amputations and hip and knee replacements Designated as shift representative for unit focus group to evaluate and implement courses of action to improve current practices Alzheimer's Unit (December 2010-May 2011) Functioned as primary nurse for elderly patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia on a thirty-bed long-term care unit Developed individualized care plans to accommodate mental and physical needs of patients at different levels of cognitive function Collaborated with both nursing staff and multidisciplinary team members and acted as an advocate to protect the health, safety and rights of the patients Student Nurse Preceptorship, Facility Name, City, State Medical/Surgical Unit (January 2010-May 2010) Completed senior practicum as a student nurse under the supervision of a nurse preceptor Cared for the complex needs of pediatric and adolescent patients diagnosed with conditions such as uncontrolled type I diabetes, growth disorders, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease and leukemia on a seventeen-bed inpatient unit Server, Restaurant Name, City, State (October 2005-November 2010) Hired as a hostess and quickly promoted to server Prioritized tasks in fast-paced, high-stress situations while sustaining a safe and hygienic work environment Trained new employees and delegated duties to host staff Strengthened skills such as multi-tasking, problem-solving, communication and teamwork EDUCATION Bachelor of Science in Nursing, College Name, City, State (Graduated May 2010) Completed over one thousand clinical hours in diverse areas such as intensive care, oncology/hematology, wound care, cardiothoracic transplantation, mental health, trauma/vascular surgery, and hospice care Dean's List, four semesters, for achieving GPA above 3.5 Awarded Founder's Scholarship, eight semesters, for maintaining GPA above 2.5 LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES President, Sigma Kappa Sorority, Chapter Name (January-December 2008) Presided over weekly meetings of the fifty-member chapter and executive council Maintained timely submission of reports and forms Enforced all chapter and national laws and policies Philanthropy Committee Chair, Sigma Kappa Sorority, Chapter Name (January-December 2007) Organized and participated in community service activities to support Alzheimer's research Motivated chapter members to become involved in philanthropic charities Updated records of all volunteer hours completed by each sorority member

Hi, I'm an RN working at a LTC/Rehab facility in the Lehigh Valley. I graduated in May 2010, got my license in Sept 2010, and got hired here in Nov 2010. I worked on the Alzheimer's unit for 6 months, and I just transferred over to the post-acute rehab unit. I plan to get a year of experience here, and I'm going to start looking for hospital positions around Christmas time. I would highly recommend starting in LTC to all the new grad RNs out there still searching for jobs. There are A LOT of RN openings, and no it may not be the job of your dreams, but it's a start, and it pays the bills. I work for Genesis HealthCare. They have more than 200 nursing homes on the east coast, and the most are in PA. Apply online, AND call the recruiter in your area. Here is the website if you are interested... http://www.genesishcc.com/index.cfm. Good luck. I hope you find something soon!

I am a new grad and just accepted a position in a LTC facility in the Lehigh Valley, PA. I will be starting at $24/hr. The rates go up the closer you get to Philly.

I am a new grad, and I just began orientation for my first job a few days ago. It is a full time position on the 3p-11p shift. I will be the only RN on the 30-bed Alzheimer's care unit in a LTC facility. To be quite honest, I am very intimidated by this. I have three more days of orientation, and then I will spend 4 weeks precepting with the full-time RN on the 7a-3p shift, and after that, I will spend 2 weeks with different pool RNs on my regular 3p-11p shift before beginning on my own. Obviously, my biggest concern is that I will be the only RN on the unit. I am going to have so many responsibilities... how will I juggle it all? Could anyone share some words of wisdom to help alleviate some of my worries? Any other new grad RNs who started in a LTC facility; I would love to hear any advice you can give.

I will be graduating in May, so I have been trying to perfect my resume and begin the job search. However, I fear that it has many flaws. Career services at my school has not been very helpful, so I would love some feedback from anyone who is willing to give it! I was told to include my GPA since it is higher than a 3.0, but I am not sure how impressive a 3.23 is going to look to an employer. Should I keep it on? Is there anything else I should add/take off/change? If I add anything else though, my resume will be longer than one page. Is this OK? Thank you so much in advance for any help or advice! (The format may look a little disorganized since I just copied and pasted from Word) Nursing Bachelor of Science in Nursing,Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA Expected in May 2010 Education ¨ GPA: 3.23 ¨ Founder's scholarship recipient, eight semesters ¨ Dean's List, two semesters _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Clinical ¨ Developed and implemented plans of care using the nursing process to deliver safe, quality, and Experience effective patient care ¨ Performed physical assessments, monitored vital signs and I/O, and assisted with ADLs ¨ Assisted with invasive procedures such as chest tube insertion, nasogastric tube insertion, endotracheal suctioning, and administration of blood and plasma products ¨ Maintained sterile fields during urinary catheterizations, wound irrigation, and dressing changes ¨ Administered topical, enteral, and parenteral medications ¨ Conducted accurate patient health chart documentation ¨ Worked closely with a preceptor to ensure adherence to institution policies and procedures ¨ Educated patients and family members on disease management and treatment processes _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Clinical Spring Semester, Senior Year Rotations ¨ Adolescent Medical/Endocrine, Children's Hospital, Pittsburgh PA Jan 2010 - Present Fall Semester, Senior Year ¨ Surgical Oncology/Orthopedics, Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA Sept 2009 - Dec 2009 ¨ Hospice/Home Care, Gateway Hospice, Pittsburgh, PA Sept 2009 - Nov 2009 Spring Semester, Junior Year ¨ Wound Care, St. Clair Hospital Wound Healing Center, Pittsburgh, PA Feb 2009 - April 2009 ¨ Trauma/Vascular Surgery, Montefiore Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA Jan 2009 - April 2009 ¨ Mental Health, Mon Yough Community Services, McKeesport, PA Jan 2009 - Feb 2009 Fall Semester, Junior Year ¨ Medical Oncology, Medical Center Clinic, Monroeville, PA Oct 2008 - Dec 2008 ¨ Cardiothoracic Transplant, Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA Sept 2008 - Dec 2008 ¨ Primary Care, West End Health Center, Pittsburgh, PA Sept 2008 - Oct 2008 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Other Longhorn Steakhouse, West Homestead, PA Experience ¨ Server Oct 2005 - Present _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Leadership NSNA (National Student Nurses Association) ¨ Member Sept 2009 - Present DUSNA (Duquesne University Student Nurses' Association) ¨ Member Sept 2008 - Present Sigma Kappa Sorority, Kappa Mu Chapter ¨ President Jan 2008 - Dec 2008 ¨ Philanthropy Chair, Alzheimer's Research Jan 2007 - Dec 2007 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Certifications ¨ CPR/AED of Adults, Children, and Infants, American Red Cross ¨ Standard First Aid, American Red Cross ¨ HIPAA Training

Hmmm... I just reread my post and realized that I told you I'd be graduating in May 2009, but that's incorrect. It should be May 2010.

Congrats HeartsOpenWide on getting your top choice. When you started applying in January, did you apply for GN or RN positions?

I am a senior nursing student in a BSN program... I will graduate in May, 2009. My school is in Pittsburgh, but I want to go home to the Philadelphia area after I graduate. Over the last month or so, a lot of people in my class have been talking about job applications and hospitals to which they have already applied. Am I way out of the loop here? I had no idea everyone would start applying so soon! It's November... I planned on waiting until at least after Christmas. Should I be starting the job hunt now? When did you or will you begin applying?