hotflashion BSN, RN

Partners in Health has many opportunities for volunteers. They are based in Boston but have operations in Haiti, Lesotho, Malawi, Peru, Russia, Rwanda, the United States, the Dominican Republic, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Guatemala, and Burundi. I looked at some of the volunteer opportunities and all the ones I looked at required experience. Click here to go to their volunteer info page. Other sources: Idealist.org International Volunteer Programs Association Here is a list of organizations that use volunteers: International Medical Volunteers Association Many do not require experience and religious affiliation (or not) is also indicated.

I just did an online application for a job. I was asked to complete an online assessment. It was the Gallup Nurse Insight Assessment, which I can find nothing about online. Anyone have any info about it? Is this common? HF

I don't actually know what the TOS says, but I would assume that publicly available information (like a phone number, address, number of beds, etc.) is ok to post.

Lavaca Medical Center appears to have no web site. I guess you can call them: 361-798-3671, according to the Hallettsville CoC website.

If any of you new grads haven't done this, just open Google, go to Maps and then type in the state you are interested in or where you think it's so remote or poor or hot or cold that no one else wants to work there, and the word hospitals: e.g., Montana hospitals. (Not to disparage Montana, but there are some very isolated spaces up there, and it does get very cold. One man's poison is another's pleasure, etc.) You will get a map with flags for all the hospitals in the state and then you can start looking at their career pages. I'd go anywhere because I've got wanderlust, but I'm also old and settled and have a spouse with a great job, so we are not moving.

Brava! (This appears to not be a Spanish word, but I like the sound of it.) Hooray! Good for you. I have more hope now. I'm volunteering in a free medical clinic where most of the patients do not speak English and one of the languages they do speak is Spanish, so I'm hoping to get some practice there.

For anyone wanting to learn another language: I'm learning Spanish at the moment. I love learning new things so I'm loving it. But it's hard. I'm relatively old, so I have a brain that is perhaps a little more resistant; I can tell you that it feels like it's solid cement up there when I'm trying to speak the simple phrases we're learning. Nevertheless, I still believe that it's possible. The books I'm using are: Basic Spanish by Ana Jarvis, along with Basic Spanish for Medical Personnel. The reviews on Amazon aren't great but most of the bad reviews were remarking on the cost and let's face it, text books are expensive. I think the books are just fine for beginning. To understand what is required to learn a new language (and to perhaps inspire any older students) there is a great little book out there called The Word Brain. You can print the PDF or read it online. The author taught himself to speak Arabic at 50, so he is an inspiration to me. He tells you how to learn another language and how much work it will entail. He speaks English and many other languages beside Arabic. If (big if?) you have the discipline, you can teach yourself. For Spanish, I've found some great online resources: StudySpanish.com LoMásTV News in Slow Spanish BBC Spanish Unfortunately, the News in Slow Spanish and BBC Spanish teach the Spanish spoken in Spain, which is slightly different from the Spanish spoken over on this side of the pond. News in Slow Spanish has a Latin America link on every episode and there are also links to two audio books in slow (Latin American) Spanish, which sound great. You need a pretty good vocabulary to understand News in Slow Spanish; it's not for the rank beginner. The BBC Spanish beginner's website has a fun interactive murder mystery. I'm also going to use the text-to-speech (TTS) software from NextUp called TextAloud to create audio drill sets (think audio flash cards) to build my vocabulary and teach my brain to recognize spoken Spanish. I'm pretty serious about learning Spanish. I'm dreaming about visiting some Spanish speaking locales... But I do hope this will make me more desirable as an employee. ¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!)

And it is in an area of great natural beauty, if that appeals to you. Also, VT is considering implementing a single payer system, which would be very exciting.

Well, if you look at USAJobs.com and search for jobs in TX, you will find lots of jobs listed. Not all require experience, but unfortunately you have to read the actual job description to find out. I'm not in TX so that's the best I can do for ya.

Thanks, FairyPrincess06, I do do all those things. I took an RN Refresher this past January. I am currently taking Spanish for Medical Personnel at the local CC and intend to actually learn and use it. I go to all sorts of seminars, also to Grand Rounds at 2 of the nearby teaching hospitals in topics of interest. I've stopped going to job fairs, they have been a lot of trouble for nothing. I've applied to other positions in healthcare, and the one time I was able to talk to a hiring manager she said they wouldn't hire me because of the RN, she said she was sure I would leave as soon as I found an RN job. Ha! That was a year ago, and I think I would have enjoyed working as a clinical research coordinator. So, I am volunteering for now, and waiting to hear about another volunteer position. I'm hoping to make contacts through this volunteer work. I'm considering private duty but don't have a lot of confidence in my ability to be self-employed; it's something to think about anyway!

Thanks for asking. As it turned out, the hospital laid nurses off and didn't restart their new grad program. I was employed briefly, in a place that I found unsafe. I just started volunteering at a free medical clinic and this gives me reason to hope. Thank dog I have a well-employed spouse: I'm discouraged but not homeless.

Where are you located and what kind of facility do you work at? How acute are your patients? It sounds like you work in long term care? When I read stuff like this I think "union."

Every RN I have mentioned this to has looked at me like this was a very bad idea. But I'm serious. I've got the RN BSN and I cannot find a job. I've considered working away from home but am very reluctant to seriously pursue this option. The spouse has the good job and the good income and we have a house and a pet, family ties, etc., we are firmly settled where we are. I flunked an interview for an away job yesterday and was half humiliated and half relieved. The humiliated part of me is still tearful; the relieved part is thinking of new ways to approach the job search. I would like (no, LOVE) a job as a nurse and I don't care if it is at the LPN level of responsibility and accountability. In fact, I might even prefer at this point in time, after having been out of school for so long (grad May 2009), to begin work at the LPN level. I'm willing to do almost any job in healthcare, just to get into the industry. However, my only option for work seems to be outside of healthcare -- because I have the RN, no one wants to hire me because they know I will quit as soon as I find that RN job. That might have made sense a year ago, but here I am still unemployed. I NEED A JOB. I have asked my BoN and I can take the NCLEX-PN. I have also asked if I can work "below my license." There is no rule that says I cannot work below the license. This doesn't mean anyone would hire me to be an aide or an LPN if I had that license, too, but they are not prohibited from doing so; I understand the difference. Thoughts, dear readers?

I know you didn't ask me but I found this thread by searching on the word "structured." I'm actually trying to find posts about structured interviews. Haven't found 'em yet but getting sidetracked all over the place!

You do not have to answer the phone. You do not need to give an excuse or a reason. Work your hours. The rest of your life is yours to do as you please and no one should have any claim on it. You do not owe an employer anything more.

Actually that doesn't sound like a bad way or place to start. To be honest, I don't want a whole lot of autonomy as a new nurse. I'd rather get some solid experience doing the practical work of nursing -- with supervision -- before being allowed or even expected to exercise judgment, i.e., act autonomously. I don't think critical thinking is taught, though I do believe that it is something that must be learned, and the only way I know of to learn it is by experience.

I know what you're saying, but the OP might be in a different place now. The OP might have more focus and determination. Nothing like working in an unsatisfying career to put you in another frame of mind. I remember having so much trouble doing certain things as a younger person that I have no trouble doing now, and I can only think it's because age and maturity have given me focus and a lack of distraction. Good luck, OP.

Since I've got an appointment for an interview this week, I'd love to hear about the interview process. For one thing, what is a "structured interview"? Any information about the process will be welcome. I think I would like working for the VA. And, I NEED THIS JOB.

Yep, that's pretty much how I feel. I can't get any kind of job because prospective employers know or think that I will leave once an RN job comes through. I can't get a job as an aide or doing any other kind of direct care because of fears that I will practice as a nurse, regardless of the job title. Is it crazy to go and get the LPN? I have considered this so that I can apply to jobs for LPNs. I will do ANYTHING to get my foot in the door. I am so discouraged and downhearted. I am in limbo, I can't make any kind of plans or know what the future looks like (except dismal) because I am always looking for a job. Really just down, down, down.

I'll have to take your word for it!

Good thought. I was thinking we should have a Nurse for America program modeled after the Teach for America program which, while it has its detractors, also has its supporters, and I think is widely seen as a success. I think I'll write to Kathleen Sebelius...

Some alternate career thoughts: Clinical research coordinator as an alternate career comes to mind, though some CRCs are RNs. Also, how about Cancer registrar? Again, some CRs are also RNs. Nursing is a broad field, with many different settings and ways of practice. It's good to explore your doubts when you have them, but keep in mind that all of nursing is not what you are observing now in the place where you're working. I remember feeling the same way you did on my first med/surg rotation; it seemed like a cut-throat sink or swim situation to me, with little to no team work. I had a very different feeling when I went on to my psych rotation in the same hospital -- "all for one and one for all" was the mantra on that floor, lots of team work and everyone helping everyone else. What about medical assistant? LPN? Physician's assistant? Good luck.

LA sounds like Boston.

Congratulations! I think I've decided not to pursue it. But keep us posted!

I graduated in May 2009, BSN. 3.6 GPA, Sigma Theta Tau, SNA, department's highest award, very involved and active in class and school activities. I've had a few interviews (4? 5?) and one horror show of a job that I gave my notice at after 2 weeks because it was unsafe; 2 weeks work + 2 weeks notice = 4 weeks experience. At some point in this saga, I started printing out the ad for every job I applied to. I now have a 1" binder that can't accept any more pages, so I have to get another binder. Last year I took the American Red Cross phlebotomy course, did a 100 hour/100 stick internship and got certified; even phlebotomy jobs require experience. I more or less regularly attend grand rounds at nearby teaching hospitals in areas of interest, just to feel like I'm staying connected to the healthcare world. (The winter snows have put a damper on my ability to attend recently.) The ones I attend give CEUs, they're free, and while I thought they might provide an opportunity to make professional contacts, that hasn't panned out. I just finished a 3 week, 45 hour RN refresher at a local community college. I tried to volunteer as a nurse, but all in-country agencies seem to be unable, I guess because of liability issues. Even agencies that run out-of-country medical missions want experienced nurses. I will fetch water and sweep floors but I can't find anyone to let me in. I occasionally apply to non-nursing allied health jobs but no-one will hire me; perhaps this is because, as one hiring manager told me, they know I will leave as soon as I find that RN job. I don't think I'm being too picky, but I am picky which LTC facilities I apply to. I do not want to provide one-on-one care to children with severe birth defects, on vents and tube feedings; I do not want to work in a plastic surgery office. I have started looking nationwide. This week I've applied to ~7 jobs at various hospitals around the country that are advertising new grad programs. I did not apply to any NYC, Seattle, or California jobs; too expensive to live in those places. If I ended up being offered a job away from home, I would live away from home -- it is dear husband's income that made my education possible and which supports me today; he's not giving up his job and relocating with me. Though we have a good relationship, I am afraid that a one or two year long distance marriage could kill it. I'm old and getting older. This is my last career and I can't get it off the ground. I cannot even begin to describe the depths of my despair over this. I live in Massachusetts. A small state, compared to others, but still too big to commute from one side to the other.