shirleyujest

Hi, I think this site might have what you're looking for. It's the National Nurses in Business Association. https://www.nnba.net These two also have a TON of information on nurse entrepreneurship. http://www.nursingentrepreneurs.com http://www.nurse-entrepreneur-network.com If you do strike out on your own and make it big, please keep us posted. I have found if I hang out on this board too much, it can get a little depressing. I LOVE to hear success stories!

OK, quick background: I've got 14 years of experience as an RN in Med/Surg/Tele, ICU, Perioperative. I also have my BSN. I left my job three years ago for family reasons, and have been looking seriously for the last year. Everyone I talk to says I've been out too long. I'm doing the networking thing, talking to people I know who are working in the field, keeping in touch with former supervisors. I've sent resumes, made phone calls and visited people in person. My former supervisors say they would hire me if I was more current AND if they had a job opening, so I know my work record is not the problem. Very few facilities (and this includes LTC, Home Health and clinics) are hiring, and those that are only hire people who have been out of work a year or less. Most of the positions are being filled with travelers. At this point, I'm looking at taking a job outside of healthcare, just to get working. I joined with a local group that helps displaced workers find employment. Not necessarily health care work, but all industries - IT, high tech, whatever. Anyway, there were a bunch of brochures in the lobby, and I picked one up from a place called Upwardly Global. (Upwardlyglobal dot org) This particular outfit helps immigrants and refugees find work in the U.S. Part of their big sales pitch is helping foreign-trained nurses who are ineligible to take the NCLEX and are therefore stuck in "positions that do not leverage their skills." The brochure also says "Through our influence and impact program, we hope to address these ineffective systems." I have been reading posts on this board long enough to know that I am not unique in this situation. The new grads have been more or less shut out for the last three years or so. Experienced RNs who have already been working here in the U.S. are also being turned away. I really don't begrudge the nurses from other countries who want to work here. But am I the only person who thinks there's something wrong with going to such lengths to bring in people from other countries to work in the U.S. when we've got countless unemployed RNs right here, ready to go? And if the argument is that I've been out of the hospital for too long, how long have the people in this program been out doing the jobs that "don't leverage their skills"? At least the skills I do have are from local hospitals. I won't even get into how many new grads are waiting for a chance to use their skills, enthusiasm, and current education to work in the field. Sorry for the rant. Like I said, I'm frustrated.

That sounds to me like it would be reportable to the state, and possibly JCAHO. If the patient is a senior, then, it's true, you are a mandated reporter for elder abuse. And if the patient is an elder, she is probably on Medicare as well as on Kaiser. If she is a Medicare patient, based on your story, Kaiser may be billing for services they aren't actually providing. I've noticed that CMS has been on a roll lately cracking down on insurance companies who are billing "erroneously" either for diagnoses that are incorrect, or are billing for services that weren't performed. The bottom line is, what they are doing is unethical at best, and could be outright illegal. Kudos to you for advocating for your patient! We learn that principle in nursing school, but apparently some haven't retained the knowledge very well.

Maybe you can do something that involves occupational safety and compliance? Something that involves working for a company and making sure they are complying with OSHA laws and regulations? Many times companies like to have RNs do that sort of work because you have knowledge of human anatomy and physiology and the risks that certain exposures can cause. You may have to take some additional courses, and maybe a certificate program, but it may be worth looking into.

Hi gigglymo, Your story sounds a lot like mine did when I started out in nursing: After my first year in nursing, I did some traveling assignments. Partially because I was young and it sounded like fun, and partially because there wasn't much work near my home. After a few travel assignments, I came home and applied to a local hospital and stayed there for a few years. The way I see it, burnout in nursing is a big problem. A stable home life is sometimes the only thing that has the potential to give you enough balance to keep you sane. If you have such a horrible commute to work that it's putting a strain on your family, in addition to the stress that just a normal nursing job will put you (and your family) under, you are in danger of burning out that much sooner. If you take the 13 week contract with the agency, and they like you, they will often offer to extend that contract. Then you have the chance to earn bonuses and all kinds of added benefits. I know a couple of nurses who worked for an agency at the same hospital for years. They just kept extending the contract again and again. I would say go for the agency job, enjoy your family, and if you get the chance to extend your contract (or go permanent at the facility) build some resume stability that way. And if they don't extend you, I don't think it necessarily looks bad to job-hop after a 13 week assignment. If you fulfilled your commitment, and the job just didn't continue past that, it's easy to explain to other employers. I'm sure it wouldn't be the first time it had happened. In fact I know it wouldn't be the first time. When I decided I'd had enough traveling, the next manager didn't bat an eyelash at my moving from hospital to hospital. In fact, she liked the fact that it showed I was flexible. And it wasn't like I had quit because I didn't like it. I had honored my obligation to the agency, and was just going to the next phase. Good luck!

I have been out of the nursing world for almost 2 years, and am trying to get back in. I left my last job on good terms, but didn't think (I know...dumb me) that I would ever go back. Well, the last two managers there have moved on, as well as every one who was in a supervisory position (i.e. charge). I left the job before that because they closed the hospital, and everyone there scattered to the winds, and I lost touch with all of them. I always gotten excellent reviews, and to my knowledge no one ever complained about the quality of my work, but I just can't find anyone who will attest to that. Besides, a lot of facilities now have a policy that prevents them from saying anything more than dates of hire and if the person is eligible for rehire. I have offered to bring in a copy of my last performance review(s) and HR at my last job should be able to verify my employment dates. I realize I should have kept in better touch with people, but I can't do much about that now. Help!