notsurewhattodo

If it's been more than a few years since you've had any nursing experience, I would suggest taking a refresher course. Your state board of nursing should have a list of places that offer these classes. Take one with a theory and clinical portion. This way when you start applying to jobs again you will have some recent clinical experience and you will be refreshed on your knowledge and skills. You will also have been able to "network" while taking your class and may have some connections for getting a job or at least some recent references you can use.

Mtngrl I sent you a PM.

I was all set to get back into nursing but an opportunity came my way to work for an Optometrist and I could not be happier! Daytime hours. Evenings, weekends and holidays off. Tues-Fri work week. It doesn't pay as well as nursing does but I'm so much happier than I ever was in nursing. :)

Congrats Darren! Best of luck with your future endeavors!

Nursing isn't the only career in which people have multiple jobs. For many, all they can find is part-time work, so you get two of them to make ends meet. Firemen often have more than one job. So do paramedics. Working 12 or 24 hour shifts does often leave lots of time off during the week in which to pursue something of a different interest or add to your household income.

Started college at 18. Graduated with my BSN at age 22.

Ugh. I'm so sorry I didn't realize this was a question just for the men. Guess I read over your topic fast and didn't see that part.

It's been awhile since I was a brand new nurse but I didn't experience any of that. Sure, there were some frustrating moments but I would expect that in any job. All the nurses I worked with were older than me but they were wonderful mentors and for the most part I was happy. The biggest issue I had was being put as Charge Nurse at night after only being out of school for just a few months. That was a lot of responsibility for a brand new nurse. But otherwise, management and coworkers were just fine.

Well this is definitely interesting. We will have to see how this plays out over the next few years.

It doesn't sound like burn out to me but rather that the job you found just wasn't a good one. Keep looking. One bad job doesn't mean they are all bad.

Yes, you are being taken advantage of, whether it is intentional or not. It would have been ideal to have had your agreed-upon duties written down and both of you sign it at the beginning of hire. Do you have in writing what the two of you initially agreed upon? Some people will take a mile if you give an inch. You may need to just sit down with her and let her know that you are now being asked to do much more than you initially agreed to do, and perhaps you two can agree upon which tasks you are willing to do and put it into writing. Ideally you will want to define "light housekeeping" with a list of agreed-upon tasks, otherwise it's open to anyone's interpretation.

Congrats! You give me hope in being able to find work even after a long time out of the field. Good luck with your new job. Let us know how it goes!

Well it's been almost a year since I started this thread. I think the time is right now and I've enrolled in a Nurse Refresher course that starts in January. I'm scared to death but excited. Wish me luck!

Thank you so much Testify and Shar for sharing your stories with me. So much of what you have said sounds just like how I feel. Testify, I've thought of asking my supervisor at the home health agency I work for if there would be a job for me if I got my license back. Guess I'm just scared to ask, as that would mean actually saying it out loud. :) I think if it came down to it my current supervisor would give me a good reference as would the nurse who takes care of my patient. She and I have gotten to know one another really well and she has encouraged me to get my license back. She is with a different agency. I think I'm scared and do not want to ruin things here at home. I don't really have to work. I just want to. It did me a lot of good to read your stories. Shar, good luck finding a job. I'm sure something will come along for you soon. :)

I've been looking into this as well and Sippie is right. Contact your state board of nursing for board approved refresher courses. Most of them will have a theory component as well as clinical component. You'll want both, imo. Good luck! I still haven't completely made up my mind to do it or not. I'm afraid of wasting the time and money and not be able to find something flexible enough for my family situation. I sure do miss nursing though.