Re-entering nursing after 2 yr break

[angel1494]

I've been a RN for 14yrs, and the last 2 I took a much needed break from working to stay at home with my my now 2 y/o. So now I'm ready to get back into the workforce. I wondering if that 2 year break will hurt my chances of getting hired. I've put in 3 applications this week and have not heard from anybody yet. My main experience is home health, I didn't think I would have to wait "days" before hearing from someone. Any suggestions or advice? Would it be appropriate to call back to confirm that the superivsors even received the applications? If I sound desperate to get back to work I am!!

[llg, PhD, RN]

I think a follow-up phone call is always appropriate. You can simply say that you are making sure that your application was received and ask if they would like any additional informion and ask about their hiring process.

Two other suggestions:

1. If you are not invited for an interview, you might want to arrange an "informational interview" with some nurse recruiters and/or home health agency managers. In this type of interview, you are not actually applying for a job, but rather seeking their opinion about their field and looking for advice on how to get back into it.

2. I don't know the home health field job market, but suspect that some agencies do not have strong orientation programs -- which is something you might need to compensate for your time away from practice. You might need to work for a little while in a setting that is not your first choice in order to get the re-orientation you need and/or re-establish your clinical credibility. I hope that doesn't turn out to be a problem in your situation, but it is something you should probably be considering.

Good luck,

llg