Re-entry nursing after trauma

I'm sorry to hear what you have been through--you are a true survivor!

I'd look into a refresher course so you can show employers that you are ready to hit the floor. Also, leverage your nursing contacts, the people who know you. They will have insight as to openings that may work for you and be able to recommend you.

You may also look into a staffing agency and get your feet wet with flu shot clinics, wellness fairs, clinic work, etc.

I agree with the above advice.....a skilled nursing facility, or home health may be feasible rein try positions...

besy wishes

im sim very proud of you

For some reason, the first thing that popped into my head is palliative care. I floated a few times to an inpatient palliative care unit at one hospital, and I really enjoyed the low-key atmosphere. You are still taking care of sick hospitalized patients (i.e. you still get the good hospital money and benefits), but it's a little harder to mess things up - they are already in the dying process and you are mostly giving morphine, ativan, robinul, etc., and making sure you do your q2 turns. At least that was what it was like the days I was there.

I really liked the physical atmosphere, too - the rooms are usually larger, there are nice couches/beds for the families to sleep on, and the unit I floated to even had a full kitchen and kept a stock of cookie dough so we could bake fresh cookies for the patients' families. It felt a lot more warm and compassionate than any job I've had. The families are very upset, of course, because their person is dying - but you find that on any unit, and I still thought the families were less obnoxious than somewhere that the patient is awake, alert, and being treated aggressively.

As far as finding jobs, you can always look on some type of career site, but I've found it easiest just to apply through the health systems themselves. Look up the major systems in your area, go to their websites, and find the careers section to apply for the available jobs.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond...the situation at home lasted for many years and I lost contact with a lot of people but I am starting to reconnect just recently. Im also looking into RN refresher courses because no matter what I end up doing, that will look good on a resume and will be good for my confidence to see that my brain still works! Problem is, there arent that many out there, in the real world I mean and the online ones don't provide clinical experience which I believe makes them of lesser value on several levels. As far as staffing agencies, Im only familiar with the ones that staff acute/in patient care (I used to work for one and it had me in everything from ICU to psych), Ive never known any to staff clinics etc. I will look into this. Thank you again so much for your time and input!

Thank you so much for your feedback, I am going to look into these types of jobs and thank you for your words of encouragement as well!

Thank you so much for sharing your ideas here. I was considering hospice work, like perhaps an agency that handles hospice care in the home but what you mention sounds better actually. I will definitely look into this and thank you again

If you survived all that you can definitely do this. Assisted living may be a good fit or psych nursing.