Working non nursing jobs while in contract

Nurses Recovery

Published

Specializes in OR.

For those of us who are or were in non nursing jobs while under contract either by force or by choice, I am curious about how you handled it.

I am currently in a retail job, partly for both reasons. I am choosing to do so because I am tired of the contract/ program twits being the third wheel in an interview and, I feel preventing me from showing what an asset I can be to the facility. I feel like I am begging for a job. Additionally I have had issues with the program destroying great job offers I've had. (Not going in to that one) So I guess I am choosing but yet I also feel like my hand is being forced.

My thing is I am fixing to go to my retail job for a delightful (insert sarcasm) 9 hour shift. I find the idea of putting on a fake smile and acting like I give a **** for that long just nauseating. I know it's honest work and all, but I am not a good actor, never have been. I don't know if it's the low pay and the idea of my nursing degree gathering dust or the constant reminder of the godforsaken program that I don't belong in.

and if one more person tells me it's tempoary, I swear I'm a gonna cut someone (not really, but you know.....)

:arghh:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Ha!!!

Cats I wasn't gonna comment until the whole cut somebody comment. I haven't worked outside nursing simply because I couldn't afford and for the reasons you stated about the nature of the work I could probably get. This whole misadventure has changed at the way I look at nursing now. Its simply a job to me now. I try to maximize the money I get from the hours I put in so to me that means staying in nursing, However, I probably will take an early retirement when I can and do something outside of nursing so I guess I'll find out

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I worked home health for my first twelve months of our BON monitoring program. I thought the three month meetings were humiliating and it became incredibly difficult time-wise to drive to the other side of town to get my boss to sign my home health sign in/out sheet after hours.

Since my twelve month requirement for safe nursing was satisfied, I quit and got a job at Wingstop across the street from where I live. No one I work with knows I'm making wings and fries with an MSN in education and I couldn't be happier.

I also drive trucks for Albertson's food company on the side.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR.

I unfortunately work for a grocery establishment (albeit a decent one) a mile from my house AND about 2 miles from the hospital. No one outside of my supervisor knew about the contract because it was in place when I went to work there (I chose to resign because the program forced me into floor nursing which is so far out of my comfort zone it isnt even funny.) I do however tend to run into people from there, and my unit (2 just today) and fall back on the "just taking a break" excuse. But I know it's a dang lie... I find it uncomfortable and embarrassing. Probably bothers me more than them, but my self respect has taken enough of a beating for two lifetimes. When does it stop?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg & Psych.

That's my biggest fear, somebody I know seeing me serve food to people. I don't know how much more fear and humiliation I can take!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in 911 critical care ambulance nurse.

I took some time off from the monitoring program for financial reasons. I worked as an assistant grocery store manager. The department monitor said I could come back anytime and just pick up where I left off. I have about 2.5 years left and just resumed testing and meetings yesterday. I did not relapse. In fact, I was in charge of the alcohol department and became know quite quickly by the community as the store's wine sommelier. Go figure. Sure enough, 28 urine tests a year, one hair test a year, and 2 AA meetings a week. Right where I left off.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR.

I'm extremely fortunate in that the money is not an issue. It's my pride. I've taken so many kicks in the teeth from all of this. As I said somewhere in another thread, I feel like I've gone from a healthcare professional in a level I trauma center and a homeowner with ties to a community, etc to a 40 something year old child, that for family generosity would be living on the street....and I didn't do anything except ask for help. Even my generous family treats me like a child to an extent. I get thier concern but dang.....what's it going to take to get my adulting card back?

So I sit here and count the days. At least I'm on the side of being closer to the end than the beginning.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm extremely fortunate in that the money is not an issue. It's my pride. I've taken so many kicks in the teeth from all of this. As I said somewhere in another thread, I feel like I've gone from a healthcare professional in a level I trauma center and a homeowner with ties to a community, etc to a 40 something year old child, that for family generosity would be living on the street....and I didn't do anything except ask for help. Even my generous family treats me like a child to an extent. I get thier concern but dang.....what's it going to take to get my adulting card back?

So I sit here and count the days. At least I'm on the side of being closer to the end than the beginning.

I was JUST commenting to my husband how, at almost 40, I feel like I have officially FAILED adulthood and should either be relegated back into the womb or forward into the grave!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hey all, it's been a while since I've been on here but I thought I'd spread some hope. I surrendered my license last October after the CA BON put me through straight hell and I decided I no longer wanted to go through the constant panic attacks and isolation that I went through in the program. (My offense was a single DUI I had when I was 22, by the time the BON disciplined me, the DUI had been expunged from my record)

I'm not sure what type of nursing degree you have, but you don't have to leave the field completely. Prior to surrendering my license, I landed a job as a case manager for a Regional Center that provides services to the developmentally disabled community. I get to use my nursing knowledge every day (along with everything I learned in the multiple psych classes I had to take for my BSN that I thought I'd never use), but it's not a nursing job and there's way less stress as I'm not directly in charge of the lives of the people on my case load. It's hard work and I took a $10/hr pay cut, but it's still way more money than I'd make somewhere else and since we're state funded, the benefits and retirement plan are amazing.

I know the options may not be as great with an ADN but, at the end of the day, there are a ton of valuable skills learned in nursing you can apply to other fields. (I'm currently the best member of my team when it comes to meeting deadlines, probably from all those years of trying to finish med pass within my 2 hour time frame). It just takes getting creative on your resume and applying to everything and anything. Don't give up hope.

I felt so hopeless in monitoring. I was a great nurse for 7 years and my career never went anywhere because of a stupid mistake I made right before I got licensed. I was making great money at the SNF I worked at, but I knew even after the monitoring was over, I would never work in an ER or ICU like I had dreamed of, I live in a rural area thats heavily saturated with nurses. Now, I've had to revise my dream some what, but I love my job, I'm getting to live the life I want to live, and my future is starting to look brighter. Dont let this program get to you. Life is too short to spend it unhappy

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR.

I am a career OR nurse. I tried my hand at a bit of ICU (hated it), a bit of ER (not bad, but it was a glorified band aid barn...probably more like an urgent care, found it kind of meh.) I kept going back to the OR. The ***** program forced me into a med/surg floor position (long story) which while a decent place with good management that was really supportive, proved to me that I am not a floor nurse. It just ain't my thing. I'm sitting out until the dumb thing runs its course. I'm tired of it being a third wheel. It's not going to be that much longer and I'm fortunate to be able to financially do so, in spite of that ability coming with some parental strings attached. It's a trade off that in the long run, I think will be for the better. In the mean time, I trudge along. I'm doing the minimum wage gig but some days I just can't stand it. The complete lack of professionalism is enough to make me scream but I have to remember that it's a completely different world and I need to cool my jets.

The financial strings involve me having to keep my income below a certain amount. If I could find a nursing job that would let me work one day a week, I think I could battle the twits with the program. I don't know that such a thing exists, though.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I am a career OR nurse. I tried my hand at a bit of ICU (hated it), a bit of ER (not bad, but it was a glorified band aid barn...probably more like an urgent care, found it kind of meh.) I kept going back to the OR. The ***** program forced me into a med/surg floor position (long story) which while a decent place with good management that was really supportive, proved to me that I am not a floor nurse. It just ain't my thing. I'm sitting out until the dumb thing runs its course. I'm tired of it being a third wheel. It's not going to be that much longer and I'm fortunate to be able to financially do so, in spite of that ability coming with some parental strings attached. It's a trade off that in the long run, I think will be for the better. In the mean time, I trudge along. I'm doing the minimum wage gig but some days I just can't stand it. The complete lack of professionalism is enough to make me scream but I have to remember that it's a completely different world and I need to cool my jets.

The financial strings involve me having to keep my income below a certain amount. If I could find a nursing job that would let me work one day a week, I think I could battle the twits with the program. I don't know that such a thing exists, though.

If you are not restricted from extended care home health, you can work one shift a week. For that matter, it can be a four or six hour shift. Chances are that the agency would only want to pay you at the LPN rate for an LPN level case, so that too, would restrict your income.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I am a career OR nurse. I tried my hand at a bit of ICU (hated it), a bit of ER (not bad, but it was a glorified band aid barn...probably more like an urgent care, found it kind of meh.) I kept going back to the OR. The ***** program forced me into a med/surg floor position (long story) which while a decent place with good management that was really supportive, proved to me that I am not a floor nurse. It just ain't my thing. I'm sitting out until the dumb thing runs its course. I'm tired of it being a third wheel. It's not going to be that much longer and I'm fortunate to be able to financially do so, in spite of that ability coming with some parental strings attached. It's a trade off that in the long run, I think will be for the better. In the mean time, I trudge along. I'm doing the minimum wage gig but some days I just can't stand it. The complete lack of professionalism is enough to make me scream but I have to remember that it's a completely different world and I need to cool my jets.

The financial strings involve me having to keep my income below a certain amount. If I could find a nursing job that would let me work one day a week, I think I could battle the twits with the program. I don't know that such a thing exists, though.

My prn psych contract only requires me to work 32 hours a month at a minimum...but 16 of those have to be Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. I need way more than that, so I work more, but those are my minimum. Now that my key restriction has dropped, I can move into a regular part-time position (don't want mandatory full time...rather sign up for extra on my shift choice).

But it's pych...which ain't many people's cup of tea...it wasn't mine prior to this. But I enjoy it more than I thought I would, so I'm content for the time being.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment