So depressed! Left hospital can't get back in.

%63theend · Oct 3, 2013

What does it mean to you to 'try' ER and ICU? I think that if you take a job 'for the experience' you need to commit to at least a couple years. Unless they already have a lot of experience and skills nurses who take these jobs for a year as a 'stepping stone' aren't worth training. Don't make the same mistake twice![/quote']
What would you recommend then for me at this point and time? I'm open to suggestions.

jennycRN · Oct 3, 2013

Take a job you can keep throughout your FNP program. Best would be a job that would be helpful to you as FNP (peds ED sounds like a good opportunity!) No job will be perfect, so find one that allows you to manage school and life and family, even if it isn't so interesting professionally, it sounds to be like FNP is your main career goal and priority. Good luck!

westieluv · Oct 4, 2013

Be very careful at this point. You are in a precarious position where you need every bit of experience that you have on a resume', but yet you are already beginning to look like a job hopper, which is not a good thing in the working world, especially with the cost of training new employees.

If you opt to take the new job, then you will have to stay there for at least a couple of years, as another PP said. Would you hire someone who has had three six-month job experiences in the past two years? Most people wouldn't.

GinginRN · Oct 4, 2013

It appears as though the hospitals have numerous applicants for the positions posted/advertised. A majority of the facilities require a year's recent experience. Those who do not meet that criteria join the exclusion pool, including those with recent experience or many years experience (who have not practiced in the hospital setting for several years). It's discouraging, however don't give up.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 5, 2013

Well I committed the forbidden sin. I graduated from my BSN program and then worked 6 months in med-surge and left the hospital. I left in good standing but went to work at a health department thinking the grass was greener. It's just different grass. I do love my job but I've realized I'm not learning everything I need to learn in this setting plus I've started a FNP program and I need the flexibility of shift work instead of 5 days a week work. I've been at my new job 6 months and I am trying to get back into a hospital and I am not having any luck. It is so depressing no one wants to talk to me. They would rather take a new nurse with zero experience than me with 6 months hospital (1 yr total experience). I don't know what to do. I am thinking I may just have to quit my current job and have no work during my next two years of school so that I can get through it. But I hate not gaining knowledge and skills in that time frame. And I always wanted to try ICU and ER and I feel like if I don't do it now as an RN I probably won't do it as an FNP. I just feel like I made a big mistake in changing jobs and no one will forgive me for this one mistake. I'm throwing it out to the universe! Put me in a good job where I will learn and grow! Where I will succeed! And one I will enjoy! LOL. But seriously, any suggestions? Or am I just screwed?

You did make a huge mistake. If you had posted about it here before you left Med/Surg, some of us crusty old bats would have told you to stay put until you'd learned a lot more -- one year at the very least, two would be better. I'm sure you've seen all those threads where a new grad wants to leave Med/Surg for her "dream job", and the crusty old bats tell her to stay put and the young'ns tell her to "follow her dream." Guess what -- the crusty old bats were right. You should have stayed put. No one wants to hire you in the hospital because you are now officially a job hopper. A new grad with no experience may prove NOT to be a job hopper -- you bailed after six months not once, but now you're considering doing it again. Why would anyone want to hire you?

It sounds as if you're trying to go the "continuous orientation route." You won't really learn much that way.

The only advice I have for you is to stay 1-2 years where you are, and then try to get into he hospital, but I suspect you'll have plenty of "reasons" why that isn't possible. But perhaps other young'ns reading this may learn from your mistakes.

%63theend · Oct 7, 2013

I was VERY persistent and networked a lot and went to two career fairs which were luckily going on when I needed them! I got two offers and another interview set up. I am waiting on the other interview before I accept but the job is mine if I want it.

I didn't leave my old job just for fun, I had a lot of (personal) reasons for it and didn't expect to be going back to the hospital as I was pursuing NP. That said, if I were to do it over I would have worked on alternate ways of dealing with those (personal) issues and tried harder to stick out because you never know what life may throw at you!

Lastly, I am a young nurse as far as career but I'm not young in years anymore this is my second career as I used to be a teacher. I do have that job history which may help me some. I do plan to stay where I'm going next no matter what. I have no choice! But I hope I stay because I like it and not because it would be career suicide to leave.