Success Returning to Nursing

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · Oct 3, 2010

ok, you are really being afforded an increased opportunity, in that med surg does not have the benefits of the monitor technology, and you still have to make same critical thinking skills, and ER you never know what will be coming in the door. You have the foundation, fairly decent time of orientation. Just keep on doing it...... I had been out a lot longer, and now am working ER in a small rural hospital....... Some times it is like riding a bicycle, other times, where did they put my training wheels....... Just keep on putting one foot in front of the other, your confidence will return, with clinical practice and repetition. :yeah:

perbd · Oct 3, 2010

Thanks for the response sallyrnrrt.

I was originally hired for the ER, but didn't feel that I could handle the fast pace. That is why I transferred to ICU. Everyone told me it would get better, but I felt that I should have had more med/surg experience before working in the ER. When I float, I still have to ask questions, and everyone is very nice.

I know it takes a while to gain confidence in this field. Sometimes I think I'm just too hard on myself. I get nervous and forget things! The nurses I work with tell me that they know I know what I'm doing, I just get too nervous and overwhelmed at times.

I pray every night that things will get better.

I just have to take one day at a time.

:heartbeat

andreasmom02 · Jun 25, 2011

i know this post is old, but i am also in a similar position, & figured i'd chime in... i was just wondering if any of the above posters, who had been out of nursing a long time, had ever found a job?

i'm 31 years old, and a mom of two young kids. i have been a stay at home mom the last few years. i graduated lpn school in 2007 & got my license in 2008. i tried working after our 2nd child was born, but it was just too difficult to hold down a job with a new baby. my husband and i have very little childcare help. he makes enough money that i have been fortunate enough to stay home with our little ones.

anyway, after getting my license, i tried working in a nursing home a few days, but quit. it just wasn't fore me! it was a poorly ran facility. i then tried an urgent care clinic, but it was far from home. a couple of other nurses that i worked with at the urgent care didn't greet me with a warm & fuzzy welcome either, and didn't seem to want me there since i was new. i only last there a few days as well. i then told my hubby i wanted to stay home with the kids. it was just easier. so here i am... 3 years later with basically no experience.

i am wanting to get back in to nursing in the next year and am nervous about finding a job with lack of experience. i just renewed my bls card, and am planning to take acls training soon as well. i have kept my lpn license active the whole time. i volunteered at a remote area medical event in 2009 as well. i plan to volunteer again in the near future. i'm trying anything nursing related i can find, for experience, and to put on job applications.

i recently received an email from mollen immunizations encouraging me to apply with them for the upcoming flu season. i considered them last year, but my kids are still small, and didn't want to bother with work scheduling then. are there any lpn's in a similar situation (out of work a long time), who have had success getting back in to nursing with mollen immunizations? i know they'll hire me, but my lack of experience makes me nervous. i know nurses often have to work on their own with mollen many shifts.

any comments appreciated... would also love to hear if the posters above found work. thanks!

chinny7150 · Jun 25, 2011

HI I HAVE BEEN OUT OF NURSING FOR 10+ YEARS. HAVE JUST COMPLETED THE 'REFRESHER' COURSE AND FOUND A JOB RIGHT AWAY. DIDN'T HAVE TOO MUCH PROBLEM. I WILL BE CHARGE NURSE OF A RURAL FACILITY. MY MAIN JOB IS TO RUN THE ER, TAKE ACUTE PATIENTS AND HELP OUT THE LPN WITH HER SWING BED PTS. MY CLINICAL ROTATION WAS AWESOME. MOST OF THE STUFF CAME BACK RIGHT AWAY, JUST HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ABILILITY........ YOU CAN DO IT........NO PROBLEM:yeah:

andreasmom02 · Jun 26, 2011

Thanks Chinny... Reading all of these positive comments really help. I'm starting to feel a bit more confident now. How long were you a nurse prior to leaving the nursing field? And what field of nursing were you in?

chinny7150 · Jun 26, 2011

I was born a travel nurse of all things. sink or swim training. lol... was a nurse for 15 years, out for 10 and i am now the "antique" at age 60.... :cool:

i was charge nurse who ran the er for my first job, did the same with others until icu, then hearts. i love heart pts.. er is cool, get to be a detective.... dabbled in med surg, and neuro. was real good at starting impossible ivs. and catching any change with the pts...

i love to make them smile and feel good for a little bit while they are in the hospital. i think that is my true calling....

so there it is...

andreasmom02 · Jun 26, 2011

Are you an RN chinny? I'm an LPN, and that worries me a bit. Many hospitals near me mainly hire RNs or LPN's with a lot of experience. Where I'm an LPN with no experience, I'm afraid this will hurt me when trying to land a job.

sgam0709 · Jun 26, 2011

Hi andreasmom02. Although I am an R.N. I can definitely relate to your story. I graduated in 2006, worked briefly in dialysis. After having my first child I decided to be a stay at home mom. I also run a pest control business with my husband so I knew this would all keep me very busy. In addition, after I graduated I began to feel nursing wasn't for me because I just seemed to be so nervous about it all. I think I let my fears control me. Well 2 babies later and 4 years pass by and I realize I am no longer any kind of asset to any healthcare facility. These were my thoughts anyway. I saw where so many had made posts about Capscare and have loved the program. However, I know I could review on my own, the book aspects are not an issue with me even though you do lose what you don't use so to speak. So I do think reviewing is necessary. My issue with the refresher is the travel for the clinical aspects of it. They are too far from my home in Florida. Again I have 2 small children and do not have extra hands that could help me. My husband works 2 jobs...so he's pretty busy already. I feel after being out of nursing so long the clinical skill set that I am lacking is very scary. Everyone on here doesn't want to be treated like a new grad...me it's the opposite...I want to be treated that way. I will add to this in Aug of 2010 I did accept a job in the O.R. of a hospital that does hand surgeries. I got the job because the supervisor is my friend. This has helped tremendously. However, I'm mainly oncall on weekends and I get to do a surgery far and few in between. Also, I still don't get any IV experience, so I'm still lacking there. I do worry in the future what this all means for me. I cannot have regrets though because being at home with my children is priceless and worth it all. I'm sure you feel the same. I think if you review your textbooks and maybe buy clinical skill books to at least read up on is helpful. I guess if you could take the refresher course that would be good. I can't do the clinical part so its not worth it to me. I hope with at least getting my foot in the OR door that one day when my kids go to school I can get hired in surgery FT somewhere. The place I currently work is only PRN, there are no FT positions available for anyone. It's small. So to sum it up, even though I do work SOME, I'm still very nervous every time I do work and I still worry for the future. One day at a time though. Good luck to you!!!

chinny7150 · Jun 27, 2011

go to your job interview with confidence and you will get hired. that's all it takes is you knowing that you CAN DO IT.

so go with a smile, talk about your stregnths and love for pt care. you will get a job..... no prob

chinny7150 · Jun 27, 2011

forgot, yes i am an rn, but i use to be a lpn and landed a job right away just out of school with the above attributes mentioned above... got to work in a rehab unit... so go for it girl

andreasmom02 · Jun 27, 2011

Thanks for your replies. sgam0709, your situation sounds a lot like mine. After I became an LPN, I wanted to work so bad... but my husband wanted another child. He said it was then or never, because he is older than me, and didn't want to be having little ones in his early 40's. I agreed with him, and we had our 2nd baby right after I got my LPN license. So my career has basically been on hold, so I could be with the kids. I won't ever regret it though. I do love spending time with them. I'd just like something for "me" every now and then. I love nursing as well. I'm glad you got an O.R. job, that's great! At least its a nursing related job for experience. It couldn't hurt on resumes. Better than nothing. I have thought of taking a refresher course myself, but don't know if it would do any good in the area I live. I don't even know if many local employers would know what it was. I live in a rural country area, that mainly hires RNs & LPNs w/ several years experience. It's getting tougher to land a job in my area, unless you have several years experience or know someone. A refresher course might be nice for you where you're an RN... But I'm sure you'll find your dream job, & catch right on when you do try full time, even without a refresher. If you keep your license active, and study NCLEX books, I'm sure you'll be fine. As far as IV training, can you take an IV therapy course if your state? Or maybe at the facility you work at? I got pretty good IV training in LPN school luckily, but am a bit rusty on it myself. I'm just going to keep trying to get volunteer LPN jobs, and maybe attempt to work part time for Mollem Immun. until I'm reading to work full time... I don't know what else to do. I have to do something now to keep my skills up I guess... Good luck to you, hope everything works out for you!

sgam0709 · Jun 28, 2011

Good luck to you as well! I did a little research on http://www.nurserefresher.com It should come up as Kane Educational. I'm not sure where you live but they do refreshers in different states. They are based out of Florida which is where I live. I've seen that they do 2 day seminars in several places, actually in September there is a seminar only 1 hr from my home. They concentrate on the clinical aspect. I think they use simulated dummies...but the reviews were wonderful when I googled them. Something to consider perhaps if there is a class close to your home. Good luck!