Treated Like Black Plague

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Dear Nurse Beth,

I surrendered my RN license 7 years ago and recently reinstated it. It shows the active license and the surrender license. I have 20 years of nursing experience and wrote rx's for myself 10 times. This is in the past and I would like to work as a nurse again. Every time I apply for a job, I disclose and then am treated like I have the black plaque by potential employers. I have a wealth of OR experience in high level trauma hospitals, but not even nursing homes will give me a chance of employment. What should I do - not even bother applying for nursing jobs?

What can I do to make myself marketable?

Dear Treated Like Black Plague,

Congratulations on obtaining an active license again.

I would disclose only what is asked on application and in interviews.

You can't avoid completing applications that ask if you have ever had discipline against your license, and you also can't control employer's responses to your history.

If there are any restrictions on your license, employers will typically shy away from the extra supervision and paper work that requires.

If you are called for an interview, that means they have viewed your application and are considering taking a chance on you. Be matter of fact and don't dwell on the negative. Instead say your problem is in the past, and you are looking forward to putting your skills to work.

In your situation, it would be most helpful to have a friend "inside". Call on your network and tell everyone you are looking for a job. The most important thing is to get your foot in the door to start re-building your work history.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

nurse-beth-purple-logo.jpg

Author, "Your Last Nursing Class: How to Land Your First Nursing Job"...and your next!

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Being out of nursing for 7 years is probably more of a barrier than the stipulations. Have to keep trying for any job. Especially non-nursing and network.

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avon123 It is none of your business what prescriptions this nurse wrote for herself. Your comments were not helpful in the least. Everyone deserves a second chance and I don't know of anyone that has never made a mistake in their life or several for that matter. I am glad I do not work with you!

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Dear Treated... I applaud your decision to reinstate your license and re-enter the work force. I understand how difficult it must be to find a job and the frustration you feel. Having worked with several nurses who returned to work after going through addiction treatment it was hard on the staff in the unit because the nurses were limited as to what meds they could be in charge of. We had to cover the gap for the things they could not do. It was stressful to have additional duties assigned to us, but, we did it. Once the probationary period was over, they were allowed to work with no restrictions. I agree with many of the other commentators in regards to finding a job in a non-bedside position. Work your way back into the field in one of those areas and as you build relationships with co-workers and prove yourself (because we all know that is what you will have to do), your references will reflect that you are capable and qualified for the position you may be seeking. Everyone deserves a second chance. No one is beyond redemption and I am sure if you polled the people commenting here, all of us have made mistakes in life. I would not freely share what your past mistake was, unless you were directly asked. Then you can inform your potential employer and include the steps you have taken and any programs you went through to prevent further issues. It is not our place to cast judgment on anyone. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of the Lord." I hope you find a job you like and will be successful in.

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What about adding a paragraph to resume stating you would appreciate any opportunity, even an LPN duty position to start,to prove yourself before advancing to the RN position you are aiming for?

Just brainstorming ideas... Or is there a local Impaired Nurses support group that could give you advice as to how they got through and re-entered the workforce?

Even an LPN position? Uh, how's that gonna help? That makes no sense to me in her situation. It's not like an LPN is a junior nurse that has less access than an RN does. I have just as much access to everything in my hospital that my RN colleague's do.

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Specializes in Med/surg/ortho.

It's not going to be easy that's for sure. Most employers won't even consider hiring a nurse with similar histories. That's just the truth unfortunately. But then all you need is one yes, remember that. Just one person willing to give u a chance. They are out there u just haven't found them yet. Don't give up.

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Specializes in Med/surg/ortho.

Were you formally charged with anything? I wouldn't disclose the fact that u wrote prescriptions if you weren't just a suggestion.

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I wanna move there! Tell me more! I have 1.5 years experience in tele/med-surg

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come to Humboldt county, Northern CA! Where the redwoods meet the ocean!

I wanna move there, tell me more! I'm a BSN, RN with 1.5 years of experience working in tele/med-surg

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I have a little different perspective. I was the psych CNS in an inpatient psychiatric program years ago, and the nursing supervisor of the psychiatric service involved me interviewing and making decisions about hiring new staff. I've never forgotten one interview -- the applicant entered confidently, with a thick portfolio of documentation, and started taking out papers and spreading them out on the conference table as soon as she came in. While my boss was greeting her and making small talk, I started picking up the various papers and looking at them. The documents were all related to the fact that she had a prior, remote hx of diversion at work, had become dependent, had stolen drugs from work to sell them, and, in addition to losing her nursing license, had ultimately been convicted on Federal drug charges and served time in Federal prison. The documents she had spread out all over the table were documentation of the rehab and aftercare programs she had completed, successful completion of her probation, that she had completed successfully every task required by the prior BON to get her license back, character and employment references; basically, a full paper trail of everything she had done to get past her prior experiences and get her life and career back on track.

She was v. open and forthright, and took the lead in bringing up and discussing her past. She made no excuses and didn't get defensive about her actions, but focused on all that she had done since getting out of prison and recovering her license to rebuild her career, and the steps she was taking to maintain her recovery. We were extremely impressed, not just with her accomplishments, but with how she presented herself. We offered her a job, which she took, and we never regretted that -- she turned out to be an excellent employee and nurse. I think we would have felt a lot differently if she had done what people usually recommend, don't bring it up until you absolutely have to, don't disclose any more than absolutely necessary, etc. To us as potential employers, that would have seemed like she was trying to hide something.

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You could also try case management, utilization management, insurance companies

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Maybe you acting like nursing home jobs are lesser jobs then other places, and are the last resort of nursing jobs, is why you can't even get a nursing home job? Nursing home nurses aren't the bottom of the barrel. Lots of nurses choose to work in long term care.

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