Trying to find a job after a long break

[RoseRed89]

Hello everyone, I am in need of advice about getting started as a RN.  I graduated from nursing school December 2018 and got my license March 2019. Meanwhile I got involuntarily recalled to active duty for a deployment to Africa. I was working as a CNA at that time and decided not to pursue a position since I was deploying in July 2019. With COVID I ended up returning July 2020, got married, but hubby was living in another state and stationed in VA,  my hospital wanted to make me sign a 2 year contract and I didn’t do it so I could move with my husband without being tied to a contract. We finally moved in February 2021 I found out I was pregnant and didn’t want to expose myself to COVID, so once again I postponed starting my job search. Here I am with a 3-month-old trying to start as a RN and I’ve been out of school almost 3 years! Now I regret all that waiting because it was a dumb thing to do. What are my chances of getting hired in a hospital (or anywhere) anytime soon and what can I do to get started.

[gemswanson90]

I took a lot of RN CEU's (contact hours) online to update myself about the new normal with Covid, nursing theory, and basics of lab values/acid-base, peripheral and central line care...I did over 80 hours of CEU's and uploaded them to one PDF, so I could show prospective employers that I was serious about sharpening my skills and keeping up to date.  I found most of the CEU's through the ANA website; many were free, and then I paid for some others. (well worth the investment). Since the pandemic started, I realized that it would be difficult to secure in-person refresher contact hours.  Just a suggestion for anyone that has been out of the workplace for a while due to personal/family obligations and would like to show initiative and seriousness to prospective employers.  I would recommend that the CEU's be approved by the ANA or ANCC for quality control, since there are a lot of online RN CEU providers. I also obtained some CEU's for attending virtual/online/zoom events and lectures, such as through University Hospital here in Colorado, and through the ANA website.  Just a thought/suggestion for anyone like me who took some time away from the profession and would like to display "a bit of extra effort" on their resume.  Of course I also made sure that my BLS and TB were up to date, and that I am current on my vaccinations, including the flu and Covid (or that you are willing/able to sign an exemption form), which many employers are requiring~ especially hospitals and larger corporations.