What is Considered "Recent" Experience?

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Specializes in Hospice, Adult Med/Surg.

I have been an RN for just over 19 years. I have worked on and off during that period with time off in between to be home with my kids. I am now 44, and I would like to get back into the nursing field. My most recent job was in 2004, but I took an online RN refresher course this past summer from an accredited program and received 98% proficiency, which I am also noting on my resume'. My question is this: is 2004 recent enough, since I took the refresher course, or am I just never going to work as an RN again? I live in SE Michigan, and nursing jobs here have really dried up in the last couple of years. I keep seeing posts from new grads who are having a hard time finding a job. Does anyone know how I, an RN with a clean license of almost 20 years and almost 10 years of inpatient hospital med/surg experience would stack up in competing for a job against new grads who don't have experience but have more current schooling and are literally half my age? I have kept up my CEU's throughout my career, so that isn't an issue. I am also planning on completing my BSN, since I already have over 80 undergrad college credit hours from years ago and figure it would help me in searching for a job. At this point, I have had no success in finding anything, but I have only applied for a few jobs in NW Ohio and one in Michigan as of today.

Any thoughts? Anyone affiliated with any hospitals in the Ann Arbor/Dearborn/Downriver/Monroe area who could give me some advice or guidance?

Thanks!

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Specializes in ER, OR, PACU, TELE, CATH LAB, OPEN HEART.

I usually hear 2-3 years experience in the past 5 so you are squeeking on the edge. Congrats on 98% on the RN refresher course. that is GREAT!

I have NEVER stopped working in my 33 years. Been doing some PRN and contract agency 35-48 hours a week for past 2 years. Been job searching in Balto/DC Metro are past 13 months to no avail. No response to applications, get an interview with no response to follow-up calls. All I have found is 2 PRN postitions 45 min and an hour morning and hour and half evening commutes from here. Worked 6 shifts between 2 since Sept. 1st this year.

Good Luck.

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Specializes in Hospice, Adult Med/Surg.

I'm sorry to hear that you are having trouble finding a job, especially since you have so much valuable experience. I should have mentioned that we lived in Arizona for a period earlier this year and, out of about twenty jobs that I applied for, I only got one interview for a position in a float pool in a hospital system out there, and I never heard from them after the interview, even after I followed up with a "thank you for the interview" email. I am seriously beginning to think that there is age discrimination taking place in the hiring of nurses, especially since there are so many nurses and so few jobs right now. I didn't realize that Baltimore/D.C. were having the same problem, it must be everywhere. The irony of it is that by the time that the main wave of baby boomers, who are now in their 60s and still pretty healthy, begin to age into an elderly population, say in 10-15 years, then there will probably be a huge nursing shortage, but by then, I probably won't even want to work, since I will be pushing 60 myself!

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Have you tried Oakwood or the DMC?

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Specializes in Hospice, Adult Med/Surg.

Not yet, because I am still waiting on my Michigan RN license and I figure that it would be a waste of time to apply without it. Are they hiring? The DON at Oakwood used to be a nursing director at Promedica Healthcare in Ohio, whom I worked for for several years, so I thought about contacting her, but, again, I feel that I need to wait until I have my license in hand.

Thanks for the tip, though. When I get my license I will definitely check those two out.

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