I have been an RN for 20 years. Lots of diverse experience, including about 14 years in various ICUs, a couple of years in long-term care management, and currently doing utilization review and discharge planning. I am planning to relocate to another state this summer, and have started looking for a job. I can't get anyone to offer me a job. They tell me my ICU experience is too old (not that they aren't hiring new grads with NO experience!), that I can't be a manager because I don't have current bedside experience, and they aren't interested in my current work in case management. That is, those places that even bother to respond to my application. There are big hospitals that run ads every week that haven't called me after I've applied. I have had some phone interviews that seem to go very well, but when I follow up, they are very cold. I still have certifications in critical care nursing and gerontology, managed to get my BLS recertified, and I am a quick study and am pretty sure I would easily learn what is new in the field. This is a state with a 40% RN vacancy rate, that hires thousands of travelers to fill their needs, and I'm getting the cold shoulder. I'm really starting to worry. I am planning to move in about eight weeks, and I have to have something lined up before I go! What am I doing wrong???
If you don't mind me asking catlady, how old are you? I am having a hard time accepting the age factor as the problem, especially since you are doing phone interviews.
I dont know,, i would hate to think it is strictly due to age. Sounds like your work history is fairly extensive. What is your longevity at some of your other jobs? Maybe fear of your leaving soon after being hired is part of what is holding them back. Maybe if you give them some assurances that you will be there for a extended period and you have no intentions of leaving might make a difference. JMO.
If you don't mind me asking catlady, how old are you? I am having a hard time accepting the age factor as the problem, especially since you are doing phone interviews.
I am 47. I probably seem older on paper because I graduated from college very young (28 years ago).
I looked into agency/travel nursing, but they all want recent acute care experience. It seems as though once you leave the bedside, you can't get back. Even my own hospital refused to let me work per-diem shifts in my old ICU because my experience was "too old."
Hospitals are known today for stabbing themselves in the foot. They scream to the media there's a "nursing shortage...can't find enough nurses to meet the demands......yadda yaddy yadda....... To that garble I say "HORSECRAP"!!! :stone
I don't think you will have any problems once you are "on the scene" and talking directly with unit managers. However, here are some additional ideas:
1. Make sure your PALS/ACLS are up to date. If not you can take these courses for about $100.00 apiece at many hospitals.
2. If you want but cannot get ICU consider working in a step down facility for six months or so and then applying to other ICU's. If you are CCRN certified see what must be done to bring your certification up to date.
3. You could investigate going back to school to become an ACNP using one of the various online programs, this would at least defeat the argument about the laspe in your clinical experience.
4. Could it be that some areas of the country discriminate more than others against more experienced nurses?
When this is all over and sorted out I would really be interested in hearing your opinions and reflections about why this may have happened to you, and what the rest of us can do to minimize the chances of it occuring to us.
Go agency for a while. Make sure that you have ACLS,BLS-HCP and even PALS. By going agency you can get your foot in the door at all different types of facilities. 47 is still young. In our CCU I was the baby at 39. When I return to work I have decided only to go agency. Highest pay, lowest politics. You can expand your knowledge base and most of all prove to potential employers that you are fleixible. Unfortunately the myth is that older nurses are unable to adapt.
I know when I moved from KS to OK, the only people who would talk to me were individuals in departments. Anything I sent to hospitals dropped into a black hole. I was offered several jobs prior to moving, but not a single one was a hospital where I'd gone through HR...once I was here, though, I started to get calls, but it was too late -- I'd already accepted a job.
When was the last time you did bedside nursing? My hospital will not hire nurses who have be out of bedside nursing for more than 3-5 years (depending on department). Maybe a refresher course is in order?
As for age discrimination....I doubt it. The average age for nurses in my area (CA) is 44 and the average age for nursing students is now over 30 (can't remember the exact age). As my VP/Nsg says, "the youngsters only last a year or two and then either want to travel or have babies, give me wrinkles and gray hair any time."
If you have been away from the bedside for greater than 5 years you might want to consider taking a refresher course. This usually involves a bit of classroom time but a lot of clinical time. They are generally short, 8-12 weeks. The completion of this course will show prospective employers that you are serious about getting back to the bedside and you are doing all you can to get up to date. (That is in addition to updating all your certifications of course)
Sounds like age discrimination, or maybe a negative reference.
Sad to think at 47 hospitals might consider us too old. Who's ready to retire at 47? :stone
Lets hope they don't like cold interviews and will warm up to you face to face; where you have a better chance to shine.
Check your references first. I was getting the cold shoulder in my own area and tracked it to a negative reference in a hospital association owned 'background check service'...a former employer's HR had gotten vindictive. Once I knew it was there, I could add a rebuttal and deal with it head on, I had better luck then.
Some sure do seem very fussy....makes us think twice about the 'nursing shortage' hoopla out here. Some areas know they can hold out for the next group of new grads/new imports who are less savvy than you, cheaper, and easier to deal with. Some know they can browbeat the staff they have into OT to cover the impossible holes, and make $$$ by understaffing in general. They know what they're doing; nurses are ridiculously compliant and 'helpful' and enable this in too many cases.
Older employees do bring certain risk for hospitals: risk for injury (hospital costs)higher insurance usage, higher salaries, in addition to other age related stuff mentioned. So IMO $$$ is at the core...in areas where they can hold out for the new grads/imports.
Areas of the country work differently though...so lets hope its just the cold interview that's putting them off...and good luck to you. You might have to take a less desireable position just to get your foot in the door.
They scream to the media there's a "nursing shortage...can't find enough nurses to meet the demands......yadda yaddy yadda.......
To that garble I say "HORSECRAP"!!! :stone
dphrn
190 Posts
If you don't mind me asking catlady, how old are you? I am having a hard time accepting the age factor as the problem, especially since you are doing phone interviews.