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If I Took A Travel Position, Would That Give Me Some Credibility To Do Staff Nursing Again?


Question:

Dear Donna,

I am retiring from the Federal Government with 30 years of experience. I had four years of experience in the private sector before joining the military. I have worked the last 17 years for the VA. I have been in management for many of these 17 years, and now I am looking for part-time or per diem and have applied for multiple positions. I have only gotten response from one hospital and several travel agencies. I applied and didn’t even get an acknowledgment of my application from the other hospitals in the area. My résumé is not being received very well for my getting back to the bedside. I have a master’s degree in medical/surgical nursing and a post-graduate certificate in healthcare informatics. I don’t think I need a refresher course because I also teach the med/surg clinical rotation part-time at the local college, I am certified by AMSN, and I am more knowledable about med/surg nurse than most of the staff nurses I supervised. Do you have any suggestions? I don’t really want to look for a management job again. If I took a travel position, would that give me some credibility to do staff nursing again? It seems that the managers in some of the facilities where I applied would rather have a new graduate than someone like me.

Linda



Dear Donna replies:

Dear Linda,

Many hospitals are reluctant to hire nurses who have not actively practiced at the bedside for several years, as you have discovered. Have you contacted any agencies besides travel agencies? If you are looking for part-time or per diem work, that may be your best bet. And if the agencies will get you started (you can work for a travel agency and only work in your local area), then maybe that is what you need to do to get some recent bedside experience on your résumé. Then if you eventually want to be employed by a hospital, you may have a better shot.

In the meantime, you should join and get active in your state nurses association. Not only do you need to establish a new community of nursing colleagues outside of the military, but networking is a great way to find and get a job.

My best wishes,
Donna



Donna Cardillo, RN, MA, well-known career guru, is Nursing Spectrum/NurseWeek’s “Dear Donna” and author of Your First Year as a Nurse: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional and The ULTIMATE Career Guide for Nurses: Practical Advice for Thriving at Every Stage of Your Career. Information about the books is available at www.nurse.com/CE/7010 and www.nurse.com/CE/7250, respectively. To ask Donna your question, go to www.nurse.com/asktheexperts/deardonna. Find a “Dear Donna” seminar near you: Call (800) 866-0919 or visit http://events.nursingspectrum.com/Seminar.