Question:
Dear Donna,
I am an RN who worked for 21 years before having my one and only child in 1996. I have 10 years of med/surg experience, and 10 years in VNA acute care. I am now 54 and am interested in returning to work. The refresher and clinical courses that I’ve found are not close, and the commute would be very long from where I live. Plus, I still need to oversee home needs. What options are there for me?
Dear Donna,
I am an RN who worked for 21 years before having my one and only child in 1996. I have 10 years of med/surg experience, and 10 years in VNA acute care. I am now 54 and am interested in returning to work. The refresher and clinical courses that I’ve found are not close, and the commute would be very long from where I live. Plus, I still need to oversee home needs. What options are there for me?
Carmen
Dear Donna replies:
Dear Carmen,
If returning to the bedside is what you want to do, call some area hospitals to see if they offer re-entry programs for nurses returning to the bedside. Otherwise, there are some home-study refresher courses available where you arrange to have a preceptorship in your local area. But if you’ve been away from nursing for more than 10 years, I’d rather see you do something more formal. Read “Reentering the Workforce” at http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/reenterwork.html.
Your other option is to look into nontraditional roles, where a refresher course might not be required, such as those offered at assisted living facilities, clinics, and other out-patient settings.
I suggest that you start volunteering somewhere medical to ease your way back into the workforce. Volunteering is a good way to learn new skills, hone old ones, and make contacts. Besides, volunteering often leads to paid employment. Read “The Value of Volunteering” at http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/volunteer.html.
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.
Dear Carmen,
If returning to the bedside is what you want to do, call some area hospitals to see if they offer re-entry programs for nurses returning to the bedside. Otherwise, there are some home-study refresher courses available where you arrange to have a preceptorship in your local area. But if you’ve been away from nursing for more than 10 years, I’d rather see you do something more formal. Read “Reentering the Workforce” at http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/reenterwork.html.
Your other option is to look into nontraditional roles, where a refresher course might not be required, such as those offered at assisted living facilities, clinics, and other out-patient settings.
I suggest that you start volunteering somewhere medical to ease your way back into the workforce. Volunteering is a good way to learn new skills, hone old ones, and make contacts. Besides, volunteering often leads to paid employment. Read “The Value of Volunteering” at http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/volunteer.html.
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.
