With an economy still struggling to pull itself out of the recession and a drastically changing nurse job market, finding a job can be a struggle for any nurse, whether you’re a new grad or have many years of experience. Some nurses even find themselves in the unique position of having previously been a nurse and taken a large amount of time off…and now want to return to the nursing profession.
If you find yourself in this position (or think you may be on the job hunt soon), we’ve put together a few tips you that can improve your chances of hearing “you’re hired” after your interview!
1
Decide what type of nurse job you want
This, of course, depends on a variety of factors, including your education, previous work experience and future goals. Some of the following tips will address the specifics of what you will need to do to meet those goals, but it is important to make a plan with an end goal of where you want to work and what position you want before you start your job search preparation. This can ensure you do everything you need to to land the job that’ll get you back into the workforce.
2
Decide what education you’ll need to get you back up to speed
If you’re not currently licensed in your state, you’ll need to take the steps to earn this licensure, typically through refresher courses. These requirements vary by state, and you can find them through your state’s nursing board.
In addition, you may decide that the new positions you will be seeking require additional education and degrees. For those with an associate’s degree, this can mean going back for a BSN, and those looking to go into advanced practice may look into a master’s degree or a doctorate.
3
Get up to speed with the modern job search
This is probably something you already know, but not only has the nurse job market changed, the entire way we look for jobs is dramatically different today.
The biggest driver of change is, of course, the internet, which is likely where you’ll be submitting your resumes. Moreover, the internet has made it much easier to network and find jobs.
4
Volunteer
Reentering the nursing profession can be something of a shock for some, particularly if they’ve been out of the industry for many years. One way to better prepare yourself is by volunteering–and this also may help you to land that job by providing much-needed recent experience!
Have you reentered the nursing industry after a long absence? Let us know your tips and how you did it in the comments below. Also let us know if you’re considering going to nursing and what kind of questions you have! Don't forget to check out ModernNurse Jobs for the latest job postings.
I had been out of the clinical area of nursing while working on my masters in nursing and getting educational experience ( in public education); this way I had advanced nursing education while getting teaching experience. In addition, I started out updating and getting new clinical certifications and
teaching basic skills nursing lab and didactic. Visiting nursing chat room sites and evidenced based quality research sites also helped me catch up on new technologies in nursing and improved methods behind nursing care. I also took a refresher course at a local nursing school. Starting out teaching lab skills and basic clinical nursing paved the way for picking up new information. The school where i taught was very supportive.