Maybe I'm naive, and made the wrong assumption.I've been trying to find a job as an RN since October, 2009. I have over 10 years of experience and was well respected by my cohorts and patients. I left nursing for 13 years to raise 5 children and I am trying to return to my profession. It has been shocking to me that almost NO ONE will even give an interview to a returning nurse or new grad. We worked too hard to be treated this way. Had I known this would happen, I wouldn't have given a year of my life and almost $1600. to an RN Refresher course.I wish someone had told me that there are NO jobs that don't require recent experience. My instructors were ALL nurses. The almighty dollar is more important than passing along the truth. Nursing schools, staffed by nurses, continue to turn out nurses who completed the nightmarishly difficult requirements and should be able to use their degrees doing what they trained for,being great nurses. From over 500 jobs applied for, I've had 5 interviews. I work in home hospice, people die the same now as they did 13 years ago. I can use computers to document, I've got HIPAA straight. I know what Medicare requires. NO ONE HAS TO TRAIN ME!!! Tell me where to park, pick up my paycheck and give me a handout explaining policies. I'll go out and ta\ke excellent care of my dying patients and be as supportive as anyone could be, probably moreso. I have children to feed, I WANT TO WORK!  I've sought any avenue to help me, networking, volunteering, earning continuing education credits, posting my resume on every place possible besides a telephone pole. I joined NursingLink hoping that it might help. I posted a couple of pleas for advice. I got ONE response. For God's sake, a young nurse who was convicted of being impaired and had also posted at that time was encouraged and heard from many nurses about how to get a job! I didn't do ANYTHING wrong, I raised my kids and I've done an amazing job with all 5.Nursing Link is not ewhat I thought it was or of any use to me. I thought it was an "organization" with employees and concern for its members. It seems instead to be a well crafted website and sounding board for very few nurses with photos of domestic animals wearing nurses' caps. Truthfully, I find that offensive. Would a doctor, lawyer, or teacher do that? Of course not. I read the "articles" mainly written by the cat and dog that are routine rehashings of common knowledge topics that teach me NOTHING. I know I should not wear jeans to an interview. I know I should be on time. I'm a NURSE, I went through hell to become a good one. "Hang in there." "Things will get better.", are you kidding me? What good is that? I don't want to swap recipes, take a worthless quiz, or tell jokes. I want someone to care. I DON'T get that from Nursing Link. The crisis continues, the jobs out there have gone from 50 applications per nursing job to over 100 according to statistics I'm finding. When a nurse writes in to a forum, frequently she/he is attacked for an offhand remark by the nurses who have jobs, frequently ignoring the real issue. "Nurses who eat their young" is so apt!!! Why not be the helpful caring human beings nurses are supposed to be for patients and other nurses. "I'll hang in here" to make sure this is posted and then pull out of this venue that has not been helpful to me in any way. I hope you all keep your jobs and think twice before taking time off to invest in your most important responsibility, raising your children.

This seems to be the trend now. I remember about 6 years back getting a job as a nurse was easy.  You could leave the job you hated and the very same day be hired some place else.  Now, all companies do is waste your time. You are called for interveiws and either you are over qualified or do not have the expreience they are looking for.  Yet, staffing agencies beg for you to work for them.  This is a very sad place our country is in.  Keep looking I am sure you will be hired some where.

 Maybe i'm naive, but I  didn't think of nursing link as "an authority to trust". I see it as a social website, that you can choose to participate in as much as you want or as little as you want.I found this site, as I'm sure many others did, while looking for a job, on a job source website. I never looked @ this site as a source to get a job, although 2 people did reach out to me with mentions of possible job sources.                                          I think your taking time off to raise your children is admirable. If I could have afforded to do that, I'm sure i would have.That said, I think you need to realize that when anyone takes time off from their career for an extended period of  time, it might be harder for them to get rehired. There are so many nurses who did well in school, do a great job of being a nurse & yet find themselves unemployed. They are anxious, worried, depressed but they try to keep the faith,waiting for a break to come.I DON'T SEE EVERYONE ELSE LASHING OUT, BLAMING OTHERS.As for the forementioned 'cat" & "dog"., I haven't had much contact with "head nurse".I see she seems to greet most new people & sends an ocasional email. I  haven't seen any news sources reporting that there is anything but. a nursing shortage, although those of us in the ranks know that its not true So I don't think you should be so upset with her news.As for the  fore mentioned "dog".I think he is intelligent, witty & he brings a smile to my face. Through various postings, i gather that he like most of us has gone through alot in his life, he just appears to make the best of it.                                                                                                                                                                                                     I'm not posting this to pick on you, or to anger you further. I'm just hoping you can find some compassion & realize that you have misdirected your anger.Just keep on applying. good luck!

Dear CarolCowan,

I don't know if you are still following NurseLink, but if you are I hope I might have some words to help you through to the other side  of the employment spectrum, so to speak. If you aren't with us any more, well maybe someone else reading this might benefit.

Sometimes a person has to start over from scratch. Yes from the beginning. It isn't really as hard the second time though, because a person has prior knowledge and experience to build on.  In looking for a job in the nursing field, a nurse must sell themself, market your value, your knowledge and talent. Make yourself  too good to be refused. Advertise qualities that an employer in todays economy can't  afford to let go.

Ask yourself what it is that an employer wants, better yet needs.....Then make yourself that person. Research and get to know the places where you are applying for work. Don't just randomly put in applications with no real knowledge of the company or their goals and reputation. Let them  Know that you have chosen them;that you have choices and that you have decided with conviction that they are the place for you to work. Dont be a victim, be in control of your future and you will succeed......You must believe in yourself before anyone else will believe in you. All the hype about the past is but a memory. You have to be the best you can  be now, today and in the future.....The past is just that the past.....Continue to learn and expand your knowledge of nursing skills and practices. Broaden your areas of expertise and you will stand a much greater chance of getting a job. You might , no probably will have to start at the bottom and work your way up, but once you get your feet through the door with a job, you can prove yourself and will move up the career ladder quickly. Be as good as you say you are and no employer will want to let you go.

Best wishes to all who are seeking a job right now. My prayers are with you.

Sincerely,

Kathy