Definitely made mistake now paying for it...

I've been a RN for 15 yrs and have been in the same specialty for 12 yrs. I've never had a problem getting a job, did travel nursing for a few years, and was at a day job for the past year. things got bad there- the management totally lost control and the ship was spiraling down the drain, so i jumped ship to the first thing i could get, which was a night shift. i've done years of night shifts, but now i have young children, and for some reason, my body and mind could not handle night shift anymore. i started getting physically ill due to the schedule. one day, i acted very stupidly and called and quit the job on the spot. i didn't even think i could do a final 2 weeks. first time i'd ever done that or left a job under bad terms. well this is a very large national corporation and i found out today that i'm not eligible for rehire. i understand that, but certainly nobody would understand my inability to work night shift anymore. day shift was not a possibility at this job. so i've been out of work for over a month now. i thought i would be able to immediately or soon find another job.

i feel just horrible about my stupid mistake. my specialty has always been in high demand but it's slowing down right now, and the few jobs that are out there are night shift. i'm behind on my bills, i'm super stressed, i am a single mom. please don't barrade me with criticism for being irresponsible. yes, i was and i know it. i've been on interviews for office jobs but not been hired. most jobs i apply for (which are out of my specialty because they are day shift) dont even call me for an interview. times are really getting bad. somebody help me out! there's a lot more to my story but i know from personal experience that coworkers or former coworkers have figured me out from this site and i've gotten in trouble for what i've said. so i hate to withold prime info, but i will be having stipulations on my license within the next couple of months for a one-time horribly bad event that i just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and i've been blamed for by the board of nursing. i am also awaiting my punishment.

so is that enough bad decision-making and a bad enough predicament for one person???

help.
How can we help?

maybe work some magic and make the perfect job appear on my doorstep tomorrow? loli know you guys cant help, i guess i'm just here to pout and vent about how i've been the gold-star nurse for 15 yrs and all of a sudden, since 'the event' happened last year, i've just been so shaken up and have no confidence and apparently my decision-making is impaired. i'm bitter that i'm being blamed for something i didn't do.

I'm so sorry to hear what you are going through. Night shift can be hard on anyone, but I can imagine it would be especially hard for a single mom. Keep your head up, pray, and apply apply apply!

Prayer changes things.

If you are being punished for something not your fault that threatens your license you should get a lawyer. I'm not sure if there are two issues here or they are the some. Don't lie down and take blame for something you didn't do. Take an honest stock of your position and try to come up with a good plan for how to get out of this situation. You need your license and reputation to get another job. Make fixing this, if possible, your priority. Pull in any support you might have to help you through. Your sense of panic may be keeping you from getting a new job. Try to find a way to look forward. Best of luck.

My heart goes out to you,1996RN. I read quite a bit of pain, yet sincerity, in your Post.All I can do is encourage you to keep on keeping on and something will happen.My best to you.Dave

With my deepest conveyance you are in my thoughts - please feel free to private message me if you would like or need to talk. I know pain and what the depths of professional misplacement can do to ones soul.I will continue to think of you.Marc

I really feel your anxiety! I didn't realize the turbulence of the job market sea either until recently being in it myself. I guess I just want to say - I understand. Can't fix it, but just want to offer a supportive hug {{1996RN}} hope things look up for you soon.

My heart goes out to your current predicament. *Though I can not offer any advice about the current situation with your license, I can provide some input with your job situation.I'm sure that you're doing everything you can think but I just want to make sure you're exhausting all of your options.I live in Middle Tennessee and as my username states I'm a LPN. The city I live in the majority of the hospitals no longer hire LPNs. So I have to look beyond the hospital setting for employment.Sometimes I feel too many nurses develop tunnel vision when it comes to nursing and only look towards hospitals for employment.Make sure you're exhausting all your options. Look to long term care facilities (which are plentiful and always need people), home health (with the growing cost of healthcare , this setting is currently booming), Hospice, Doctors offices and clinics (don't pay much but offer mon-fri day schedules with weekends and holidays off), mental health facilities, agency work, PRN jobs.I can go on and on. *I know here in TN most LTC if you walk in off the street and ask if they are hiring the DON or whomever does the hiring will interview you on the spot. It's just up to you to followup. The most important thing is to keep an positive attitude and everything will work out in the end.Good Luck!

I can totally relate to your situation. Night shift can be a killer and I did it for 6 years. The final straw for me was when I opened my wallet and pulled out my debit card and swiped it instead of my name badge when clocking out! My body just couldn't handle nights anymore and even when I slept 8 hours during the day, I was still exhausted during my shifts. After trying to clock out with my debit card I called my manager and told her I could not do nights anymore, I had to switch to days or quit. I felt like I wasn't safe anymore and a mistake was just waiting to happen. Thank God she found a spot for me on days floating between units or I might have done what you did. Keep your chin up!

I agree with Davey Do, I am so sorry! I can only offer my support and encouragment to hang in there and things will turn around!!! Good luck!!!

Defeat is not an option!!!!!!! Although you are going through a storm right now 1996RN, remember the rain will end!!!! First of all, you must ask God to take over this burden for you and have faith and confidence that he will. Next, keep applying for jobs and accentuate your strengths and your positive qualities, because inspite of the negative, you can blow employers away with confidence and a great attitude. I know it is hard in this economy right now, but you have fifteen years of RN experience, someone will hire you!!! stay focused and I wish you the best. Med-surgical nursing and home health seem to have a lot of positions available.