back to life

With my CV updated and revamped it’s now time to put it out there for all to see. An internet search informs me that there are a huge amount of job sites inviting me to upload my CV and get myself a job. I decided on 3 for now, the registration and upload of CV was so easy and straight forward. Now all I have to do is wait for job vacancies to be emailed to me and prospective employers to contact when they realize they can’t do without me!

12 hours later I get a call from a recruiter wanting more information about the roles I’m looking for and my current status

10 hours after that another recruiter asking the same thing.

Proof I think that these job sites are well worth signing up for.

It’s not easy updating a CV when you haven’t done any work for the last 6 years. But it did give me the opportunity to remember that before my illness I was somebody, I was worthwhile and achieved a hell of a lot.

In the deepest despair of being ill with CFS I felt like my life was over, I had nothing to live for because I simply didn’t have the energy and didn’t feel well enough to live. Reading and editing my CV helped me to evaluate my skills and experience and boost my confidence and resolve.

Given that I have to wait until June before I can do the return to nurse practice course and that the course is 4 months long, I have been giving some thought to what other jobs I can do with the skills I have.

My next job of choice is a learning support assistant in a school. Although I don’t have any experience of being paid to do that role, I have had lots of experience supporting my sons throughout their primary and secondary education in and out of school. I also have many years experience nursing children.

Unfortunately, as with many jobs, formal experience is needed for a lot of the jobs advertised. Still that won’t put me off applying, many of my skills gained throughout my nursing career are transferable and I’m pretty sure I can do the job

The most important step in getting back into clinical nursing is to re register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, (NMC). As I have not worked for six years my membership has lapsed and I cannot work as a qualified nurse until I register.

After several emails to old work contacts I finally tracked down the phone number needed for University of West of England, (UWE).  The next Return to Nurse Practice course is in June of this year.

So until I’ve completed the course and worked the required hours needed to re register I have to work as a healthcare assistant. Can I do that? I’m not sure, will I be able to cope with working as an untrained nurse when I have over 20 years experience and at least 10 of them as a senior staff nurse.

The problem is now I have made the decision to return to nursing I just want to get on with it. I don’t want to wait and certainly don’t fancy working as an untrained nurse for too long.

My first graduation back in 1987