Latest / The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo: Returning After a Gap, Stay-at-Home Re-Entry / How a Nurse Returned to the OR After a Decade Off
Transcript
- Lucas: So Dana Whitmore spent eleven years out of the OR, raising three kids, and this spring she walked back into a Level 1 trauma center as a perioperative nurse. Her first shift, she told me, she was more nervous than her first day of nursing school. Luna: Eleven years is a long time. How does someone even start to come back from that? Lucas: Well, she didn't just update her resume and start applying. She treated it like a project. First step she took back in January was reaching out to a former colleague who still worked at the hospital where she used to be. That colleague let her shadow for a few shifts, just observe, get the feel of the OR again. Luna: Shadowing, that makes sense. Just being in the environment, seeing the flow, the equipment. It's like a language you forget. Lucas: Exactly. And from there, she signed up for a perioperative nursing refresher course through a local nursing association. That was eight weeks, online plus two weekend simulation labs. The sim labs were key, she said, because she could practice scrubbing in and circulating again without the stakes of a real patient. Luna: Simulation labs are such a bridge. You get the muscle memory back, you make mistakes in a safe space. I bet that rebuilt her confidence faster than anything. Lucas: It did, but she also had to tackle the credentialing maze. Her RN license had lapsed, so she had to go through a reinstatement process with the state board. That took about six weeks, and she had to show proof of continuing education credits, even though she hadn't been practicing. Luna: That sounds like a headache. Did she have those credits saved up? Lucas: She had kept up with some online courses over the years, mainly out of interest, not thinking they'd count. But they did. That's a tip for anyone listening: even if you're out of the field, keep a few CE credits going. It makes reinstatement less painful. Luna: Good point. So she had the refresher, the sim labs, the license back. Then came the job search, which is its own beast. Lucas: Right. She didn't apply for the same role she left. She started by talking to a nurse manager at a community hospital, just an informational interview. That conversation helped her realize she didn't want to jump back into a fast-paced trauma center right away. But then she got a call from a recruiter at the university hospital, and they had a perioperative nurse residency program for returners. Luna: A residency for returners. That's a thing? I love that. It's like a structured ramp back in. Lucas: It's relatively new, but more hospitals are offering them because of the nursing shortage. Dana's program runs six months. She's in the OR three days a week, and she has a preceptor with her for the first three months. She also has a reduced call schedule, which was important to her as a mom. Luna: That phased approach seems so smart. It's not just about clinical skills, it's about pacing yourself. You can't go from zero to sixty with three kids at home. Lucas: And the hiring manager told Dana that what really set her apart was how she framed her gap. She didn't apologize for it. She talked about how managing a household, coordinating school schedules, and dealing with a family emergency taught her crisis management, prioritization, and empathy, skills that translate directly to the OR. Luna: So she turned the gap into a strength. I bet that's something a lot of listeners could learn from, even outside of nursing. Lucas: Yeah, and she also came prepared with a simple answer for 'why the gap?' She said, 'I took time to focus on my family, and now I'm ready to focus on my career again.' Short, honest, and then she steered the conversation to what she'd been doing to stay current. Luna: That's a great line. I'm going to borrow that if I ever need it. So what was the hardest part, in the end? Lucas: Dana said the hardest part wasn't the skills, it was the self-doubt. That imposter syndrome in the weeks before her first day. She almost backed out. But her preceptor sent her a text the night before saying, 'You've got this. We're all here for you.' And that made a difference. Luna: It's amazing what a little support can do. Do you think her story would have been different ten years ago? Before the shortage, before these residency programs? Lucas: Probably. She had a tougher time getting her foot in the door. But the demand for nurses is so high now that hospitals are willing to invest in returners. She's proof that a long gap doesn't have to be a dead end, if you're strategic. Luna: Speaking of strategic, you mentioned she kept up with CE courses. Any other advice for someone in a similar spot? Lucas: One thing she stressed: don't try to do it all alone. She joined a local nursing association, and that's how she heard about the residency. Networking, even when you feel rusty, opens doors. Also, talk to your family before you start. Dana and her husband had a plan for school pickups and meals, so that during her first month she could focus without that chaos. Luna: That's the kind of practical detail most advice columns miss. You need buy-in at home to make a return work. Lucas: Exactly. And now, three months into her residency, Dana says she feels like she never left. She's even mentoring a new grad nurse. Full circle. Luna: That's such a satisfying arc. And honestly, it makes me think about my own career breaks, even though I'm not in medicine. There's something inspiring about seeing someone take that leap and succeed. Lucas: If her story helped you think through your own path, that's what this show is about. If today's episode felt worth a coffee to you, there's a simple way to support us. You can buy me a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It keeps this podcast ad-free, and it's just a small way to keep these stories coming. Luna: Yeah, even a one-time coffee helps us keep the lights on, and it's a nice way to say thanks if you've gotten something useful. Lucas: But back to Dana. She told me that her next goal is to become a certified perioperative nurse within the next year. That certification would open up more leadership opportunities, and she thinks she's ready for that challenge. Luna: Certification, that's a big step. What's the timeline on that? Lucas: She needs about two thousand hours of practice in the OR, which she'll hit around the end of her residency. Then she can sit for the exam. She's already studying a bit on her days off. Luna: I love that she's already looking ahead. It shows that a return isn't just about getting back, it's about growing again. Lucas: And that's the real takeaway. Dana didn't just want to pick up where she left off. She wanted to build on what she had, and she used her time away to gain perspective and maturity that she brings to the OR now. Luna: It's a reminder that career gaps don't have to be a setback. They can be a detour that gives you something extra. Lucas: If you're thinking about a return, whether it's nursing or something else, start small, reach out to one person, and maybe take a refresher course. That's how Dana started, and look where she is now. Luna: Well said. Thanks for sharing her story, Lucas. It's given me a lot to think about. Lucas: And for anyone out there who's considering a comeback, we're rooting for you.