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Dear Donna

Donna Cardillo, RN, well-known career guru and president of Cardillo & Associates, is a speaker, entrepreneur, humorist, and master of the career universe. She uses her expertise to help you polish your rough edges and shine in your career.

"Experience is not enough in today's fast-paced, competitive world," notes Cardillo. "You must look good, speak well, appear confident, have the ability to perform with increasing daily demands on your time, and through it all maintain a positive, upbeat attitude."

Cardillo brings more than 20 years of clinical, management, and business experience to her new role. She is the top-rated speaker at Nursing Spectrum Career Fairs and takes a down-to-earth approach to career advice. Cardillo has appeared on television and radio and written many articles on career and professional development topics. Most recently, Cardillo was a career consultant with monster.com, but she left that position to assume her exclusive Dear Donna! relationship with Nursing Spectrum/NurseWeek.

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How do I find a nurse apheresis position?
Monday November 17, 2008
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Question:

Dear Donna,

I graduated from nursing school in Lithuania in 1976. Recently, I passed the NCLEX-RN and obtained my RN license. I have been working in a blood bank for seven years and have experience in blood collections, donor apheresis procedures, platelets apheresis, and red blood cell apheresis. I like my job! But there are no positions for RNs (only for phlebotomists) in the blood bank. I am looking for an apheresis RN position in hospitals or hospital blood banks, but I have not been able to find openings. There are so many job listings for RNs in different hospitals — except donor phlebotomy and donor apheresis. I have no experience as an RN in the U.S. (I was an OR nurse in Lithuania). I feel very bad. I worked so hard to get my U.S. RN license, and now I am not able to use it. I don’t know what to do. I really need help. Can you offer me advice?

Rimante



Dear Donna replies:

Dear Rimante,

There are nurse apheresis positions available. You may just be looking in the wrong places. Also, if you haven’t worked as an RN in this country or as an RN at all for many years, it would be in your best interest to take an RN refresher course complete with clinical component with preceptor if you cannot get hired as an apheresis nurse without it.

Have you contacted your local branch of the American Red Cross? What about cancer treatment centers and regional cancer hospitals? Try hemodialysis centers — both inpatient and outpatient. Many large teaching hospitals have apheresis nurses, too. Contact the American Society for Apheresis <http://www.apheresis.org> and ask to be in touch with members in your local area about employment opportunities.

To find a refresher course in your local area, contact your state nurses association, state board of nursing, and/or your state hospital association. You can also do an Internet search for “RN refresher course in [your state].” Also read my book Your First Year as a Nurse <http://www.nurse.com/CE/7010> for additional tips and advice.

Be sure to join and get active in your state nurses association, too. Go to http://www.ana.org and click on “Constituent Member Association.” Do not stay isolated. Immerse yourself in the community of nursing.

My best wishes,
Donna



Donna Cardillo, RN, MA, well-known career guru, is Nursing Spectrum/NurseWeek’s “Dear Donna” and author of Your First Year as a Nurse: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional and The ULTIMATE Career Guide for Nurses: Practical Advice for Thriving at Every Stage of Your Career. Information about the books is available at www.nurse.com/CE/7010 and www.nurse.com/CE/7250, respectively. To ask Donna your question, go to www.nurse.com/asktheexperts/deardonna. Find a “Dear Donna” seminar near you: Call (800) 866-0919 or visit http://events.nursingspectrum.com/Seminar.



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