Can a Nurse Continue to Work in Fl Wihtout an Expired Licesne
Nurses have personal lives just like anyone else, and sometimes taking time away from the workforce is a necessary choice made for a variety of good reasons. While not working for a period of time won't ruin your nursing career, it does raise some very important questions and concerns regarding how to keep your license and your nursing mind active in preparation for eventually returning to the nursing workforce and continuing your career. Consider all aspects of such a crucial choice before you decide to take the plunge.
Know the Details
If you're definitely going to be taking a complete break from working, the first thing you need to ascertain are the requirements for maintaining your license in good standing and keeping it from being deemed inactive.
In some states, you may simply have to pay your annual renewal fee and fulfill the same number of continuing education hours that other nurses must in order to stay current. There are also some states with no CEU requirements of any kind and solely a renewal fee.
Your state may actually require a certain number of paid clinical hours per year for your license to not lapse, so this is important information to have under your belt. And if your license does indeed lapse, you'll likely need to take a nurse refresher course in order to get it back into active status. It's prudent to know before you go, and then plan accordingly.
Are You Sure?
Some personal situations preclude being able to work even one shift per month: a newborn baby, a contentious divorce, a disabled family member, your own health needs, or a spouse's transfer out of the country may be reflective of your circumstances. If this isn't the case for you, consider whether you can arrange to be at least minimally employed (e.g.: one per diem shift per month) so that your skills stay sharp and your resume doesn't develop a giant multi-year hole that might be an awkward professional liability to explain when you're eventually back in the job market.
Before you cut yourself off from working at all, make sure you're clear about your choices, what the potential career consequences will be once you make them, and your game plan for reconstituting your career when the time comes.
Your Active License — and Mind
If you've made the final decision and will be taking a total leave from serving as a working nurse, there are some strategies to employ so that your license – and your nurse's mind – stay active.
- Whether the state where you're licensed requires it or not, make a commitment to take a certain number of CEUs per year; you might even set yourself a monthly goal. Continuing education credits can be obtained through online courses; select journal articles; online events such as webinars and virtual conferences; and live events, whether just a few hours or several days in length.
- Consider doing some form of community service throughout your time away from employment. You might volunteer at your children's school, a scout troop, or perhaps doing vital signs at a soup kitchen clinic. Community service looks good on a resume and demonstrates involvement and interest in the world around you.
- In post-pandemic times, you can attend in-person conferences, workshops, and seminars, or you can also avail yourself of virtual events.
- Subscribe to at least one professional nursing journal that you can commit to reading regularly.
- Join – or continue your membership with — the American Nurses Association, as well as any specialty nursing organizations you feel professionally aligned with; this can help you stay up-to-date on the latest evidence-based information and salient topics.
- Stay in touch with nursing and healthcare colleagues during your time away, find out what they're up to in their careers, and remain interested in their journeys. If you have time and energy, do some networking and meet new colleagues along the way, as well.
- Remain — or become — active on social media, following people, organizations, and trends that are important to nursing, healthcare, and the things you care about as a professional. LinkedIn is a great place to look for and take part in timely conversations about the latest news.
Do What's Best For you
You're the only one who can say what's best for you. Understand that taking a protracted time away from the workforce will carry with it certain professional liabilities, and if that's the route you need go, you just may need to work harder in order to get back on the horse once again. And if you're able to keep your hand in the game even a little, it will serve you well.
Make clear, conscious decisions about your career, do what's right for you and your family, and then face the consequences of your decisions with determination and a positive attitude.
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Source: https://www.nursingce.com/blog/how-to-keep-your-nursing-license-active-when-not-working/
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