Got a new job offer today, Can I share?

Nurses General Nursing

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I have a contingent offer of employment! It sounds like a mix of everything I want!! The company has a contract with the state of NJ to provide services for the DDD population (special needs.) The unique thing about it is that even though a client may have PCA hours from several funding sources, the program allows the same aide to cover the 24 hour period. They have regular shifts of HHA's on duty 24/7, so call outs are never a problem. My job would be to case manage the people in the Medicaid personal care assistant program, currently only twelve (!!) pt's (can't believe they have allotted 30 hours per week for this work!)

they call them "consumers", to do OASIS recerts, inservice, supervise, orient and evaluate the HHA's hired, and assist as a consultant in some of the other funded programs as far as is client safe in the home from a skilled nurses point of view, etc... determining if skilled needs are present, if they require referral to home care, etc...

They met my salary, no sweat ( I KNEW I should have asked for more!), and they said the hours for which the nurse covers for my particular program and caseload are Sun-Sat (7 days) 7am to 5pm, so if I want to work more weekend hours in the summer, as long as the "consumers" are OK with me coming on a weekend, they are cool with it too!! I will get pro-rated bennies. I am their only nurse, so essentially I am in an independent role, they do not have any idea of what to do for medical issues, so that's why they want me to do some consulting also, all included in my regular work hours.

Everyone but the director was wearing jeans, hopefully I can too. I was dressed up for the interview of course. Wore my "lucky" interview outfit. My title is RN supervisor will write all HHA P&P, etc... About 150 employees, only 1 nurse, me! My supervisor is not a nurse, she is the director of the program. Most employees are in the field, so they told me, look, we don't care what you work as long as 1) You work all the hours we are paying you for (30 per week), and 2) you do that work between the hours of 7am and 5pm, I can make it 3 10 hour shifts in a week in the summer if I want, no problem! How great does that sound?? I have case management and supervisor roles in one job, and it is flexible, and cool.

Interview was tough in the start! They asked why not just add more hours to the VNA? Aren't they pretty flexible. I went into, against my better judgement a little of my frustrations with too many chiefs and not enough indians, which they honed in on and picked to death that statement ( how does that statement reflect your ability to work as a team? We enjoy teamwork here), so I gave them this example. This is a perfect ex of what I mean, yesterday I am in someone's home, and another nurse told them they needed to buy their own gloves. From my understanding of PPS, and the regs that I read on-line, this is not true. I know this nurse heard it from his supervisor. I spoke with our wound care coordinator, and found out, no, this is not true, we supply gloves. Then I said how since I am per diem I answer to all supervisors, not just one, and so I get inconsistencies like this all the time. I said, "All I want to do is to be sure the pt's are getting the care they deserve, not to have a supervisor who thinks that denying someone a $10 box of gloves, which they are entitled to, is an extra star on her evaluation. I am not sure sometimes what their agenda really is." I think that turned it all around, they then seemed to get what I meant by my earlier remarks. (Huge sigh of relief!) Then they asked me if I was cool with doing inservices, writing policies, and how I felt having to "discipline" an employee. I think I fielded them well. They made me a "contingent offer" of employment at the end of the interview, contingent on my criminal background check etc, have to get fingerprinted and everything, my supervisor was out on maternity leave, so she showed up about 15 min into the interview with her baby, so cute! And good too, not a peep out of him the whole time. 90 minute interview! Longest and most trying one ever!! I actually started to almost drip sweat which I casually (I hope) wiped away from my forehead. I can start in about 2 weeks. Can still work for VNA, but I cannot make visits to the same facility.

It seems like everyone else handles the responsibilities very well, and they are providing a valuable service to the truly needy people in our county, and that will make me proud to be a part of those efforts as well.

Thanks for letting me share my good fortune! I am so happy. I have a cool job, great people to work with, autonomy, decent money and the best is the incredible flexibility they will allow so that I can have a family and a great job. Yippppeeeeee!!!! :D

BeachNurse

312 Posts

Specializes in Research,Peds,Neuro,Psych,.

hoolahan-CONGRATULATIONS!!! What a nice feeling for you!! Those are wonderful qualities you describe in your new job...I was in your shoes almost exactly a year ago when I accepted a position as a Clinical Research Coordinator. It's such a great feeling to know that YOU count for your individual work and that you are respected for that work. I actually had to "get used to" the idea that I could pretty much come and go as I pleased, within reason (and do things like eat or use the restroom whenever the need arose!). Having my own office and business cards nearly blew me away. LOL

I wish you much luck and happiness in your new position!

;) :D

Mijourney

1,301 Posts

Hi hoolahan. If for anything else, the experience you gain in this new job may be well worth writing on a resume, especially if you haven't done anything like this before. If you were looking to this job as a stepping stone for something bigger, it may be your opportunity. Good way to learn another management style. Best wishes.

MRed94

367 Posts

OH! What a wonderful door to have open in front of you....

Best wishes, and keep us posted.

Marla

:D

nur20

270 Posts

WAY TO GO, MY HOME HEALTH SISTER:p

hoolahan, ASN, RN

1 Article; 1,721 Posts

Specializes in Home Health.

Thanks all. And nur20, I have been meaning to tell you, I absolutely LOVE that sparkling gemstone avatar, waaaay cool the way it changes colors!! (Had to fix a typo, now I see the ruby red slippers from aimee, my little pretty, below, and now I am torn to which one I like better!)

I did think of that whole stepping stone thing. This is really a great way to move into big-time public health. I have done some supervision before, but had the yukky stuff like holidays and never enough staff when there were call outs, NO support staff. I will have a secretary available to me, not used to that either. They used to give us business cards beach nurse, at the VNA, but the year I started there, they cut that expense out, which is a shame b/c pt's used to love having their nurses extention to leave important messages. If I actually get my own business cards, I think I will faint. They gave me a nice office, no windows of course, but that is b/c I can enjoy the outdoors for the better part of my day. I hope they won't mind when they find out I hate spending time in offices and would much prefer being in my own house typing on my laptop! I'll let them get to know they can trust me first, so by the summer I can do that. My only real concern is my puppy. Granted I will have a short work day, but I will miss her and I would hate for her to be lonely!! I give her quite a bit of attention each day. And the facility and the office are not really convenient enough to get home and back in a 30 minute lunch break, so I hope they will let me do a little work from home as time goes by.

Zee_RN, BSN, RN

951 Posts

Specializes in Hospice, Critical Care.

Oh, Hoolahan, it sounds wonderful; I can hear the excitement in your voice through your post! You go girl!

Give it all you got, as I know you will. You'll do great! And what a resume-builder! Have fun with it and let us know how it goes.

You deserve it. Good work, kiddo.

aimeee, BSN, RN

932 Posts

Congratulations, Hoolahan! Sounds like a great opportunity for you.

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