New grad - to quit or wait it out?

[TXRN1119]

I am a new grad MedSurg RN 4ish months into my nurse residency, which lasts 12 months. However, since I took this position, I've had issue after issue with my facility and supervisors.

First, my shift differential was NOT was I was promised by the nurse recruiter. That recruiter quit shortly after I accepted the position, and I am several dollars short on the hour of the night shift and weekend differential that I was promised. I mentioned it to HR, and they said, "So sorry that happened! We'll have someone contact you about this. " No one ever contacted me. I let that go after I heard several other nurses were lied to about shift diff as well because I really enjoyed my coworkers and the unit while I was on orientation. However, as soon as I got off orientation and began working shifts without my preceptor, I noticed we had serious problems on the unit, bordering on patient abuse/neglect and harassment/bullying of nurses from unit supervisors. I did report it both to my preceptor and manager, and the supervisors engaging in this behavior have continued to work, even after repeatedly being sent home for being belligerent toward nurses and some patients.

The breaking point was when I was floated to the unit a few weeks after coming off orientation, with no training. I tried to tell the supervisor that I was uncomfortable with the assignment so she told me that I was "officially beginning orientation" in ICU. (After talking with my manager, who apologized over and over, I found out that this was a lie to get me to cover a shortage in the unit. I was NOT orienting in the unit.) The nurse that was "orienting" me ended up leaving me alone in ICU for 3/4 of the shift after we got report. I made it through the shift, but as I was driving home, I realized everything that could have gone wrong in that shift and how accepting that assignment could have cost me my license. I requested a transfer to another facility within the system, but the request was denied by my manager and facility CNO, who said they knew the culture of the unit was causing employees to leave and promised be more present during night shifts. On top of all this, the supervisors consistently started trying to call me off, so I was being forced to use my PTO to cover the hours that I wasn't getting to work, until I refused and contacted my manager to say I WANT TO WORK.

I applied for a PRN Home Health position just to try to bring in some extra income after realizing I wasn't getting the shift diff that I was promised, and to my surprise considering my 4 months of experience, I got the PRN job making more money than my MedSurg job and was even offered full-time at an even higher rate. I accepted the PRN position.

I also spoke with the HR department at my MedSurg job and found out that although I cannot transfer to another facility within 1 year of my hire date, I could turn in a notice, officially quit, and then just rehire into the system at another facility on a MedSurg unit to get around my transfer request being denied.

MedSurg is really where I want to be. I love the variety of patients, the fast pace, and the constant learning. I just feel like the unit I'm on now might not be safe, for my patients, my coworkers, or for my license. The culture absolutely sucks... no doubt about it, and the only nurses who have stayed at this facility are the supervisors who treat staff nurses, aides, and HUCs like crap.

Should I try to stick it out to the 1 year mark on my current unit while I work home health PRN? Or should I work home health full-time, while I turn in a notice, quit, and try to get back into MedSurg at another facility? (Another facility IS hiring btw... and has multiple positions open for days and nights MedSurg) Like I said... the money and scheduling, especially for a new grad, is good in home health, but ultimately, MedSurg is really where I want to be full-time.

[Purple_roses]

If this were me, I would quit the med surg job and take the full time home health job. As far as your plan to quit and then apply to another facility within the hospital system to get around the transfer situation--there's no guarantee that this plan will work. Your current med surg job is bad news. Multiple employees being lied to? Supervisors refusing to allow transfers because they know that they suck and think that by showing up randomly on the night shift, things will be better? People being sent home for yelling at patients and staff???? I would run and I wouldn't look back.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

You have another job ready, quit and put them in your rear view mirror. Your supervisors sound deceptive and dangerous.

[Natasha A., CNA, LVN]

I am sorry you are experiencing what you are feeling right now. When things start to become unethical is when its time to move forward to another job.

[ponymom]

You work from some real pigs right there. You know in your heart what you should do..

[JKL33]

I also spoke with the HR department at my MedSurg job and found out that although I cannot transfer to another facility within 1 year of my hire date, I could turn in a notice, officially quit, and then just rehire into the system at another facility on a MedSurg unit to get around my transfer request being denied.

I would not stay in this situation. BUT, I just wanted to highlight what hopefully is already obvious to you: You really can't trust anything HR says, even though some of the players have changed in your time there. You have no idea whether you'll resign thinking you're just going to hire into the same system at a different facility, only to find out they have made your file "not eligible for rehire".

If I were to leave I would have accepted a position elsewhere before giving notice at your current facility.

Good luck ~

[cleback]

Wow.... that place sounds horrible. Do you by chance have your acceptance letter with the agreed upon differential? That's totally crazy that they lied to you about that. Also lying to you about orienting in the ICU just to give you a patient load.... who does that?? As a float, I do go to units I have not been trained to, but the expectation is that I am a helper and do not have my "own" so to speak.

I wouldn't trust anything your manager or HR says. You said home health isn't where you want to be, so I wouldn't take the full time position there if you can help it. If finding another medsurg job with a different organization is possible, I would work towards that.

[TXRN1119]

Wow.... that place sounds horrible. Do you by chance have your acceptance letter with the agreed upon differential? That's totally crazy that they lied to you about that. Also lying to you about orienting in the ICU just to give you a patient load.... who does that?? As a float, I do go to units I have not been trained to, but the expectation is that I am a helper and do not have my "own" so to speak.

I wouldn't trust anything your manager or HR says. You said home health isn't where you want to be, so I wouldn't take the full time position there if you can help it. If finding another medsurg job with a different organization is possible, I would work towards that.

I have the acceptance letter specifying my hourly rate, not shift diff. And, shift diff is the same ($1.50 higher on nights and $0.50 higher for weekends) at every other facility in the system, so every nurse that comes there hires in and doesn't find out about the diff until their first check hits. Then, it's too late bc you can't transfer within the first year.

The poor HUCs and aids basically get no diff for nights and weekends. At every other facility, they do.

[Sour Lemon]

As a new grad with a few months of experience (and that on orientation), you're probably not going to find a "good" job (at least not in a hospital). Not only do you lack experience, but conflict driving you from your first position will make you even more unappealing.

I worked as a new grad in Texas for two years under horrible conditions. The positive side is that every other job seems "easy" now. I would NOT count on being rehired by the system. In fact, it sounds like (from the cancellations) they're trying to permanently get rid of you.

Do what you need to do, but keep your expectations realistic. As a side note, your mean supervisors are probably acting on orders from above and have little choice in anything.