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Nurses General Nursing

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So, a competing health system had a job fair. I have not been happy at my skilled nursing job as it is just a horrid place. So......on a lark I headed over to the fair. This same system had rejected me oh....about 9 times.

Well, this time it was love at first sight and they offered and I accepted a job on "the renal unit". I love the renal system and I am pretty excited. Do any of you work on a renal unit? How do you like it? What can I expect?

On a selfish note it felt very good to hand in my resignation letter. I had grown very bitter after 1.5 years of horrible staffing and inappropriate levels of pt acuity on our unit. They were shocked. BTW, I had found out that I was one of or maybe even the lowest paid RN at the old place......

I had repeatedly mentioned to my boss that I never received any positive feedback but plenty of negative. I would often ask her straight up...Do I do anything right? She would always say yes and walk off.

I am here to tell you that as a male, I need and require positive feedback. I would rather have the occasional kind word than a .14 per hour annual increase. So to my female bosses...take note....learn to dish out a little praise.

Please bring to light my shortcomings so that I may correct them. But please lets also discuss what I am doing right and even how I can improve on those things. It is hard to go to work day in and day out working an avg of 4 12's per week when feeling unappreciated.

Another tidbit for jobseekers. My experience shows that mentioning that you wish to enroll in NP school straightaway is the kiss of death. Do not mention your plans to be an NP.....they will see you as a distracted employee who will need a lot of days off with a fairly inflexible schedule and they will probably not hire you.

To get this job, I dropped out of NP school and promised my new system that I will obtain my BSN. A promise that I will keep.

I am happy and excited to begin my new journey but man these last 6 shifts at the old place are going to drag on lol...

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Specializes in ED, Medicine, Case Management.

I think that the need for positive feedback is universal and not specific to the fact that you are male. It sounds as if you had a less than stellar manager. I am sorry for your experience and I am happy that you are moving to something new. I do have to question dropping out of NP school - I assume you were in a direct entry program, yes? Do you plan on going back after you get your BSN? Certainly I do not know your situation, but I am concerned that you would shortchange your own career for an organization that is more concerned with their interests than yours.

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Had really just begun the NP program. With work and with my life, the NP program was not going to work out any way. And yes, it was a direct entry program. I was still early in my first class when I left.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I work with a lot of renal patients. You will see tons of diabetics, CHF, COPD, dialysis and chronic pain patients. It is a challenging patient population secondary to the fact that many of them also suffer from depression, anxiety, some have incredible denial. These are people who likely aren't going to get better. They are just as sick when you send them home again, only stabilized. You will have opportunities to really bond with some. You will recognize your frequent fliers. I find putting the pieces together of all their intertwined pathologies incredibly interesting. I find some days are a real challenge but I have grown a lot in knowledge caring for this population. I see a subjectively higher than averag propensity for wounds and many have difficult psyche and addiction issues as well as powerlessness and trust issues. You can make a real difference for these people but be sure you get your time management down pat and that you take very good care of yourself. Congrats on your new job. Feel free to hit me up with questions.

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Yeah, nobody should apply for a job and say, or imply, "...but I'm only staying a year because I'm going to NP school," or anything remotely like this. Why would I hire you under those assumptions?

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A facility that had rejected you nine times now loves you and can't wait to hire...?

What's happening there that they went from very discriminating to grabbing nurses where they can? Not a reflection on YOU, per se (I don't know what kind of nurse you are) but you said they rejected you nine times about a year ago...and now are falling over themselves to hire you.

Why?

Sorry to throw a sour note in, but......something doesn't sound right. I wonder if you'll be back in another year describing how horrid it was there....?

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Actually it doesn't sound sour at all to me. There are tons of nurses out there applying online getting rejected due to not having 100% of what the job ad is asking for, but those rejections are coming from HR and an automated system. Get a good nurse with a decent personality in front of a manager and suddenly the whole automated electronic rejection goes away and a real conversation is held about what the nurse can bring to the floor. I see it happen all the time. The modern way of job hunting is very stilted and stifling.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Fwiw, the last two L&D units I worked on, they were delighted to learn I was enrolled in a nurse-midwifery program. It was definitely a point in favor of hire, rather than a detriment.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Sometimes it is just a fit. I HATE these computer systems that possibly throw our great nurses. I want to see people face to face and make my decision from there.

mindlor....you have been unhappy for a while I am so happy for you!!

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Actually it doesn't sound sour at all to me. There are tons of nurses out there applying online getting rejected due to not having 100% of what the job ad is asking for, but those rejections are coming from HR and an automated system. Get a good nurse with a decent personality in front of a manager and suddenly the whole automated electronic rejection goes away and a real conversation is held about what the nurse can bring to the floor. I see it happen all the time. The modern way of job hunting is very stilted and stifling.

Good point! There was a time when the advice for a job hunter was to get dressed up, put on a shining smiling face, and walk the resume in the door, asking for HR. Today that's not the case, with "we only accept online applications" having become more the norm.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
A facility that had rejected you nine times now loves you and can't wait to hire...?

What's happening there that they went from very discriminating to grabbing nurses where they can? Not a reflection on YOU, per se (I don't know what kind of nurse you are) but you said they rejected you nine times about a year ago...and now are falling over themselves to hire you.

Why?

Sorry to throw a sour note in, but......something doesn't sound right. I wonder if you'll be back in another year describing how horrid it was there....?

​Or complaining that the place has nothing but dried up bitter nurses who need to just get out.

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​Or complaining that the place has nothing but dried up bitter nurses who need to just get out.

....and with this post, I'm reminded it WAS the OP who had such a series of complaints, while still a student...? OP, has your mindset changed now that you are a nurse? Has your initial set of complaints become replaced with a different perception, I wonder?

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