New Clnc And Night Shift Job

Editorial Team / Admin · Jun 22, 2008

i received my CLNC pin and certificate yesterday. :smokin:do u think it is a good idea to give a copy of clnc certificate to my nurse manager? i work night shift full time in medical psych unit and earn low down salary as a level 2 rn after 15 years in nursing in us, x1 year as a RGN (registered general nurse) in uk and 2 years as nurse/midwife in asia. my boss lies and has favorities and i dont want to be given extra work for still low pay compared to my level 3 co workers who can hardly walk who are in their late 60s and 70s one of them a professional gambler and is too tired to walk and see patients by the time she comes to work. sorry but i have a big vacation planned in end of july and i dont want to find a new employer while im in the middle of a vacation plan with activities and hotel already paid by male friend.everyday i have to deal with abusive boss and abusive mental health techs who dont do nothing but curse and curse , yell to staff and me all night bec they just dont want to do anything but complain and drink coffee all night:yawn::yawn:.any input greatly appreciated..thanks siri/rn1989/klkrn in advance :yeah:

Hello, cebugirl! Congratulations on passing the CLNC examination.

What do you hope to accomplish by showing a copy of the certificate to your nurse manager? I'm a little confused as to why you want to do this.

Sounds as if you need to make some important decisions about staying in your current job situation.

Good luck.

RN1989 · Jun 22, 2008

I don't think I would even let your boss know that you have taken and passed the CLNC exam. It might cause her to find a way to get rid of you because she might be worried that you will cause problems for her or the hospital using your new education.

Keep the job for now and enjoy your vacation. After your vacation - I'd start looking for a new job. Sounds like this one is not going to get any better.

Congrats on getting your pin! Get a frame for your certificate and hang it where you can see it every day to inspire you and remind you of what you accomplished.

Aviationurse · Jun 22, 2008

:specs:thought that by showing CLNC certificate to nurse mgr

1. she would maybe be a little "scared" of my new education and hope she will beef up the staffing at night bec we average x 5 admissions with only x2 night nurses and we get hit all the time with these violent/aggressive /5 way restraint and do not admit patients from nursing home and diff hospitals:argue::argue:

2. a little change/increase with my low salary... :eek: :eek: :eek: ...more voice in patient/staff safety

thanks siri/rn1989...i appreciate the advice...true...nurse managers would get rid of staff fast quickly if they have some legal background bec they cant lie and tell staff u should do this and that in terms of untowards incidents in unit like suicide/hanging in unit etc etc.....to cover themselves.... :no: :no:instead of beefing up staff ...we are always short staffed everyday and working dangerous conditions to save hosp money until something happens..... :specs: :specs:

Editorial Team / Admin · Jun 22, 2008

:specs:thought that by showing CLNC certificate to nurse mgr
1. she would maybe be a little "scared" of my new education and hope she will beef up the staffing at night bec we average x 5 admissions with only x2 night nurses and we get hit all the time with these violent/aggressive /5 way restraint and do not admit patients from nursing home and diff hospitals:argue::argue:

Intimidation is never a good idea, cebugirl. This is not the way to improve staff ratios or anything for that matter. Please reconsider doing this. This will surely backfire and for several reasons.

2. a little change/increase with my low salary...:eek:...more voice in patient/staff safety

Highly doubtful that you would enjoy a pay increase. The education you received was not a part of your current job description and therefore, not necessary to do your job. So, this would be rendered a moot point with your employers.

thanks siri/rn1989...i appreciate the advice...true...nurse managers would get rid of staff fast quickly if they have some legal background bec they cant lie and tell staff u should do this and that in terms of untowards incidents in unit like suicide/hanging in unit etc etc.....to cover themselves....:no:instead of beefing up staff ...we are always short staffed everyday and working dangerous conditions to save hosp money until something happens.....:specs:

Again, sounds as if you are in a somewhat toxic environment. You seriously should consider moving on.

Also, bear in mind as a legal nurse consultant, you are not an expert in the Law. You are a nursing expert only. You have some knowledge about how to apply nursing and medicine to the Law. Remember, you are not an attorney.......be careful with your newfound role as LNC.

preoprn · Jun 23, 2008

I totally agree with sirI and RN1989. I would not tell my nurse manager. I work with a nurse who recently got her CLNC who told our manager. She was to by the manager that this new found role had better not interfer with her current position. Now she is worried what will happen if she needs extra time off for court or attorney appointments.

KLKRN, RN · Jun 23, 2008

I have in the past used vacation time as "terminating vacations" where I used my scheduled vacation time as my 2-week notice in such toxic environments. And as the others have said, it is a toxic environment, one you need to separate yourself from.

I agree with the others on all their points. There is nothing to accomplish by telling your boss of your new career path, and it may actually backfire on you. Colleagues may see you as a "whistle blower" and management may fear exposure, particularly if they are aware of your anger.

And as SirI said, you have nothing to gain by trying to intimidate. It only shows how weak you feel and invariably backfires.

rnpract · Aug 5, 2008

I have to agree with the other posters, you have nothing to gain, except being terminated by your current employer by showing them your certification. It sounds like a very bad environment for you to work in. Legal Nurse Consulting is not something you can flip a switch and be working, I would always recomend at least initially having another position while you market and get your name out there.

It definitely sounds like you need to make a change and quick, you want to be positive about yourself in order to market your abilities, and it is difficult to be positive with the work environment you described. Keep your chin up, look at your options while you are vacationing and plan your move, and welcome to the "group"

crystalwomn · Nov 19, 2008

I also recommend you not let your manager know you have your CLNC. I am aware of a number on legal nurse consultants who fired from their hospital positions because of their status as LNC's. In one case it appeared the nurse had been "blackballed" by local hospitals. We do not make administrators comfortable.

Although, I don't work in hospital, someone above me decided they would try to cause problems for me and for the first time in five years I had to fill out a conflict of interest statement. Fortunately other administrators have seen the value of having an LNC on staff and frequently seek me out for my opinion. The program used an article I wrote on diliberate indifference as part of our compentency and skills testing this year.

So, no don't tell your boss. Don't give up your day job. It takes an average of five years to get your business up and running. Yes, get out of your current situation ASAP. You must do this before you suffer a serious injury or worse before you find yourself on the wrong end of a lawsuit.