Nurses eat their young - now I understand why.

[RN_Marie]

I started working for a sub-acute LTC as the DSD last week. The DON and I hit it off because we have the same vision on what we need to do in order to solve the problems we current have.

Early this week, we posted an ad for RN charge nurse with no experience required. We feel it's best to have trainable nurses even though they lack experience. I was tasked to interview for the position as I will be the one training them for the first 36-hours.

Needless to say, I was flabbergasted with the array of applicants we had and now know why the some nurses eat their young.

- New

RN

grad said she's been working as a CNA and knows she can do the job because there's not much difference between being a charge nurse and CNA

- New

RN

grad said that she'll consider our offer, so I asked if she is being offered another position (as we need someone full time). She said she's expecting an offer any day now since she finished the online application earlier this week (and she was not kidding).

- Someone coming into the interview with a wrinkled nose and irked expression and said that she can smell the BM from the floor

- Someone who wrote "expert in IV medication preparation"; when asked what's their experience on it, she stated she's been a vet nurse and she's been doing those a lot.

- Someone who said they are not available for the first two weeks of April as they are going on a cruise

- Someone asking for the pay, end up telling me that new grad RNs in LA are paid $34/hr starting at the beginning of the interview.

- When asked about core measures, all of them couldn't deliver one intelligent answer.

and a lot more...

Looking back, I asked myself if I ever acted as arrogant and privileged as the ones I encountered. Most of the ones the new grads I interviewed have this air... like they have mastered a craft. Like I should be rolling out the red carpet for them.

[melmarie23, MSN, RN]

you are looking for inexperienced RNs....and only going to offer them 36 hours of "training." You're seriously limiting your pool of applicants there I think. Kinda hard to take a job seriously if they are unwilling to take you seriously. If desperate times call for desperate measures...why the pickiness? lol

[netglow, ASN, RN]

I agree on everything but the "girl scout" stuff. Core measures, mission, all that is just marketing crap. Ask pathophysiology questions. Give any scenario... give some info and ask what they'd do, what they are thinking...

Also don't interview babies, or those who are in their 30's+ who have never had a professional working life. Interview people who have already had one career and proved themselves in that. Ask for references from that first career, too. Second career folks understand what work is... and often had some healthcare experience during the quest for a nursing career because they know it's needed.

Would save you a lot of time.

[kids]

you are looking for inexperienced RNs....and only going to offer them 36 hours of "training." You're seriously limiting your pool of applicants there I think. Kinda hard to take a job seriously if they are unwilling to take you seriously. If desperate times call for desperate measures...why the pickiness? lol

They aren't "only" getting 36 hours of training, Marie_RN is doing their FIRST 36 hours of training.

I have an issue with the vet "nurse" seeing as how 'nurse' is a protected title in many states.

It doesn't sound like Marie_RN was looking for an in depth discussion of Core Values, just an acknowledgment that they exist and a general definition.

Assuming the term 'Charge Nurse' at Marie's is the same used in many (most) SNFs/LTCs rather the hospital definition I think this is an excellent opportunity for a new grad. Hell, it would be a great opportunity for a flexible experienced nurse (wish you were in Eastern Alabama, I'd be all over it).

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

I agree on everything but the "girl scout" stuff. Core measures, mission, all that is just marketing crap. Ask pathophysiology questions. Give any scenario... give some info and ask what they'd do, what they are thinking...

Also don't interview babies, or those who are in their 30's+ who have never had a professional working life. Interview people who have already had one career and proved themselves in that. Ask for references from that first career, too. Second career folks understand what work is... and often had some healthcare experience during the quest for a nursing career because they know it's needed.

Would save you a lot of time.

I wish Core Measures were only marketing crap. I had never heard of them until I worked at my current position. Now it's vital everthing is documented or medicare will not pay and we get dinged during survey.

[mazy]

Every now and then, on a slow newsday, I'll see an article on the internet about what not to say at an interview, and I am astonished at the things that people say and do and wear in interviews.

And it sounds like you got a bunch of dopes. Sometimes you have to wonder whether the term "nursing shortage" actually refers to a shortage of sane nurses and not to the mythical shortage of nurses.

But please do not make this about nurses eating their young. I don't see that at all, and it makes the entire profession of nurses look bad to perpetuate that stereotype. The issue is that some people out there in the job market do not have a clue and possibly should not be nurses at all.

And it really scares me to know that there are facilities out there who will actually hire those nurses and then inflict them on the rest of the staff and patients. Thankfully, you didn't.

I will hold out hope that those nurses finally figure out that they need to get it together if they want to work and that I don't end up working side by side with them in some facility.

Because then we will see a post on this site about how 'I got written up/fired because I did this, that, and the other (horrible offense), I now see why nurses eat their young.

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

I started working for a sub-acute LTC as the DSD last week.

Early this week, we posted an ad for RN charge nurse with no experience required.

.

What did you expect? You are interviewing people with zero experience - at anything really - for a charge position. Yes, the people you describe are all clueless, but who placed the ad and brought those people in?

You should be apologizing to those new grads looking for work for wasting their time.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

The first time I read this it somehow escaped me that the interview was to fill a charge position.

After re-reading more carefully, I urge the OP and management s/he works with to reconsider hiring a new nurse with no experience for this position. New nurses need to hone their skills, emotional boundaries, and instincts. They have no business directing the activities of others, or serving in a resource role, when their own abilities have not yet been proven.

[gallatea]

I think you also have to realize, you're getting the bottom of the barrel in applicants. At the end of my program not one person signed up to do a LTC integrated practicum or co-op. It's the last resort for all but about 1%. Nobody chooses to work in LTC it seems, it's what you do when no hospital will hire you. Many of them may resent having to apply for your job and I've had friends that worked in LTC. After years of it, they would say a sign of a bad nursing home is that it wreaks of BM. Think about how you're presenting your place of employment to them as well if you want a really great employee. The cruise is a prepaid thing...don't take everything so personally. That person may have been looking for a job for 6 months and if no job offers, well other commitments do come up, life goes on - it's only two weeks. A lot of new grads might travel after 4-5 years of school. They earned it. I've heard similar stories from my sig. other whom owns a medical practice. Bizarre stories/attitudes from new grads or veteran nurses alike. He picked what he thought to be the best one, and was still disappointed. Now they only hire medical office assistants - easier and more efficient to train. No more RN's - too high maintenance requesting too much pay and they don't catch on fast enough. Yes big egos. I think every nurse applying for a job should read a book written by people that have done interviews to gain a new perspective.

[gallatea]

I agree on everything but the "girl scout" stuff. Core measures, mission, all that is just marketing crap. Ask pathophysiology questions. Give any scenario... give some info and ask what they'd do, what they are thinking...

Also don't interview babies, or those who are in their 30's+ who have never had a professional working life. Interview people who have already had one career and proved themselves in that. Ask for references from that first career, too. Second career folks understand what work is... and often had some healthcare experience during the quest for a nursing career because they know it's needed.

Would save you a lot of time.

Amen to that.

[nurseaig, ASN, BSN, MSN, NP]

Give me a break. I would not want to work for an institution that want to hire me as the charge nurse without any experience. And I personally think the OP is not trying to pay the true value for that charge nurse that they want to fill in that spot. They are trying to get over on the applicants inexperience. They should be a shame of want they are doing.

[chevyv, BSN, RN]

I have never heard of Core Measures until this post. I'm not sure a new grad would be able to tell you anything. My deer in the headlight look would have sunk me for sure, lol!

I do have to tell you that if I have planned a vacation, I would have told you flat out. Not sure when you would want to hear it, but once funds are invested and plans made, I would hope you would understand that. Did you expect her to cancel?

You're asking for someone with no experience so you can train them the way you want them. I also imagine that perhaps you can also pay them for the experience they don't have rather than for someone who has a bit of experience under their belt?

I remember all too well my first interview as a new grad. It went well until the end. I learned a lot that day. Each interview is a learning process for both. I'm sure the right applicant will come along. There are so many out there that the right one has to be right around the corner!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

i don't pick up that they're arrogant, just inexperienced and having somehow gotten a completely wrong idea about working life. all of these will resolve with time.

and really, you have to hire somebody with some experience. are you really expecting your seasoned staff to look on a new grad as an authority figure in charge? setting up everybody for failure and bad feelings all the way around.