tell the boss or get another reference? what would you do?

Nursing Students SRNA

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, Cardiothoracic ICU.

Dilemma: Okay, I've been an RN for 4 years now and a year of that was in a trauma 1 Neurosurgical ICU. I decided to move up to the Northwest and accepted a position in a teaching hospital in their cardiothoracic icu. I've been here 3 months and the idea with the move was to work here for 3 or 4 years and then apply for CRNA school.

Now, I've decided I want to apply this year instead of waiting and if I'm going to do it I had better get started. I have great references from the Neuro ICU and I'm shadowing a CRNA. I finished my BSN with a 3.7 cum gpa. I've been on the acute stroke response team, I'm currently managing very heavy patients in a 24 bed cardiothoracic icu in a teaching hospital, I traveled for 2 years, I helped put together a critical care conference at my last place of employment, I'm getting my CCRN and taking the gre soon... I would wait a couple of years as planned, but I've got 2 little ones with a third on the way and I'm not getting any younger. Also, I meet all of the requirements to get in. No real reason to wait, but I've put myself in a position by moving jobs.

I don't dare tell anyone on my unit I'm planning to go because it is major voodoo here. Bad juju to even mention CRNA school. SO annoying. Also, the unit is half a million over budget for the quarter and my boss is freaking about finances. He calls every single shift to make sure staffing is correct and that there aren't too many nurses coming in.

so, I am a little bit leary about mentioning my desire to pursue CRNA school to my boss, let alone ask him for a reference. Especially since I've only been on the unit for 3 months. One of the schools I am looking at is Midwestern in AZ and they require one of the 3 references to be from my current supervisor. What do I do? Do I just send 3 other references in and try to explain myself in the interview? That sounds like a surefire plan for failure or at least awkwardness. What do you all recommend? Also, any other place I apply will probably find it weird if all my references are from neuro and none are from cardiothoracic. what to do? Thanks in advance for your advice.

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I was in this same exact position. I had planned on waiting another year but three months after getting a new job I got the sudden uncontrollable urge to apply. I had to awkwardly approach one of the clinical leaders (supervisor) and ask for a reference. So yeah, it was awkward, but it takes a pretty vindictive person to give you a bad reference out of sheer resentfulness. Humbly explaining your situation should help allay any thoughts of "the nerve of this punk....getting this awesome job and applying to school 3 months later."

I would do a test run... approach the person and explain your need for the reference, etc. and if they sigh heavily and roll their eyes... well... I'd send in three references from my old job, haha. But even if your current job doesn't write you the best reference ever written, the school you apply to will see that you only had worked there for three months, whereas the tomes of praise and admiration the school received from your previous employment will have more weight because you worked there longer.

Perhaps after the word is out you won't get the best assignments or the best shifts, but I don't think you'll be crucified.

P.S. My supervisor must have written me a good one, because I got in :)

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, Cardiothoracic ICU.

Thanks for the reply adamrj8282,

A lot of what you say makes sense. I guess I just need to find the gumption to approach the boss. I'll probably wait until the last minute possible to talk to him. I can't believe I didn't think of this beforehand when I applied for the job. All I could think of was how much better the experience on a cardiothoracic unit would be compared to a neuro unit. I should've just applied. oh well. move forward from here. Where did you end up applying? I still wonder if I could get away with just using the old references. Hmmmm.....once the word is out that I'm going to school I'll still be on the unit a year and a half before school starts. Maybe that fact would ease the blow. Anyway, thanks for thinking it through with me. If anyone else has some input I would greatly welcome it. Has anybody applied to a school that demands a current supervisor reference and gotten in without it (with alternative references instead, I mean). Thanks again!

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I applied to University of Pittsburgh and I live in Arizona. I didn't apply to Midwestern because they have clinicals in like four states!

When I approached my supervisor about the reference, I made it clear that school wasn't going to start until way in the future, and that I would therefore be at the job for over a year before school even started... and thats IF I even got accepted. I made it sound like a long shot in the distant future.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, Cardiothoracic ICU.

Thanks for the suggestions. That's a good point that I'll be working there for quite some time before school starts "IF" I get in. I think that angle just might be worth trying. That's good to know Midwestern has so many clinicals out of state. That just may discourage me from applying there. That was the main reason I hadn't planned on applying in my hometown of Salt Lake City. The clinical sites are ALL out of state at Westminster. Anyway, wish me luck. I'll keep you updated on what I come up with. Thanks again.

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I would get another reference, I was in the same spot as you, I approached one of my clinical educators who is technically in a "supervisory" role, but much nicer and open to the idea of school. They wrote the reference, mailed it out and it never came up at interview...look at it this way if you don't get in and you are stuck for another year with a boss who seems to be a control freak..well life will be not so fun :-(

hopefully you have one of those people in your unit.

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Yeah, I grew up in Layton/Ogden and went to Weber State so I know what you mean... Not a lot of great options in the area for school =P

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When asking for ref letters from anybody --even if they have said "if you ever need a reference, I'd be glad to provide one" or something like that-- I always start the conversation something like "I will be applying for XYZ program and was wondering if you felt you could provide me with a letter of reference?". It is the person's choice how they feel. Some people will honestly say "I don't know you well enough yet", and that's okay. Also be aware that a reference can be positive or negative :) Sure you can get a reference from the co-worker that hates, you, they'd be happy to write it and explain why you are NOT a good candidate.

Okay, so I got a little off topic. What I mean is Just Ask. If you are worried about 'payback' though, I don't know what to tell you. My whole unit was very supportive of me.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU, Cardiothoracic ICU.
Yeah, I grew up in Layton/Ogden and went to Weber State so I know what you mean... Not a lot of great options in the area for school =P

I grew up in the Ogden area as well. Funny thing. I graduated from Weber State University too. It's been 4 years ago. I finally decided to move out of state up to Seattle for a more acute working atmosphere, though. Hence, the position I am in. I'm still stalling, though. I've got some time to make up my mind before I decide on who to approach for a reference.

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