Anyone out there? Please, need advice:

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Please, need advice!

Hi all. I just started my first nursing job on a medical unit. During school, I found my interest gravitating towards OR, in one aspect or another but was under the misconception that it woud be difficult to get into this area without some med-surg experience. Knowing I would hate it, I accepted my current position with the intent of gaining the supposed necessary experience to move elsewhere. Two months into my job--I am nearing the end of my preceptorship but nowhere near the end of my probationary period--I've learned that the nurse manager in our hospital's OR does hire new grads and actually prefers to do so. Upon accepting this position, I was told that my dept. asks for an 18 month commitment. I really doubt that I can withstand this for that period of time, especially now that I am experiencing daily the brunt of insufficient staffing on my unit. I am finding myself already resentful that the workload is piled on, yet management expects you to take your breaks while avoid logging in overtime. I understand that working for free is part of the nursing culture but I guess I haven't accepted this yet. My quesiton is, would it be not be advisable to contact the OR manager, who a friend of mine is acquainted with and claims (she) is empathetic to the challenge of a new grad's finding her niche in the profession? I'm afraid this will get back to my manager even if i give only my first name, as this is a small facility with only 250 beds. Am I right to assume that each dept. will honor the commitment set forth by other dept.s in hiring? In other words, is there probably no chance that if there are openings, the OR manager would consider hiring me before my 18 months is up? Thanks in advance for any input; I'm frustrated and getting desperate.

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Specializes in psych,maternity, ltc, clinic.

They ASK for an 18 month commitment but you have signed no contract (I assume) , so you are under no legal obligation to stay,so I would put in a call to the OR supervisor. Let her know you have been orienting in med-surg but it is not for you, and ask what the chances are of you transferring to OR. Tell her you feel akward about this and dont wish to show disrespect to your current supervisor, but you had no idea that the OR had a new grad preceptorship, or that would have been your first choice.

Hospitals are used to high turn over and you wont have been the first to leave before orientation is done.

A few years ago, I was scouting around for a new job. I HAD a job, so no hurrys. Anyway, there was one I REALLY wanted. Seemed great, 3miles from home etc,etc. I had also had 2 interviews with another place, which was "ok". Definitely doable but I had no excitement about it. So I got offered the so-so job, asked for a few days to think about it (actually hoping the job I really wanted would call). I emailed and called the #1 choice place asking for some clue, if I was in the running or what. I heard nothing so called and accepted the "so-so" job. You can guess the rest.....10 minutes later I was called by chooice #1 with an offer. It was a better offer, closer to home etc. but I felt I had to let my "yes be yes and my no be no", so told him I already had a job. (He's been out of office on family emergency which is why he hadnt called before) I felt sick, but out a email to my whole address book titled "f*ck!" explaining the situation. I got a ton of emails back saying TAKE THE JOB YOU WANT YOU IDIOT!!!. So I called both places and said I changed my mind. I am still here, and have no plans to go anywhere, and love it.

We want to be honorable people, but we are ultimately no good to anyone if we are not true to ourselves.

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Thank you for your input. No I did not sign anything so I am not bound legally but since the positions are in the same facility, I don't want to blacklist myself or risk any form of retalliation. I'll just hope the OR manager respects my request for confidentiality when I call her which I've decided to do. I'm glad you found--and accepted--your ideal job. It seems like a rare thing to be able to be excited about one's employment.

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Specializes in A little of this & a little of that.

"Working for free" needs to stop being part of the nursing culture. You are entitled to breaks by law. If an emergency prevents you from taking break, the law requires you be paid. If you work OT you should be paid. This "culture" is one of the reasons unions have become more common in nursing. If the hospital is preventing you from taking breaks and not paying for hours worked, report them to the Labor Dept. Often, this is not even a policy, but nurses being "martyrs". Don't fall into it. Take your breaks and report your hours accurately. You are a professional and should be paid for working!! Staffing will never improve while over-worked, under-staffed nurses continue to martyr themselves.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I would not go so far as to say she is not bound to the commitment of 18 months on M/S just because she didnt sign anything. There are such things as verbal contracts. Just depends on how far people are willing to push it. Also the fact she took the position may be enough to commit her to that job, it may be in the job description or in some paper work she signed when she started. Thats why I is best to get things in writing, if they dont want to go to that trouble insist on it as it may save you headaches later. If they wont do it yourself and have them sign it, if they refuse let them know you are keeping it with all the stuff they give you when you started.

Rj

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Specializes in cardiac, ortho, med surg, oncology.
"Working for free" needs to stop being part of the nursing culture. You are entitled to breaks by law. If an emergency prevents you from taking break, the law requires you be paid. If you work OT you should be paid. This "culture" is one of the reasons unions have become more common in nursing. If the hospital is preventing you from taking breaks and not paying for hours worked, report them to the Labor Dept. Often, this is not even a policy, but nurses being "martyrs". Don't fall into it. Take your breaks and report your hours accurately. You are a professional and should be paid for working!! Staffing will never improve while over-worked, under-staffed nurses continue to martyr themselves.

I totally agree that "working for free" needs to stop. I personally refuse to do it. Period. However the whole breaks thing, that is a different story. Not every state has laws that entitle you to breaks. My state for one does not. Check with your own state labor law website to see what laws your state has. Just say no to being a Mary Martyr Nurse!!!!!!!

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Specializes in Critcal Care.

I had a similar experience. Started on a floor I didn't like, wanted to transfer as soon as my orientation/probation period was over. In the hospital I work at, they would rather keep you at their hospital rather than lose you to another. They are really willing to help you find your "niche" and don't mind if you transfer to another department. Of course, we get an OK from both managers to do so. I would like to think that they would rather have a nurse who likes her job rather than one who doesn't. There shouldn't be hard feelings, you still work for the same hospital. They should want to keep you. Obviously you could quit and find a job somewhere else and I think they should realize this. Bottom line........ go for it. It is terrible to be in a job you don't like. Good Luck.

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Specializes in Infusion Nursing, Home Health Infusion.

Agree with the above posts GO for it. Please do not work for free. I have seen so many nurses do that over the many many years I have been a nurse. When I was in charge I insisted that nurses sign out ONLY when they were done. Legally speaking,if you provide care off the clock you can be in big trouble. How can you administer a medication and document it if your time card shows that you were not working at that time......could be a problem some day!!!!

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I just want to thank everyone for their input. I have a lot to consider, that is if I can find some time to mull this stuff over given that I get so exhausted from work! I guess that happens on a med-surg unit when you're fresh out of school. Thanks again, everyone!

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Our facility has a hospital wide policy that you cannot apply to transfer to another unit until you have been off orientation for three months (why three months? I don't know). For most floors, orientation is a three month process, so you can't transfer for 6 months. For ICU and ER, orientation is a 6 month process so you can't transfer for 9 months.

When she gave you the 18 month rule, it might very well be that there is some hospital policy. Or she just might have thrown a number out there. All you have to do is ask the OR nurse manager.

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