At the end of my rope...

MinnieMomRN · Jan 21, 2012

I just wanted to wish you luck on the interview. I wouldn't be completely discouraged. Think about it in the way that they are taking time out of their day to speak with you. Be bold; you still have a foot in the door. And, if it doesn't come to pass, use the connections for networking and making further in-roads. People turn up in the darnedest places. Make some connections. :)

Let us know how it goes!

LiveIrishRN · Jan 21, 2012

I know the feeling of wanting that dream job, and coming to the realization that you don't have any experience is the reason or may be the only reason why you don't get that chance. I've always thought that it would be better to hire someone "fresh" then someone that has been doing that job for years that is stuck in their ways. I wish you the best of luck!!

LoveNursing717 · Jan 22, 2012

Its okay that you dont like it. Through learning experiences you will find exactly whats right for you. Hang in there. With an education like yours you should be in research or managing a group of nurses who work with patients who have infectious diseases. You have bigger things in your future. Its just your instincts telling you that. Follow them. Best of luck.

FireSpriteRN · Jan 22, 2012

I'm well familiar with the blackballed interview. But here's a a silver lining, you now know in advance what you're weakest point is! Go in there and wow them with the things you Can do and are familiar with, and don't skirt issue - maybe say "I know my professional experience in this field is limited right now, but due to my related experience with ABC, my willingness to learn, and my passion for the challenge of ID as a field of study, I feel I would excel." Or something of that nature. One of the senior staff told me as I was just starting nursing 'the only cure for ignorance is education and experience.' And You've already got the education part down. But I can't count how many times I've come out of an interview and felt really good, and then got the letter/email that said 'sorry, a more experienced candidate was chosen d/t ABC' and I have ABC, but I didn't mention it or play it up because that's not what I thought they were looking for. So, yeah, it sucks. But make lemonade, address the issue strongly, ask what his/her concerns are about hiring a less experienced person for the job - (and be able to counter those questions) like that you would bring a fresh perspective to existing issues, etc. And if you don't get it - you tried! Good Luck!!!

nursecat64 · Jan 22, 2012

It's not just in nursing. People in general are spoiled. They have too much. I saw a show (Oprah I think) Where they went into a very poor area in Africa and gave all the children a pair of shoes and one toy each. These kids were OVER THE MOON!! They also built them a school- kids were happy to walk miles just for the chance to learn to read and perhaps get a bowl of rice... Here, we have a sense of entitlement. It's not enough that we get a tray of food 3 times daily, we want it hot and want it to taste good ...That's my opinion, anyway

catlover5 · Jan 22, 2012

You are absolutely right! I see more and more RN's with advanced degrees providing hands on patient care; and they HATE it! In our area this is due to the hospitals phasing out LPNs and replacing them with RNs. Now they have highly educated nurses, which is what they wanted, that dont care anything about patient care. Best of luck I hope you can find what you are looking for.

I recently relocated to Florida with my fiance' for his job, and the area we're in (Tampa Area) is getting rid of LPN's in the hospitals. If you already work as an LPN in a hospital, you have to be in a program to become an RN......the state we moved from tried to do this but it didn't work, so I had a great job in a hospital with no threats of HAVING to get back into school. Now I work for an agency and I can't believe what I see in these hospitals. They use LPN's because of major staffing shortages. In fact, I've worked on units that have been staffed by more agency nurses than actual hospital employees. Sad, really, because some of these agency nurses (L's & R's) have a horrible attitude about how many pt's they'll take or they refuse to take admissions when it gets close to shift change time. And bullies....wow. Funny part is where I came from, nurses bullying or "horizontal violence" became an issue and the hospital wouldn't tolerate it (took losing alot of staff first). Here, no one seems to know what horizontal or lateral violence is and denies nurses bullying being an issue in Florida. I love my work but it's becoming less worth the stress of hurrying to get into a program to be an RN. I enjoy working 3 nights a week and being in control of my schedule, but I'm looking into a physicians office or clinic job. Agencies have no problem working you 5 12hr shifts A WEEK!! Too unsafe if you ask me.

I was a hairdresser for 12 years and did what I said I would never do...be the hairdresser that becomes a nurse. I don't want to go back to that but I atleast have that to fall back on. Sorry I rambled again...... :bugeyes:

madfowl · Jan 22, 2012

Okay, I am DONE with bedside nursing. D-O-N-E, DONE! I am tired of being treated like a waiter (one with a master's degree in infectious diseases and microbiology!) and it will only get worse as Medicaid and Medicare funding is linked to patient satisfaction survey results. Um, I'm sorry that your food isn't palatable, but Wolfgang Puck wasn't available! I feel like a 12-hour shift cannot go by without a patient or family member being upset because they had to wait 10 minutes for pain meds or the room is too small or the hospital down the road has flat screen TVs or... The sense of entitlement is astonishing!
I am trying to secure an infection control position, but, while I am landing interviews with large facilities, I am not being hired because I lack formal experience (I know this because I recently received an e-mail message from the Director of Epidemiology that was intended for the Medical Director). How am I supposed to get experience if no one will give me a chance?
I just needed to vent. Thanks for listening!

Dear OP, I am actually glad that you are done with bedside nursing. I am also glad that the medical director strongly felt that s/he needed someone with clinical experience rather than you. As a infection control nurse, you will need first hand experience on actual INFECTION CONTROL methods from AN ACTUAL RN POINT OF VIEW. You will need to know, first hand, the family's role in causing/preventing infection, the medical staff's routines, and how you can use all that information to keep the hospital's HAI rates down. Having a master's degree is not enough dear. I feel that there has to be a fire in the belly, a passion, a REASON for wanting to do this. The money will never be enough. I am sick of nurses who treat patients and their families as an inconvenience. You have a job BECAUSE OF THEM. So yeah, call the kitchen and tell them to send up another meal, cuz whatever they dished out is not cutting it.Sympathize that they dont have a flat screen tv, cuz yeah, this is the ferking 21st century. Tell them who to talk to about that too. Yes, they should be able to spend time with their family without sitting on each other's lap. Tell them who to complain about that too. If you hate making people happy so bad, STAY THE HECK OUT OF NURSING.

My soliloquy has ended.

dishes, BSN, RN · Jan 22, 2012

Infection control nurses frequently listen to complaints from staff. If you want an employer to believe you have potential to make an effective infection control nurse, you will need to demonstrate ability to manage complaints.If you give the interview panel the impression that you are interested in the infection control job, in order to get away from patient and family complaints, they are going to realize you will not be a good fit for the job and you will be wasting everyone's time, by attending an interview so ill prepared.

Kittypower123, BSN, RN · Jan 22, 2012

I thought about switching to the ED so that I wouldn't have to spend SO much time with patients. It's a combination of entitled patients and families AND the lack of adequate staffing. I floated to an oncology unit a couple of nights ago and I had 8 patients and received an admission as I was getting report. The sad thing is that this 25-bed unit often runs with 2 RNs and 2 LPNs from 11-7p. 13:1?! HECK NO!!!

This may seem callous, but having only 8 patients seems so amazingly good. I work in LTC/Rehab and last night I had 27 patients, two nights ago I had 26 patients, one nurse had to work both LTC halls (52 patients) and we had 5 admits (our admits take a couple hours each to complete, minimum). I know it's so very different in the hospital, they are acute care after all, but still... in my environment, 13 would be heaven. I guess it's all relative.

Anyway, good luck with the interview!

Bella'sMyBaby · Jan 22, 2012

Wow Madfowl....This is a place to vent, not be trashed for the way we feel....There's alot of Nurses who have had it with patient care, myself included. Companies don't want to deal with the real problems in Nursing...they will replace the Nurse with another, then another, then another....I've been in Nursing for quite some time and I've seen many good Nurses get booted out for no other reason than they were a "threat" to management. Nursing has major issues; schools can pump out all the Nurses they want, they won't last either....

leslie :-D · Jan 22, 2012

op, have you considered a volunteer position, in your dept of choice?

find out who is who, and contact them (in person), relaying your enthusiasm in learning this specialty.

in this competitive environment, we often have to think outside the box in order to realize our goals.

i too, struggle with the pervasive environment of entitlement...

whether it is in the hospital or community.

that said, i'm not fully understanding how your academic achievements, relate to your disdain in appeasing your pts.

is it only the educated, who should be offended in responding to such abject and menial requests (from pts)?

i am only seeking clarification. :)

i do wish you well, and find what you seek.

leslie

AWanderingMinstral · Jan 22, 2012

I think your tone is too harsh. I have nearly five years of experience in bedside nursing as well as experience working for a local health department. More and more patients will NEVER be satisfied. You imply that someone must put in 20 years before they are qualified to do something other than bedside nursing. If that's your decision, more power to you, but I feel that it's a matter of diminishing returns. By the way, if you want to question my dedication, please know that I was also a Peace Corps volunteer. Take a spin in MY shoes and get back to me!