I am over 60 years old. I was encouraged by a hospital I was volunteering at to renew my RN license. Since my license was lapsed for over 8 years, I retook the NCLEX again and renewed my license.
I was told by nurse recruiters that they would want me to have a refresher course which I am starting 8/29. In the meantime they suggested that I apply to skilled facilities to get a start to bring my skills up to date.
I began a new job at a LTC, skilled, sub-acute facility in which I was told by the DON I would be put in the skilled unit, I had a lot of good experience, etc. and they really wanted me, $25 hour.
When I first reported to my first floor orientation, I was placed on the LTC unit. I asked why I had been placed on LTC and not the skilled unit. I was told, well, you've been out for 10 years and the new graduates don't last in the skilled unit.
The duties consist of passing meds for about 7-1/2 hours, plus tube feeding and lots and lots of redundant charting for medicare charting, etc. for 39 patients in 8 hours. Then I heard the LVN that was orienting me that I was going to be her replacement when she was off.
I feel used and screwed because I made it very plain to the DON that I wanted A SKILLED position. I feel like I can't afford to make waves at this time because I feel the pay is good (for CAL). I had studied for a few months to take the NCLEX and passed it on the first try, so it was not as though I my mind was blank to what goes on in nursing and a lot of the studying was fairly easy because I remembered from past experience.
I guess I will stick it out until I finish my refresher course in December and hope that by then my chances will be a lot better because I had sent my resume in to a big hospital and they emailed me back and wanted to know what I had wanted, but said I had to take the refresher first.
I feel like I am being treated as though I am retarded and too old, although I am in excellent physical health and shape.
I am really disappointed and angry by being treated this way but I guess the money is fairly good but my whole point was to be hired to start in skilled nursing to get start on working on my skills. So I guess that will just have to wait until I get my refresher. I want to be doing the things I used to do, although part time. I don't want to be a pill pusher. Couldn't help griping over my disappointment.
Frankly, I am really angry besides being disappointed. I just hope I can keep my big mouth shut and do it as long as they are paying me $25/hour.
Update to "Bait and switch." I last posted on this subject about the end of July. I was again reading your kind and supportive posts. So I wanted to let you all know what has been going on. In August I got a one-day job a week at an ambulatory psych 19-bed residential center. There is still a lot I need to learn about psych but with my refresher program, I have definitely been an asset to this facility. I have the greatest DON in the world that I think the world of and vice-versa. The funny thing about this is I seem to be getting more med-surg experience here than in the big hospital clinicals. Not saying I haven't gained valuable experience back in the hospital clinicals.
But, it seems the assessment skills I have gained have been valuable for me at this job. It is strange that when I work the weekend, it seems like I end up with the "all of a sudden emergencies." The DON apologizes to me about some of these times, but I tell her it is good experience for me.
I have not really leaned much to psych, because the exposure to all the new outpatient procedures and technology have been so fascinating, but I am learning a lot more than med-surg experience. I have seen some wonderful nurses, but unfortunately, some of the most bitter nurses. I have been a "target" for the second time now. The "customer service" and corporate competition is worse than I ever thought it could be.
Anyway, I got trounced by a very unhappy float nurse this time. So me being a refresher, she pushed me to the wall in the guise of teaching me. At first I felt insecure about this, but then I got the picture. Apparently, she feels she is so overwhelmed, but does do a great job, that she took me, as a refresher, to ease her workload. It was the busiest day I have had in my clinicals, with 3 days to go. We are scheduled at a certain times to leave the floor for post conference. Sometimes I will stay later, but I began to feel like free labor. I told my instructor about this, and she said "you should be up to speed by now." She also said that the preceptor nurse was making comments about how I did not do this and that, etc. I also told my instructor that I didn't accept being any disgruntled nurse's scapegoat. It was not appropriate to compare me to an experienced full-time nurse and expect me to perform at her level. I do give her credit because she knew her stuff. But she was such a bully, and there was no support from my instructor. Funny, how the instructor tells me about the "dog eat dog world of the nursing world," but somehow I am the bad guy.
I really like med/surg, but this push by the hospitals for greater and greater profits is just so mean. For the most part it has been exciting, the learning, but it hurts so much to be used and thrown away. The thing that hurts is that for the most part, I really enjoy working with patients and when appropriate, I love to use humor, and help lessen their anxiety and pain and I feel good when I see them, at least for the time being, with their spirits lifted.
I am glad I have you to talk to because these issues really are weighty for nurses, patients, and corporate profits. Am I making any sense? I just feel discouraged right now. But the sun will shine again tomorrow.
By the way, the LTC that I had posted about before, the "Bait and switch," I left after the 4th shift. What is funny, I read the ads they run for nurses every Sunday, and they have a new glorious spin every week. The Assistant DON that was supportive of me at the time, I noticed that there was an ad for a new ADN, "Work with fantastic DON," or "Nurse, nice people work here." I just have to laugh. But I guess there is an equal mix of positive and negative in all professions.
I am still working for the same psych facility though. The DON is amazing and the CNA's are great and alert me to conditions that I would not otherwise be aware of, since I am not the one giving baths.
I am just going to try to be patient and see what happens in January and February. I do not want to make judgments about the negative.
Again, I loved rereading your responses to my situation and feelings. Thanks again for listening.
ZZTopRN, BSN, RN
483 Posts
Update to "Bait and switch." I last posted on this subject about the end of July. I was again reading your kind and supportive posts. So I wanted to let you all know what has been going on. In August I got a one-day job a week at an ambulatory psych 19-bed residential center. There is still a lot I need to learn about psych but with my refresher program, I have definitely been an asset to this facility. I have the greatest DON in the world that I think the world of and vice-versa. The funny thing about this is I seem to be getting more med-surg experience here than in the big hospital clinicals. Not saying I haven't gained valuable experience back in the hospital clinicals.
But, it seems the assessment skills I have gained have been valuable for me at this job. It is strange that when I work the weekend, it seems like I end up with the "all of a sudden emergencies." The DON apologizes to me about some of these times, but I tell her it is good experience for me.
I have not really leaned much to psych, because the exposure to all the new outpatient procedures and technology have been so fascinating, but I am learning a lot more than med-surg experience. I have seen some wonderful nurses, but unfortunately, some of the most bitter nurses. I have been a "target" for the second time now. The "customer service" and corporate competition is worse than I ever thought it could be.
Anyway, I got trounced by a very unhappy float nurse this time. So me being a refresher, she pushed me to the wall in the guise of teaching me. At first I felt insecure about this, but then I got the picture. Apparently, she feels she is so overwhelmed, but does do a great job, that she took me, as a refresher, to ease her workload. It was the busiest day I have had in my clinicals, with 3 days to go. We are scheduled at a certain times to leave the floor for post conference. Sometimes I will stay later, but I began to feel like free labor. I told my instructor about this, and she said "you should be up to speed by now." She also said that the preceptor nurse was making comments about how I did not do this and that, etc. I also told my instructor that I didn't accept being any disgruntled nurse's scapegoat. It was not appropriate to compare me to an experienced full-time nurse and expect me to perform at her level. I do give her credit because she knew her stuff. But she was such a bully, and there was no support from my instructor. Funny, how the instructor tells me about the "dog eat dog world of the nursing world," but somehow I am the bad guy.
I really like med/surg, but this push by the hospitals for greater and greater profits is just so mean. For the most part it has been exciting, the learning, but it hurts so much to be used and thrown away. The thing that hurts is that for the most part, I really enjoy working with patients and when appropriate, I love to use humor, and help lessen their anxiety and pain and I feel good when I see them, at least for the time being, with their spirits lifted.
I am glad I have you to talk to because these issues really are weighty for nurses, patients, and corporate profits. Am I making any sense? I just feel discouraged right now. But the sun will shine again tomorrow.
By the way, the LTC that I had posted about before, the "Bait and switch," I left after the 4th shift. What is funny, I read the ads they run for nurses every Sunday, and they have a new glorious spin every week. The Assistant DON that was supportive of me at the time, I noticed that there was an ad for a new ADN, "Work with fantastic DON," or "Nurse, nice people work here." I just have to laugh. But I guess there is an equal mix of positive and negative in all professions.
I am still working for the same psych facility though. The DON is amazing and the CNA's are great and alert me to conditions that I would not otherwise be aware of, since I am not the one giving baths.
I am just going to try to be patient and see what happens in January and February. I do not want to make judgments about the negative.
Again, I loved rereading your responses to my situation and feelings. Thanks again for listening.