Betrayed by Management

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Hello Nurse Beth,

I am in need of your support and expert opinion. For the past two years I have been a staff nurse on a very busy med/surg unit. This past May I graduated with my BSN. We tragically lost our evening nurse manager to an automobile accident on May 30th, and management offered me the position. It was a privilege and an honor for them to have chosen me and I gracefully accepted the unofficial position. Due to the sensitivity of the matter they did not post and interview for it until about 3 weeks ago.

As you can imagine, transitioning from floor nurse to manager was not an easy task. I gave it my all, self taught by reading, researching, and gained lots of experience by doing. The evening shift is a challenging one, but gave it my all and did my best- my teammates were rooting for me. I have a great rapport with the unit as well as the entire “Planetree” community and departments within the organization.

In a nutshell, the organization decided to hire a candidate that they thought was more qualified for the position. I am discouraged because I believe I earned and deserved that position. I am now left with the offer to continue until the new manager starts and goes through hospital orientation, as well as orienting with me in the position, (which will take us through the next 6 weeks) or I can return to the 36 hr , 3 12’s I had initially (they were saving my spot). I am torn and don’t know how to handle it. Part of me tells me it wasn’t meant to be, and to swallow my pride, because I understand that when one door closes another one opens. How I handle this will be a true testament- at the same time I feel betrayed. This is a time sensitive matter . Please advise 

Dear Betrayed,

You really stepped up for them and gave them your best. It's natural to feel a range of emotions when this happens. Feeling betrayed and even used is understandable.

But the thing is, it's business, and it's not personal. The best thing for you to do, career-wise, is stay on in the temp position until the new manager is trained. Help her to be a success with your inside knowledge. You will gain an ally, not to mention you'll be doing the right thing.

I saw the identical thing happen on a MedSurg floor, and the interim nurse manager, who I'll call Chelsea, was passed over for an outside applicant. The outside applicant lasted a little over a year, and guess who became the manager again- on her own floor? Right, the interim. She's held the position for 5 years now and is held in high esteem. By that I mean she is always being selected to work on new initiatives.

To all appearances, Chelsea was gracious and took the high road throughout the whole experience. If she had given in to negative feelings, she never would have been promoted in the long run.

Chances are, you will get your chance, it's just not your time right this minute... You learned a lot and that you won't lose.

You are so right, your behavior now is a testament-and an opportunity to rise above and be professional.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

Great advice, Nurse Beth! 

Feelings left by betrayal is a hard emotion to deal with.  But "doing the right thing", although sometimes difficult, will many times reap bigger benefits than acting on emotion alone.

Good luck!!

[turtlesRcool]

Nurse Beth is right.  Now is the time to play the long game.  You are still a relatively new nurse.  You stepped it up, and showed good leadership over the past few months.  But for whatever reason, the powers that be have decided this external candidate is a better choice.  It doesn't mean you're not a good choice, and it doesn't mean you won't get your chance.  It means management thinks that this is not your time.  Not yet.

Being gracious and helpful to this new manager can only help you.  In scenario 1, she is a good manager who will know she can lean on you when she needs help, and after you show her the ropes on your floor, she can help you learn some of the other nuances of management that you might not have picked up through your self-taught crash course.  You will have your manager's good will, and you will be better prepared for the next management opening.  In scenario 2, she's not a good manager.  She gets to your unit, and doesn't do well.  Your help allows the unit to function better, which is a win for your colleagues and patients, and builds more support for you.  It also means than if she doesn't last in the position, you are poised for a second shot at it when she vacates.  

As tempting as it might be to just go back to bedside and let the new hire figure it out the way you had to, that's not likely to reflect well on you.  Your colleagues might be disappointed for you, and be sympathetic to your reasons for doing it.  But in the end, they will respect you even more if they see you rise above your disappointment and put the good of the unit over your personal feelings (as justified as they are). No one benefits from a chaotic transition.

[amoLucia]

I hate to buck the trend here.   PFFFTTTT! Bronx Cheer! Raspberries! Etc!

It HURTS like H*ll to be passed over and taken advantage of like OP was! Was it subtly intentional or not, who knows?!?! I know the common  sentiment here is for OP 'to take the HIGH road' and 'be the professional' about the pass-over. But PFFTT! 

I am NOT advising that OP do otherwise. That would be career suicide for her. But hey! Time to be docile, accepting and humble went out of vogue a long time ago, except in nsg where the expectation is for the nurse to 'keep on keepin' on'. To swallow her hurt and make nicey nice - like everything was before the slight.

Again, there's that long suffering, persevering image that needs to be discarded. Does such behavior occur in any other profession?? Better still, is it EXPECTED like it is in nsg?? Honestly, is it really, realistic to think that OP will ever again be offered a similar position in her near immed future at the same facility by a magnanimous admin/mgt?

I have concerns that there already is an expectation that she will 'graciously' orient the newcomer to the position, then go back to her former position. ?????  Uh, huh! My recommendation is to be civil, helpful to a degree, but ... I'd start looking elsewhere. And move onward & upward ASAP.

And I would NEVER, EVER suggest someone to sabotage the unit (I've seen it elsewhere). No badmouthing either. And then there's the old trick of unhappy staff anonymously calling the DOH - NO NO!  My call is for OP to just remain low key. Don't jeopardize the opinions of those that do matter, like supportive co-workers by continuing to work with them.

The work environment mentality has changed over the years. I see things in tangential ways so it has influenced my perspective. Sorry, if I'm taking a different tack. But they did do nasty to OP. And me, myself and I feel that hurt for her! So I speak out.

Sorry to be contrary.

 

 

[BSN-to-MSN, ADN, BSN, RN]

We had a nicest interim manager who used to be our peer, then did house supervising. They booted her off the manager position for an outsider "better qualified", and now she is a house supervisor again. She oriented the new person and did not complain and now can add the "interim manager" to her resume.

I wish I had her level of patience. Instead, I have learned the interim manager is very likely to be just that.

Take the high road, and orient the new person, but look for an new company to work for. They have risked loosing you and they should lose you. Suckers.

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

Ohhhhh but how bright a spotlight will shine on that resume if the OP could line up another position and the start date for new employers indicated that s/he remained to train his/her replacement!

Going from staff/floor nurse to nurse manager to training a nurse manager, well, that speaks volumes. S/he would be taking the high road and getting the heck on in style....IF....there is another equivalent position to be found, and without altering too many factors in the personal life. In reading the OP's post, there is no mention of the third option of employment elsewhere...only staying on to train and then returning to a previous position, or returning to the previous position now.

[Guest856929]

This is precisely why I went back to grad school. My title will be based strictly on education and license credentials. Never will I wait for someone to promote me based on their subjective imagination. If a company is blatantly disloyal, reciprocating with blind loyalty is sheer rubbish. 

[amoLucia]

BSNbeDONE - yup!

[glasgow3]

My take as an old AF nurse who has experienced a similar situation (or two or three)  and has observed several like situations in the course of a very long career? OK then.

The Nurse Management should feel shame, however, they likely haven't had the capacity to feel shame for a very long time. 

What on Earth is an "Evening Manager" on a Med-Surg. Floor anyway? I suspect that it's little more than what was called  a 3-11 charge nurse back in the day. Excuse my insensitivity, but that slot was open the first of June and it is for all practical purposes November, (five full months later). We aren't exactly talking about filling a Chief Nursing Officer position of  major medical system here---and I've seen such CNO positions filled with greater expediency than that many times. In my opinion, the Nursing Management in this case cruelly used the OP. I say cruelly because I would bet that they knew all along that the OP took that "manager" position seriously and would rise to the occasion, yet would never be seriously considered for the lofty position of 3-11 charge nurse of XYZ hospital's Med-Surg. Floor.

My advice to the OP? Well, simply put: Keep up the great work: You now have 3 years' experience in one of the more difficult nursing specialties in the acute care nursing, you have advanced your education, and you have demonstrated ability in team building...   So update your resume to that and get that well deserved promotion elsewhere. ASAP. And when you do, take your supportive coworkers with you. 

 

 

[amoLucia]

1 hour ago, glasgow3 said:

...... . In my opinion, the Nursing Management in this case cruelly used the OP. I say cruelly because I would bet that they knew all along that the OP took that "manager" position seriously and would rise to the occasion, yet would never be seriously considered for the lofty position of 3-11 charge nurse of XYZ hospital's Med-Surg. Floor.

 

My sentiments exactly. Admin took advantage of OP. They most likely had someone else in the bullpen just waiting for the right time. Sadly, it took a tragedy for a position to open. They quietly delayed posting & interviewing long enough for things to look 'legit'. Anyone wanna bet that the new eve mgr knows somebody who knows somebody?  Convenient that the time line provides the new mgr just enough time to hand in her resignation at her old job before she moved into the new one. Insider knowledge & advice?

Bottom line - they did her dirty! So again, PFFFFFT!

OP - stay prof. Add your 'interim mgt' to your resume and good luck as you move on to a better & well deserved position.

[maydaymalone, BSN, RN]

Forgive, but never forget the lesson...healthcare management does not care about us.  Ever.  We are just a means to an end.

Do not bad mouth anyone, do a great job while you have it, and be a great coworker to your fellow nurses and a great nurse to your patients.

Keep your resume updated and ready, and be looking for a new job while you already have one--whether that is the temp manager position or when you return to your bedside position.  Looking for a job WHILE YOU HAVE A JOB is the way to do it.  Besides, switching hospitals is unfortunately the only way to get a significant raise in my experience.  I have taken a new job every 2-3 years since '13, doubled my pay with my original degree (BSN), and have found a job and hospital I really like.

Good luck!

[JKL33]

19 hours ago, glasgow3 said:

In my opinion, the Nursing Management in this case cruelly used the OP.

Agree. There is zero good reason not to kindly talk about this with the would-be interim nurse manager: "I have an opportunity for you, but I need to be clear that it is an interim position and there is a definite plan to recruit to fill the permanent position later in the year. It would really help out our unit if you would consider this opportunity, knowing that it will still be beginner-management experience for you and will give you a chance to get your feet wet for the first time...."

There is no excuse for nursing administrators to not do exactly ^ this. The situation described in the OP, that general manner of dealing with people, is not in line with our Code of Ethics--which applies to all nurses, not just the ones who toilet patients.

To this poster I say that how s/he chooses to handle this is his/her choice. It seems like the right/classy/professional thing to do would be to train the replacement in a professional and kind-hearted manner--mostly in order to learn wisdom and maturity through the process of proactively working against anger and resentment. Going high when others go low is often a pretty decent life strategy. [Still, it can't be overemphasized that the OP has no obligation to react this way, and this director and this business have done *nothing* to deserve such a classy move on the OP's part].