such bureaucracy... (kind of a rant)

Nurses General Nursing

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I externed at a local hospital before taking my boards this summer and they called me in for an interview and pretty much hired me before I even passed my boards. I passed, brought in my license and registration, gave them my transcript, referral letters, etc. all that good stuff. They tell me they will reach out to me when they're ready for me to come in for the physical and background check. Meanwhile, I technically don't have an offer letter yet so I'm not banking on anything, and I'm applying to other facilities. 3 weeks later, I call to check on my status. Yesterday I get a call back asking me to come in today to move forward.

I had an appointment for 9am, showed up at 8:45am, didn't leave the freaking hospital until nearly 3pm!!

I had to fill out so many HR packets my head was spinning, along with an "application" packet that looked like it was from 1982. After that, I went to OHS for the physical - more paperwork, even though I had printed out and brought a full medication list and medical history, I had to write everything on their forms over and over. I give blood and urine and am given my cheap little medical card with my name, address and file number on it, only they misspelled my street name so I had to wait 15mins for a new one.

Then I am back in HR filling out another 7+ forms/questionnaires for my background check. Oh, how convenient, I have to reimburse the facility $90+ for the background check, AND I need to submit a money order for $25 for a child and family services check. OH, and I have to get three pages notarized.

That's okay, I'm told, there are 5 notaries in various locations in the hospital - and so I'm given a list of office locations. 45mins later and each one is crossed off the list - nobody is in today, or they're out to lunch, so I pay the $6 to have them notarized at the pharmacy across the street, after running around and standing in line at the post office for 20mins for a money order.

Then I'm fingerprinted which was interesting... my passport and social security card is taken to be copied... I fill out and sign one last form and just as I'm leaving I see my soon to be department ADN in the hallway! She's excited to see me and asks when I start orientation.

"Well, they said they'll try to get everything back next week and hopefully I can begin orientation on 10/28"

"Oh that'll never happen," she says, "they are notoriously slow. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you but you probably won't start until December since we don't do orientation in November."

I seriously feel like screaming right now. Why are these facilities so far behind in technology? Why don't the different departments communicate with each other? Why such a bureaucratic system that's so inefficient? I'm so frustrated!

I considered myself so lucky to get a job right out of school, in the Emergency Department no less! But right now I just want to go back to corporate where we get an offer letter a couple of days after the interview, and we start immediately after peeing in a cup.

//end rant (sorry)

so is this common? to be interviewed but not start orientation until 4 months later?

Specializes in Psychiatry.

Dear Type1Nurse,

I wouldn't call it a "rant". I can imagine your frustration. Even criminals have less hoops to go through when they are applying for job at Work Force 1. That was absolutely horrendous how they treated you what you had to go through. I believe that you were overwhelmed because you tried to accomplish everything within 6 hours. I would have spread it over a couple of days. I am not sure why they want copies of your Passport. Are they also issuing visas for Syria? You know that you have a squeeky clean background. It is they who don't know that. So if they are interested in your background, they are the ones who should pay that $90 fee. However, they are within their rights to ask for all these documentations except your medication list. That is probably a violation of your

private health-history. I don't know, I am not an attorney. But as we all know, it is impossible to fight the Corporate America. I am sorry to hear about your horrible experience.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Sorry you had to go through that ordeal..lol. I have a question for you, though. What is the child and family services check? That honestly seems kind of invasive. What if you are caring for a child who was "in the system"?

Most child and family services check is to make sure that your record is clear of child abuse, that's all. Organizations have to make sure that everyone who may have contact with a child that they have not been convicted of child abuse.

It's not invasive; they are not asking about ones family and children. :no:

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Just think, at the end of it all you could mentor youth, go right into the National Guard, become part of a drug trial, or be an FBI agent on the side......HAHA!!

In all seriousness, amazing how much paperwork one has to do!!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I have to say....in 35 years that is the most extensive application I've heard of....and you have to pay for it? something doesn't seem fair here....off to investigate

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Specializes in ER.

I can understand all the checking...but she doesn't even have an offer of employment yet! I wouldn't be putting out $100 plus without that piece of paper.

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Specializes in Behavioral health.

it's a city hospital so they're not rolling in it...ED of a city hospital in a nasty neighborhood (Brooklyn, NYC) .

It's not you! If this is the NYC HHC city hospital I'm thinking about (starts with a K) then I'm not surprised. Actually, typical hiring experience for most city agencies representative of the inefficiencies of the organization. It will only get worse once you're an employee. For corporations, time is money. New York City government doesn't have the profit pressures to be innovative or efficient.

I don't want to be too negative but I want to prepare you for what you will face. You will learn a ton there but the same organization that pays you to do your job also put up obstacles to prevent you from doing your job. If you have any conscious, it will make you angry, sad, jaded and cynical. Get your experience and move on as quickly as you can.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I never heard of having to pay for a background check. Sounds ridiculous! What is the family and child check? Never heard of that either? Seems like a really overbearing place to work.

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I suspect they have been burned too many times by people not passing the background check?? Who knows, maybe someone higher up thought it was a great idea. It is almost as much as when I joined the military and had to get a security clearance. Good luck!

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thanks again, all!

Hope3456 and brandy1017, check out LadyFree28's response above - it's more of a specific check to make sure I've never been involved in child abuse or had a foster child taken away from me. The other thing they did was have me write ALL addresses I've had over the last 28 years! I'm 32 years old, mind you, and my family moved around a lot when I was very young... do you really think I remember my address when I was 4? Oh well, as someone else said, I know I'm squeaky clean so I'm not worried about anything.

Vishwamitr - thanks for the empathy! it was quite the ordeal. the medication list is required for the physical only - HR doesn't see it. I think it's perfectly legal and totally confidential. they can't not hire me as long as I am okay physically and mentally to do the job - I'm pretty sure HR just gets informed whether I have medical clearance or not (mostly checking for active infections, titers for immunity and the good ol drug test).

canoehead - EXACTLY!! in the corporate banking world that I'm used to, they give you the offer letter and start date first and you sign something saying you understand that it's contingent upon passing the background check and drug test. I was shocked they do it before the offer letter and make you pay for it! the paying for it is so so petty and I'm disappointed, but a friend of mine who got offers from two other city hospitals in the same family says they're all the same. cheap @sses.

NY_teach - I'm PMing you LOL!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

I applied for a temp job with the feds that required a set of fingerprints ($25 from the county sherrif). The last school nurse sub job I applied for wanted a set of fingerprints and a $50 background check.

At least your employer does background checks. When I worked in Assisted Living, they hired an LNA who got arrested during her shift. Not only had she been stealing from the residents, she had 2 outstanding burglary warrants and a child abuse conviction.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

At least your employer does background checks. When I worked in Assisted Living, they hired an LNA who got arrested during her shift. Not only had she been stealing from the residents, she had 2 outstanding burglary warrants and a child abuse conviction.

And because of lovely coworkers like these, the need for background checks, even if we have to pay; it's tax deductible and goes toward employee expenses. :yes:

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Specializes in Critical Care.

This must be a new trend and hopefully only a few places expecting applicants to pay for mandatory background checks. Frankly since hospitals are required to do background checks on their employees they should be the one to pay for them as the price of doing business! Incidentally they review and do background checks periodically every few years on their employees and have always paid for them. The only thing we have to pay for is our nurses license, although I know other companies pay for their engineers licenses, but nurses are shortchanged. Heck they won't even provide pens! Give me a break!

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