Company loyalty meaningless?

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Here's my situation: I had been a CNA at a LTC for 5 years, went back to school and became an LPN, working full time thru school. After I graduated, I had 3 job offers, 1 at the facility I've worked in for the past several years, and 2 at other facilities (offering $2 more per hour than I make with my current job). I accepted an LPN position in the facility I've been working in for so many years. I've worked evening shift all this time. My 4 year old daughter is about to start school and if I stay on evening shift, I'll never see her. A day shift position came open this week. I signed up for it as well as a coworker who has worked as a nurse at the facility for 2 years now. I found out that my company seniority means nothing. She will get the position because she's been a nurse at the facility for a year longer than me. I'm so bummed! Now I have to look for a new job, because day shift soooooo rarely opens up in this facility. It just doesn't seem fair to me that company loyalty means absolutely nothing. I've been there 3 times longer than she has. I feel like if it was a promotion, give it to the person with nursing experience, but this is just a shift change.

Am I just being a selfish whineybutt?

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I can understand your frustration. But unfortunately, this is not surprising, for what happened to you is the rule and not the exception. Welcome to the real world.

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Specializes in med-surg,ortho,oncology,teaching.

I had similar experience at a rehab hospital only I had senority over the nurse who ended up with the day shift. I had gotten hurt on the job and went to work nights while waiting for a day positition to open. Finally after about 6 months a day shift position opened and I applied along with the other nurse. She was a good nurse and willing to work overtime, but because I had been hurt and my knee continued to hurt me if I was on it for long periods of time I wouldn't work any overtime. They gave the position to her even thought I had been there a year longer than her. I quit and went to work somewhere else and really enjoyed working there. If you need to change jobs remember that sometimes change can be good and you might find you enjoy the other position better and it gives you more opportunities.

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Specializes in MPCU.

Guess I'm just another person with the same experience. The LTC I was working as a CNA, when I started school, was unable to offer me a competitive wage as an LVN. Had I accepted a position, I would have started with basically no seniority and matching pay. Of course that was a closed shop, I wonder if that made a difference?

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It's been many decades since I've seen anything resembling "company loyalty." Nowadays, you just need to look out for your own best interests, because you can't trust your employer to do it!

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Specializes in Med Surg.

Modern definition of "Company Loyalty" - You owe the company your undying devotion even to the exclusion of God, country, and family. In return, the company is perfectly free to treat you like something you scraped off the bottom of your shoe before you came in from the back yard.

Advice - Find another job ASAP.

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Specializes in ICU, Telemetry.

You know what years of "company loyalty" got me when I was in computers? Outsourced.

You know what would happen if it became politically or financially expedient to fire you? You'd be gone.

You look after you. Don't expect a business to, because they won't. Find another job, and plan on changing jobs about every 3-5 years at least. Sometimes, that's the only way you get a decent raise.

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Have you tried discussing this whole thing with the bosses, especially those who have known you the longest?

Or, a rogue thought here - try asking the nurse who got the spot you want if she might be willing to wait for the next day opening.

Good luck.

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Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.

Sorry ((hugs))

The vast majority of companies have stopped caring......a long time ago, sadly. Well, they care, but only about themselves.

Personally, this is the biggest reason why people are not loyal to companies. Employees have learned very quickly that 'loyalty' is not reciprocal.

As the old saying goes, "Look out for number one because nobody else will"...............

I have never counted on an employer to be there for me in a time of need....and I will never, ever count on them to be there. I have witnessed so many horrible things that employers have done to employees over the years that I have been Nursing. It is very sad.

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Specializes in LTC.

In my small amount of experience..they give the good openings to the RN's...

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Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.
Modern definition of "Company Loyalty" - You owe the company your undying devotion even to the exclusion of God, country, and family. In return, the company is perfectly free to treat you like something you scraped off the bottom of your shoe before you came in from the back yard.

Very eloquently put - and unfortunately all too true. The private sector employers I have worked for have pretty much been this way. They expect you to be willing to come in on a moment's notice (even if you have been called off but they suddenly get slammed with admissions), work whatever days and shifts they choose to throw at you, and work with whatever paltry staffing they choose to give you (I was once staffed with two CNAs on an 18-bed unit with 16 in the house and two admissions waiting in ER). In return for this you can be terminated with or without cause, whether you have been there 20 minutes or 20 years.

Things like this are why I now work for a public sector employer. Sure, there is bureaucracy to deal with and sometimes it is difficult to get authorization to purchase things, but I never get called off and I can't be fired just because someone feels like letting me go to cut costs. We will never be bought out or taken over, and we aren't going out of business (like one of my former private sector employers did - a weird experience for another topic). I don't have to deal with pinhead CEOs who throw around the phrase "quality care" while seeing to it that I have no help and my salary is as low as possible.

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The situation is frustrating........The other nurse could have argued the same as you have if you were to get the job instead of her. Normally longevity as a nurse takes precedence not longevity as an employee in general-this is what I have seen in my past experience.

otessa

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