Demoted from ICU to IMCU

[TiffanyB1313]

So I'm a new nurse working in a 14 bed icu. I just graduated in May and started working there in late July. It was going well with my first preceptor on day shift training then I was assigned a new preceptor on midnights which is my assigned shift. And from the beginning she had an attitude with me which I just ignored because almost everyone there is mad because they just started hiring new grads and there is alot of jealousy because most of them had to start in a step down unit or med surg area. Understandable to be jealous just sucks they're taking it out on me.

So with my preceptor on midnights like I said she always had a terrible attitude or gave me a stupid look when I asked a question. I had a question about the IV medication that had a warning on the pump that said it should be in a glass bottle and it wasn't she just sighed loudly and snapped it's fine! And hit submit.

I got over that and then later she snapped on me for following her after she said to follow her to get the aid she yelled I should actually be doing something instead of following her.

So I went to do an assessment on a patient and she said she heard my preceptor and said my co-workers should be nice and that I should like where I worked.

I almost lost it I wanted to cry so bad.

So the next day I asked to meet with my manager to switch preceptors and she some how ended up turning it around to where I was too slow for critical care and talking me into going to IMCU which I knew would happen because they didn't want new grads in Icu and they're super short in Imcu they need to hire like 10 nurses over there so I seen it coming.

People were making up lies like saying I don't help out and I'm like....i definitely help. This nurse asked for help putting in a rectal tube and I was the only one who would volunteer. I could definitely feel the nurses eat their young.

I am just so bummed and disappointed. I feel like a failure. I don't even want to show my face. I'm going to be known as the girl who couldn't handle Icu.

I understand not having new grads in Icu I just wish I would have started in Imcu instead of icu so I didn't get demoted. It also hurts that nurses would lie about me to try to get me out. I was nice to everyone, listened, helped when needed, and brought in treats...i just don't get it. I feel like such a loser. I feel like I shouldn't be a nurse....

I also don't even think IMCU is for me....its not an area I ever thought to do nor have an interest in. But I love patients so I'll try...

I just wanted to vent thanks for listening.

Any advice is welcome

[saskrn]

Jealousy is NOT an issue with the experienced ICU nurses.

Instead of looking at this as a failure, appreciate the fact that your NM thought you were valuable enough to offer you another position.

Years ago when I worked IMC, it was a very busy unit. In addition to stepdown patients, we often got critical patients because the ICU was too busy to take/keep them.

There is a HUGE amount that you can learn working IMC. Jump at the chance!

Good luck! :)

[gcupid]

I respectfully disagree with other professionals. Jealousy can't be 100% ruled out just bc a nurse is more experienced. If you are generally more beautiful than the average nurse that can be an issue in a setting of women I've worked with in the past. Also going from ICU to a stepdown unit is a demotion in my eyes but there's nothing wrong with it. Personally, I'd agree to the transfer until I found a job somewhere else unless the hospital was very prestigious, high paying, or extremely close commute.

Start feeling out applications, if that hospital doesn't fit into any of those following categories listed prior. From the description of things that stepdown department sounds horrible b/c of how short staffed it is and you're more likely to be challenged more being there than in the icu but you will lack the resources, respect, autonomy, and prestige on resume that comes with saying you have icu experience.

I HOPE this authentic advice is received well to the originator of this thread.

[Wuzzie]

I respectfully disagree with other professionals. Jealousy can't be 100% ruled out just bc a nurse is more experienced. If you are generally more beautiful than the average nurse that can be an issue in a setting of women I've worked with in the past. Also going from ICU to a stepdown unit is a demotion in my eyes but there's nothing wrong with it. Personally, I'd agree to the transfer until I found a job somewhere else unless the hospital was very prestigious, high paying, or extremely close commute.

Start feeling out applications, if that hospital doesn't fit into any of those following categories listed prior. From the description of things that stepdown department sounds horrible b/c of how short staffed it is and you're more likely to be challenged more being there than in the icu but you will lack the resources, respect, autonomy, and prestige on resume that comes with saying you have icu experience.

I HOPE this authentic advice is received well to the originator of this thread.

You have GOT to be kidding me. What's with you and the "jealousy" thing? You do know that's just what mothers say to their daughters to make them feel better don't you? It's very rarely ever true.

And way to be supportive...not. The OP did NOT get demoted. She simply got moved to a unit that was a better fit. If you notice she did not get fired so obviously they saw good things in her work. Starting out in an ICU is very hard for new grads and a large percentage aren't successful for no other reason than that they are brand new. Being an ICU nurse is no more special than being any other type of nurse. Her resume will be just fine with any job she has.

I hope the OP completely disregards your "authentic" and hurtful "advice".

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

I respectfully disagree with other professionals. Jealousy can't be 100% ruled out just bc a nurse is more experienced. If you are generally more beautiful than the average nurse that can be an issue in a setting of women I've worked with in the past. Also going from ICU to a stepdown unit is a demotion in my eyes but there's nothing wrong with it. Personally, I'd agree to the transfer until I found a job somewhere else unless the hospital was very prestigious, high paying, or extremely close commute.

Start feeling out applications, if that hospital doesn't fit into any of those following categories listed prior. From the description of things that stepdown department sounds horrible b/c of how short staffed it is and you're more likely to be challenged more being there than in the icu but you will lack the resources, respect, autonomy, and prestige on resume that comes with saying you have icu experience.

I HOPE this authentic advice is received well to the originator of this thread.

OP - do not take this advice! Gcupid has expressed many times her unhappiness with how nursing is. Wow. Lousy advice.

The ICU is almost a set up for failure as a new grad. Many experienced nurses would have trouble with the learning curve and you are still learning all the basics.

Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and make the best of the move. Once you have more experience then you can always transfer into ICU.

You say the patient care is something you love which is awesome. Your patients in any unit will appreciate your care with that attitude.

Any new job is tough and being a new nurse and then on top of it a new ICU nurse? That is a high mountain to climb. Pace yourself.

[klone, MSN, RN]

And from the beginning she had an attitude with me which I just ignored because almost everyone there is mad because they just started hiring new grads and there is alot of jealousy because most of them had to start in a step down unit or med surg area. Understandable to be jealous just sucks they're taking it out on me.

I highly doubt any issues stem from jealousy on their part.

[yoshi87]

Sounds like a terrible preceptor, also. You don't want to work with her anyway. Happily accept IMCU and go back to ICU after a year or so. You will probably find it a lot easier the next time around!

[Julius Seizure]

I haven't read any other responses so bear with me if I repeat something that's already been covered. This is gonna be long, but I hope you read it, OP.

First of all, moving to the IMCU is not a demotion. It is just moving to a different unit/floor. If you were moving to med/surg that would not be a demotion either. There is not a heirarchy of best, most important units to climb the ladder to. So get that thought out of your head. They simply moved you to a different area for a fresh start. And it makes sense - you might be a better personality fit with the other staff, and besides, they need more nurses there - you said they are like ten nurses short, right?

Okay, now I want to tell you about when I was a new grad. I moved across the country, alone, for my first job in a new grad residency program. They put me on a floor that was mostly long-term vent-dependent patients. It wasn't my "dream job" but I was excited to get started and learn. People were nice to me...to my face, but then after about a month the hospital educator in charge of the residency program told me that they had decided that I wasn't a good fit and they were moving me to a different floor. I couldn't understand! I thought things were going well!

So then they moved me to a med-surg floor. My preceptor didn't seem like she really wanted to teach - she basically would give me a couple of her patients to take care of and then go do her thing. On my second day there, my patient had a blood transfusion ordered and I had never done that....I had no idea where my preceptor was so I asked the charge nurse if she would mind walking me through the process, and she said she was happy to do so. A few days later I was told that I wasn't a good fit for that floor and was going to be moved. Didn't even last two weeks.

Then they moved me to a pediatric med-surg floor. I was thrilled! Peds was an area that I had originally been interested in. I tried to learn everything that I could! Any time an IV start or anything was going on, I tried to be involved. I remember one time, they literally shut the door in my face as I tried to walk into the room with them. I didn't really know what to do because my preceptor spent most of the shift online shopping, the tech spent the shift doing homework for nursing school, and the other nurse read a book. I didn't want to bother them, but I wanted to learn. I tried to learn what I could. After about a month and a half, I was told that I wasn't a good fit because they had felt that I wasn't interested in learning and that I had a bad attitude. I was so upset - three different floors in two months. What was wrong with me? I was trying and didn't know why it wasn't working! And to add to the frustration, I wasn't receiving any constructive criticism along the way...it was nothing, and then "you aren't a good fit".

I tell you that long story to say that starting out as a new nurse can be HARD. Especially if its your first "real job" like it was for me. Not only are you learning the nursing stuff, but you are also learning how to be an adult in the workplace. Its a steep learning curve. And you won't always be lucky enough to have patient teachers. But that doesn't equal "nurses eating their young", because it doesn't have to do with the nursing - it has to do with entering the workforce and learning how to function in that environment. The same thing would happen in many other career fields. Looking back, I was probably unconsciously doing things that made me seem like a bad fit - and I didn't mean to at all...I didn't even know what I was doing/not doing.

By the way, if you can, find a nurse *that you don't directly work with* who will be a mentor (in real life, not online) to you as you work though this transition from student to professional. Having a mentor helped me navigate that so much better than I had been on my own.

The happy ending to my story is that the FOURTH chance that they gave me landed me in a unit with a preceptor who was willing to give me the benefit of the doubt. I have been happily working in that specialty for almost ten years now. So don't give up. Take this second chance to make a fresh start.

Don't even think things like "they are probably jealous" because you don't want that attitude to show through and hurt your relationship with your coworkers. Focus on being humble and teachable. Be respectful of their knowledge and grateful when they share it with you. I know you might be reading that and thinking, "I would never lower myself like that! I want them to know that I'm a great new nurse!" but at least just pretend, okay? Don't try to be the alpha dog. Aim to be as pleasant and unabrasive as you can. Keep an attitude of gratefulness for the opportunity to work in the IMCU. If you go in there acting like its a stepping stone to the more desirable ICU, you are gonna rub people the wrong way. Put ICU out of your mind for now. That is a "later" goal. Focus on the "now" goal: succeeding as a new nurse in whatever unit you are lucky enough to be in.

I wish you luck - don't waste this opportunity!

[TriciaJ, RN]

I respectfully disagree with other professionals. Jealousy can't be 100% ruled out just bc a nurse is more experienced. If you are generally more beautiful than the average nurse that can be an issue in a setting of women I've worked with in the past. Also going from ICU to a stepdown unit is a demotion in my eyes but there's nothing wrong with it. Personally, I'd agree to the transfer until I found a job somewhere else unless the hospital was very prestigious, high paying, or extremely close commute.

Start feeling out applications, if that hospital doesn't fit into any of those following categories listed prior. From the description of things that stepdown department sounds horrible b/c of how short staffed it is and you're more likely to be challenged more being there than in the icu but you will lack the resources, respect, autonomy, and prestige on resume that comes with saying you have icu experience.

I HOPE this authentic advice is received well to the originator of this thread.

And it was going so well up till now. I don't know whether to pop corn or just go oil my hair.

[guest52816]

I agree with the poster who stated that jealousy can't be ruled out. Are nurses some subset of super human beings? No, they are not. Which means they suffer from the same insecurities as the general population. And there are PLENTY of jealous people in this world.

Having said that, in a story I have repeated many times on this site, I started last year as a new graduate in the CVICU of a large teaching hospital. They hired LOTS of new graduates. I believe they were setting many up for failure, as few new graduates will succeed in the environment. My theory is that they like to hire new graduates at a low pay rate, and then see which ones stick. It's like throwing pasta against the wall. Nothing more.

I HATED CVICU because I felt there was no way I could succeed (especially with the inexperienced preceptor I was assigned to). So I requested to be transferred to CV Progressive. That position also didn't feel like a good fit to me, so I resigned my position.

Fast forward a year, and I am working at a small rural hospital in med-surge. It is a far more stressful job than CV Progressive. But I am doing quite well. The difference is the amount of time and effort that the teeny-tiny hospital has invested in me. From my first day on the floor, I felt as though management actually WANTED me to succeed. In my previous positions, I felt as though management was indifferent. After all, they could hire any number of new graduates.

Fewer new graduates want to work med-surge in a small rural hospital. BTW, my base pay rate at the teeny tiny hospital is more than $4 higher than the large teaching hospital.

As others have stated: Don't consider this a demotion, or a FAILURE. You were simply a cog in the wheel. Nothing more.

Consider yourself lucky to be out of a potentially toxic environment. And keep your head up. I know several of the nurses I worked with in CV Progressive started out and CVICU and like me, moved to the Step-Down unit. There is nothing stopping you from reapplying for an ICU position once you get more experience.

Good luck! You are going to be great.

[Wuzzie]

I agree with the poster who stated that jealousy can't be ruled out. Are nurses some subset of super human beings? No, they are not. Which means they suffer from the same insecurities as the general population. And there are PLENTY of jealous people in this world.

Jealous of what exactly? The entire unit?

I did like your pasta analogy though!

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

Sounds like a blessing in disguise. You should have at least a three month orientation some places are longer in ICU. Take what you've already learned and apply it to the step down unit. If you really want to go back to ICU try again after a year in step down. Where I work we've had nurses transferred to step down just like you and also there have been problems with ICU RN's who may be good at their job but lack the social skills to be orienting new grads!

Best bet consider transferring to another hospital for ICU if you still want to do that. Forget about feeling like a failure, that is not the case, they didn't give you a chance. There is a steep learning curve and it's obvious they are having problems both in ICU and IMCU to have so many openings. Admin may be part of the problem, short staffing, mandating and unfortunately some nurses take their stress out on new grads and in an ideal world they shouldn't be orienting period!

We've had nurses that have successfully gone back to the ICU after they were "demoted" to step down by us. They succeeded by getting some more experience and then transferring to another hospital system. If ICU is really for you I'm sure you'll be able to do the same, but given all the problems at the hospital you are at you also may be more successful in another hospital system! Good luck!

[guest52816]

Jealous of what exactly? The entire unit?

I did like your pasta analogy though!

Jealous of anything that human beings can be jealous of! I obviously don't know the OPs unit or anybody she works with, but I do know human nature.