Denied a job, what would you do?

[jpdlii]

I work in a med/surg neuro floor. I have been working there for 6 years. I recently applied for a charge nurse position. There were four candidates. I have my MSN, a member of American Association for Neuroscience Nurse. I will be sitting for my certification as a neuroscience nurse in July. I am a teacher at a local college two days a week. I have been doing relief charge nurse for the past 4-5 years on the unit. I have also volunteered my time with the American Cancer Society and Epilepsy Foundation. I am also part of the EHR team, where at least once a month I train travel nurses on the use of our EHR. The manager for the unit hired two nurses for the position. Both nurses only have their bachelor's degree. One has a license that is under probation, and he has only done the charge position one time. He has been working on the floor for approximately 3 years. I feel like the hiring process was unfair. I had a great interview, the manager even said that I had a great interview when she gave me the bad news. I really feel unfairly treated and discriminated against. What would you do?

[VANurse2010]

You look like a great candidate on paper, but when I read the part of your post that said " the other two nurses only had BSNs", makes me think you think you are inferior because of higher degree certs. I would not want a charge nurse like this working with me. I rather have an only BSN nurse who is great at his/her job and does not think they are better than me.

Just my two cents....

I tend to agree with this - but then again I think most professional, experienced, even tempered RNs are qualified for charge. It does not even require a BSN.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I agree with those who say you need to sit down with the Manager who did the hiring and have a heart-to-heart talk. It sounds like all 3 applicants had appropriate formal credentials for the job. That is often the case -- and the factors that determine who actually gets the job then become a little harder to label and quantify. The word, "fit" is often used to refer to those intangibles that often make the difference.

For example, is there something about your demeanor or relationship with your colleagues that made the others seem like a better fit? Do those outside activities that make your resume longer also make you look less focused on your work on that unit? Would those other activities make you less flexible in your scheduling or less available for overtime? etc. The only way you will know is to have that awkward conversation with the hiring manager. Ask her how you can make yourself a more attractive candidate in case a future position becomes available.

Good luck.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I tend to agree with this - but then again I think most professional, experienced, even tempered RNs are qualified for charge. It does not even require a BSN.

...and as an ADN nurse I was repeatedly chosen for charge positions, and eventually permanent charge, not because of (in spite of?) my degree, but because of my experiences both inside and outside of healthcare. I like to think that many attributes make a good charge; the degree not being the one highest on my personal preferences list.

[exp626]

That must sting. You've asked for input, and that's all you can do. You can't force it, which I'm sure you know. Maybe this is the push out of the nest you need for something bigger and better. I would take the cert exam then start looking elsewhere. I think you got a pretty clear message. Best wishes.

[Mr. Murse]

I hope you realize how much more is required as charge nurse than education. I'm a little surprised you felt like your advanced degrees automatically makes you more qualified than people with lesser degrees. There is so much more involved with being charge: your work ethic, your relationship with coworkers, your ability to handle stress, and many other things that you really can't learn in school. Also, if you were interviewing on a floor you have already been working on, then you already have a reputation and I'll guarantee the interview itself had very little (if anything) to do with why they didn't give you the position.

It's possible there was some discrimination against you for some reason or another, and worth the inquiry as to why you didn't get the job and what you could do differently, but my feeling is it has more to do with a preexisting perception they had of you based on simply working with you on the floor. I'm not saying you're a bad or unqualified nurse, but some people just aren't cut out to charge. I can think of a few nurses on my floor who I would not want charging regardless of their superior experience and education simply because they don't have characteristics of a good, efficient charge. Again, they're not bad nurses, just not good charges.

As I said, I'm not saying this is the case with you necessarily, but it's worth considering that maybe the ones chosen were actually more qualified for that position and it has nothing to do with number of years working or education.

[Reader007]

I have worked there the longest and have been a relief charge nurse for 4 years. One candidate has only done charge a couple of times, the other has been doing it for about a year.

.....

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I hope you realize how much more is required as charge nurse than education. I'm a little surprised you felt like your advanced degrees automatically makes you more qualified than people with lesser degrees. There is so much more involved with being charge: your work ethic, your relationship with coworkers, your ability to handle stress, and many other things that you really can't learn in school. Also, if you were interviewing on a floor you have already been working on, then you already have a reputation and I'll guarantee the interview itself had very little (if anything) to do with why they didn't give you the position.

It's possible there was some discrimination against you for some reason or another, and worth the inquiry as to why you didn't and what you could do differently, but my feeling is it has more to do with a preexisting perception they had of you based on simply working with you on the floor. I'm not saying you're a bad or unqualified nurse, but some people just aren't cut out to charge. I can think of a few nurses on my floor who I would not want charging regardless of their superior experience and education simply because they don't have characteristics of a good, efficient charge. Again, they're not bad nurses, just not good charges.

As I said, I'm not saying this is the case with you necessarily, but it's worth considering that maybe the ones chosen were actually more qualified for that position and it has nothing to do with number of years working or education.

I'm inclined to think that the charge nurse positions were awarded less on education, certifications, seniority and experience and more on those intangible qualities that make someone pleasant (or not so pleasant) to work with under stressful situations. Your relationships with your co-workers and your ability to function under stress are known quantities on your unit; that may have been a factor in choosing the candidates they chose. Unit politics may have had something to do with it. I worked on a unit where only the friends of the assistant manager were ever chosen to be charge. New assistant manager, and suddenly different nurses are the inner circle of charge nurses.

If GrnTea is right and they have something bigger and better planned for you, it might be nice to stick around and find out what that is. If not, maybe you want to decide how important being in the charge role is to you . . . if it's important to you, perhaps you're going to have to look elsewhere.

[iluvgusgus]

Eh, the charge nurse position is over rated anyways.

[exp626]

It is a kick in the pants that they used you as a relief charge for four years then didn't give you a charge position, but once you get over the ego-blow, do you think maybe it's for the best? I'll use myself as an example: I'm one of several relief charge nurses, but I'm sort of low in the line-up and there are nurses with less experience than me who are higher in it. Did it ever hurt my feelings? Sure. But when I really think about it, they're better charge nurses than me! I'm a great clinician, and even though I want to be asked to be in charge, I'm actually happier taking care of patients! I'd rather be in a room with a crumping patient than in a staffing meeting, any day! Maybe, just maybe, you're like me and being a manager-type isn't your calling.

[HappyWife77, BSN, RN]

Maybe you can be thankful it's a blessing in disguise.

Charge positions are overrated from what I've seen, they don't pay much more, if any. The charge usually has patient load and management duties and is responsible for making sure everyone else is doing their job while doing their own ,they never get done on time and 5 days a week at that.

Sorry you didn't get it. You sound like you should be in an even higher capacity than charge anyways. Don't be too hard on yourself. ((Hugs))

[OCNRN63, RN]

How was your being passed over for the job discriminatory? My guess is it was cheaper to hire the other two nurses than someone with your experience and qualifications.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

Your qualifications suggest you should be looking for a more important job than charge nurse, one that better utilizes all your skills, education and experience. Perhaps they feel that way or perhaps they simply prefer the other nurses for whatever reason. Many times it's about who they like the most. Sometimes a person isn't appreciated by their coworkers and management, taken for granted, and starting fresh, somewhere new would be the best way to shine and utilize all the education and knowledge you have.

There really is nothing you can do to change the situation. Unless you were a bad charge nurse via personality or conflicts, they overlooked you for someone they liked more. Maybe those nurses kissed up and catered to management and were able to curry favor. In my years as a nurse, I have seen this happen many times, it's really not about what you know as who you know!

Consider starting over at a new place a fresh start where you can make a better impression if it bothers you so much. Mind you I would be upset too and it doesn't appear fair, but life just isnt' fair! Wish that it were, but have to accept reality and work around it.