I was in a RN refresher program until a few days ago. I got through the 2 months of classroom with an average of 92%. No problems there. But when I got to the clinicals in a hospital seeking magnet status, I really got trashed. I am older than the instructor, I think she is about 63, looks 110. After the first few days I was very fascinated with all the outpatient procedures and surgery. I wanted to apply. My "instructor" started discouraging me from the start constantly telling me I couldn't keep up with the young nurses, etc. This is not for you. Then why am I here? Do what you want, etc. I wanted to apply for a job in ambulatory care, and I was approached while orienting in that department to apply. I was told by the instructor that "they were just being nice? I tried very hard to not let this "don't set yourself up for failure" business and the age discrimination get me down, but it did finally. So I called the head of the refresher program. Her response was "you two just don't get along, try to talk to her." I tried it again, thought it was working, but found out she was so incensed by my complaining about her, she subtly worked her evil against me.
She pretends to be a sweet, grandmotherly, mother hen to the young students, and gets all the facts about you she can, then uses it against you, (me). Everybody loves her, not because of her being such a great instructor, she only does that in endo with the IVs. But this grandmotherly person is so evil. The s.... hit the fan about 4 days before I was to finish my clinicals at this hospital. I was being harassed by one of the employees about getting my "work done." We leave at a certain time, and she came to where I was and said "arent you finished," all the other students are gone." Much, much more but won't get into that.
I told this instructor about it and she said "you should be up to speed by speed by now." Sure, I've been out 10 years, this was supposed to be learning experience I thought. I am supposed to be at the level of a well-oriented experienced nurse? I really felt like it was free labor. I guess she told the hospital staff, and all of a sudden every unit that I had been in said negative things about me and the instructor told me I couldn't continue in the program. I guess she thought she was being a hero by protecting the hospital from anything negative and looking like the good guy.
At the end of the unit I was in, it was a pediatric unit but was really a med/surg overflow unit. Lots of travelers worked there. We supposedly had our choice of patients but I was assigned newborn care which scared me because I never worked in that area, and also it was not going to be any use to me because I wanted adult medicine experience. I guess that was used against me. Also, I had to help with a patient transfer from an OR stretcher that weighed 290 lbs, dead weight, and pulled a muscle in my back and the next time I was asked to help I said I couldn't do it because I had a previous muscle strain, not related to nursing. However, I never made a complaint to the hospital about it.
I was told also that I would not get a certificate for completing the refresher program and stated I was going to file a grievance with the school which, by the way, is approved by the State BON. The director of the refresher program was exceedingly sweet to me, the Director of Nursing was the same. But the instructor for clinicals called me incompetent, I knew from the beginning you were going to be trouble, (I persisted in I could do what the younger nurses), everybody says you are incompetent, everybody said the had to go back to do my work over. well, I'm sure you get the story.
I also had applied to the recruiters for this huge "chain" corporate hospital and had 2 calls in l day after I sent my application in. Told I would be called by a NM at the hospital I was at. Once they knew what instructor I was with, I was called and told there was no openings.
I know what they are doing. While the school directors are being so above-board, this instructor is destroying me. She is popular with the young nurses, because she mostly entertains them. And she just trashes me to my face, when no one is around, and know that she is being backed to the hilt with the school administration. When I calmly told her I was going to file a grievance, she started yelling at me, calling me incompetent etc. "I have been doing this for 25 years."
The director of the school told me "why would you think she was discriminating because of your age." Give me a break. If she has been there for 25 years, how are they going to get rid of her. Are they saying they are going to hire at her age had she not been there 25 years?
Anyway, thanks for your thoughts. I am just so furious to be treated in such an inhumane way. It is just so awful that we think we live in a free world but corporate america has us well under-control.
