My name is Dave and I am a BSN, RN who has been a licensed RN for nearly two years. My goal after graduating was to place myself in an environment where I could gain the most well-rounded experience so I could then drill down into the area I would like to be in for the rest of my career or at least for the next several years prior to returning to school for my masters.
My career as an RN began in TN working on a cardiac tele unit but after a few months, I saw 9 nurses leave and I had 7 preceptors in a matter of just a few months. Nurses just kept leaving and I realized that I wasn't getting anywhere with regard to training, certifications, etc. I began applying for additional positions in the area and even some with the government that appeared to be exotic and exciting.
In the winter of 2012, I was offered an opportunity to live with the Navajo Indians and work at a level 3 trauma center in Gallup, NM with a 17K raise. I felt this was an opportunity of a lifetime. I mean really, who gets this kinds of opportunity after being out of school for less than a year? I felt very honored especially since I had surpassed applications sent by Native Americans who always have preference with these kind of positions. My experience in Gallup, NM was one I will never forget. There I received my ACLS, TNCC and ENPC. I made some wonderful friends and had an adventure of a lifetime.
The only downside was that Gallup was an extremely violent place where it is NOT illegal to be publicly drunk(Alcoholism is 550% above average) and the town itself is very violent, hence the need for a level 3 trauma center basically on the reservation. Gallup, NM is not a place to settle down and raise a family which always has been a goal of mine. In December of 2013, I decided to look elsewhere and began applying for ER positions in the Dallas, TX area.
Soon thereafter, I received an offer from one of the major hospital systems in Dallas with a signing bonus and relocation paid with an 18 month commitment. I also received another 15k raise. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance and moved to Dallas. Unfortunately, after only 6 days on the job, my contract was breached and a few months later, I felt it was a prudent decision to leave the position I was in due to poor work conditions, no breaks and no support. I have learned the hard way that signing bonuses and paid relocation are signs of a troubled department which this certainly was. I am still a rehire but I feel that it is now time to choose my focus for my MSN as I have had enough clinical experience to truly work on any med/surg, tele, or cardiac unit which are areas I have chosen for my focus in my MSN.
Currently, I am having extreme difficulty with hospital recruiters who state that I do not qualify for any med/surg, tele or cardiac positions because I have only worked in an ER yet each application I have sent meets minimum requirements listed. I even had one recruiter tell me that I meet the minimum but not the preferred and I will not have an interview because of that. I have yet to be able to get a single interview outside the ER. I am also finding out that some of these recruiters aren't nurses that are making these judgements. The fact of the matter is that I could work circles around most med/surg and tele nurses and my skill sets are, in some cases, far beyond the average nurse on these types of floors.
So my question is, "Am I being discriminated against?" and if so, who can I speak to about this? The latest claim of not being qualified has come from a hospital system with central recruiting. They have refused to provide me with specifics on how I am not qualified and will not let me speak to the recruiter who is making the claim. This is also a hospital system with more than 500 nursing positions to fill just in the Dallas, TX area alone. I feel the way I have been treated is discriminatory and I would like to hear other nurses opinions on this subject. I am absolutely qualified for the positions I have applied for. Is this just simply poor bad recruiters or am I being discriminated against?
I'm just trying to find my way and get with a good hospital system. That's all... Every hospital in this area is looking for nurses and has residency programs for new nurses. In the Dallas area alone there are more than 1,000 open nursing positions that hospitals are looking to fill. That number does not decrease. Page after page after page of nursing positions. Every day there are new positions being listed. This does not speak to a surplus but rather a shortage on the whole. I appreciate all of your comments.
Have you considered relocating to Houston? Lots more opportunities here for experienced nurses, especially ER nurses (tons of free standing ERs here looking for help). Methodist is a well respected hospital system here, get your foot in the door (even if it's the ER) and then move to another floor, would be my suggestion.
I have to wonder about the BSN program that OP attended if they never discussed the true nature of the nursing job market. He did not graduate that long ago.
Nursing schools are still selling students on the "sky is the limit" when you graduate myth. I graduated from a highly respected BSN program from a state university in December, and I don't know how many times throughout they told us how we would be cream of the hiring crop, and move up quickly in our careers.
Of course, I knew better, having been here on AN since I started the "I want to go to nursing school" process.
Hi Dave, out of curiosity, did you elevate your concern about breach of contract before you resigned? Perhaps there was a sound reason for the actions the hospital made? Maybe it was a temporary action due to a circumstance you were not aware of ? In any case, if they set you free with minimum training, they either thought you had a handle on the job tasks or they were not only setting you up for failure, they were setting the floor up for failure as well. I can't see a Nurse Manager doing that to themselves. I'm just saying sometimes a good closed door heart to heart is in order when you feel your being mistreated at any job.
I agree with some of the posts I have read, your resume may come across as a bit of a flight risk. Perhaps your cover letter can be updated to explain the short stints you've had at each job, while also complementing those facilities and yourself for the experience you gained working there.
Last thing, hang in there. I firmly believe God has a plan for each if us, and he may be steering you for even better opportunities.
Maybe you could apply to the ER, and once you have your foot in the door (in your area of experience), you could then transfer to the floor you desire when the facility permits (usu. six months).
Specializes in Phys. rehab, Chem. Dependency, Home care.
Dave, the best advice/encouraging words for you would be to: 1) hang in there. It is hard for experienced nurses to find work. The climate has changed for healthcare and recruiting. Even if many are aware of it, doesn't make it less painful. 2) Consider re location. You seem to be young and without anything holding you to your current place. Wherever you go, make sure you will stay there for at least one year (there aren't any major issues that will put you in a position that you would want to/feel forced to leave). Honestly, I can tell you that any place offering you any bonuses just for being hired (as others have said) is a red flag (learned the hard way). As far a the frequent jobs go, we all make mistakes or have things happen in life. The key is to acknowledge it for what it is and do the best you can with the wisdom and knowledge you have. I have a history of changing jobs, but that came after living in one place for 10 years and being in one hospital for six years. Life happened but the facts on the paper are there. You are not alone. I hope this is helpful to you on some level. I will pray for you, that God will open the right door and give you wisdom on what to do and how to do it.
My name is Dave and I am a BSN, RN who has been a licensed RN for nearly two years. My goal after graduating was to place myself in an environment where I could gain the most well-rounded experience so I could then drill down into the area I would like to be in for the rest of my career or at least for the next several years prior to returning to school for my masters.
My career as an RN began in TN working on a cardiac tele unit but after a few months, I saw 9 nurses leave and I had 7 preceptors in a matter of just a few months. Nurses just kept leaving and I realized that I wasn't getting anywhere with regard to training, certifications, etc. I began applying for additional positions in the area and even some with the government that appeared to be exotic and exciting.
In the winter of 2012, I was offered an opportunity to live with the Navajo Indians and work at a level 3 trauma center in Gallup, NM with a 17K raise. I felt this was an opportunity of a lifetime. I mean really, who gets this kinds of opportunity after being out of school for less than a year? I felt very honored especially since I had surpassed applications sent by Native Americans who always have preference with these kind of positions. My experience in Gallup, NM was one I will never forget. There I received my ACLS, TNCC and ENPC. I made some wonderful friends and had an adventure of a lifetime.
The only downside was that Gallup was an extremely violent place where it is NOT illegal to be publicly drunk(Alcoholism is 550% above average) and the town itself is very violent, hence the need for a level 3 trauma center basically on the reservation. Gallup, NM is not a place to settle down and raise a family which always has been a goal of mine. In December of 2013, I decided to look elsewhere and began applying for ER positions in the Dallas, TX area.
Soon thereafter, I received an offer from one of the major hospital systems in Dallas with a signing bonus and relocation paid with an 18 month commitment. I also received another 15k raise. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance and moved to Dallas. Unfortunately, after only 6 days on the job, my contract was breached and a few months later, I felt it was a prudent decision to leave the position I was in due to poor work conditions, no breaks and no support. I have learned the hard way that signing bonuses and paid relocation are signs of a troubled department which this certainly was. I am still a rehire but I feel that it is now time to choose my focus for my MSN as I have had enough clinical experience to truly work on any med/surg, tele, or cardiac unit which are areas I have chosen for my focus in my MSN.
Currently, I am having extreme difficulty with hospital recruiters who state that I do not qualify for any med/surg, tele or cardiac positions because I have only worked in an ER yet each application I have sent meets minimum requirements listed. I even had one recruiter tell me that I meet the minimum but not the preferred and I will not have an interview because of that. I have yet to be able to get a single interview outside the ER. I am also finding out that some of these recruiters aren't nurses that are making these judgements. The fact of the matter is that I could work circles around most med/surg and tele nurses and my skill sets are, in some cases, far beyond the average nurse on these types of floors.
So my question is, "Am I being discriminated against?" and if so, who can I speak to about this? The latest claim of not being qualified has come from a hospital system with central recruiting. They have refused to provide me with specifics on how I am not qualified and will not let me speak to the recruiter who is making the claim. This is also a hospital system with more than 500 nursing positions to fill just in the Dallas, TX area alone. I feel the way I have been treated is discriminatory and I would like to hear other nurses opinions on this subject. I am absolutely qualified for the positions I have applied for. Is this just simply poor bad recruiters or am I being discriminated against?
Regards,
Dave
Dear Dave,
You are not being discriminated against. There are some huge red flags in your post, many of which would indicate why you are not being offered interviews.
The first red flag is that you jump immediately to "feeling that the way you have been treated is discriminatory." Huh? A smarter question than "who to speak to about being discriminated against" is "are recruiters and hiring managers leery of hiring someone who has had three jobs in less than two years and has broken an employment contract?"
You don't look on paper (or at least in your post) as a good risk for long term employment. You look like someone who will stay less than two years (MUCH less) and then hop to your next "greener pasture."
You don't qualify as a new grad for new grad residency programs as you've been out of school, licensed and working for nearly two years and because this would be your fourth job. You have no med/surg, tele or cardiac nursing experience, and your resume shows that you would be unlikely to stay in such a job if the manager were to take the risk of hiring you and giving you several months of orientation. Managers aren't so desparate for nurses right now to take the risk of hiring someone, paying them a salary for several months AND the salary of their preceptor to have them take one assignment together (and that's on the days you wouldn't be in class) and then having that new person leave before they get a return on their investment.
Since you've never worked on your own (off orientation) in tele, cardiac or med/surg, I'm not sure how you've decided that this should be the focus of your MSN.
You have ER experience, you don't have tele, cardiac or med/surg experience. They are all their own specialties, and you don't have enough experience of ANY kind to work in those specialties without extensive orientation. (Which managers would be justified in doubting they'd see any productive employment from you if they decided to give you.)
Your statement where you could work circles around any of the nurses in these specialties and that your skill set is beyond that of the ordinary floor nurse comes across as seriously arrogant. That isn't going to endear you to HR, hiring managers or your eventual colleagues if you did get hired. If your arrogance comes across as clearly in your resume and cover letter as it does in this post, it's a very good reason why no one wants to interview you.
If you want to work tele, cardiac or med/surg, you may have to take an ER position, stay there for a couple of years (to prove you're worth training and aren't job hopping) and then apply for a lateral transfer. In the meantime, I would hold off on paying tuition money for an MSN specializing in these areas because there's no way you could know if they would hold your interest. Pick someplace you'd like to stay for several years, and keep that job.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Seems like there are some really vindictive nurses commenting on this post. If you're just going to laugh at me, there's no need to post. Nurses are supposed to be compassionate, not laughing at others expense or trying to tear someone down.
You're kidding, right? No one was trying to tear you down or laughing at your expense. And that compassionate jibe was out of line.
Hi Dave, just try to get any job at this point. It's hard out there trust me! I have multiple years of experience, 5-8 years ago I had my pick of any floor, surgery, or ER job, now I can barely get an interview!
I have really downgraded my experience to get a job I am overqualified for.
Good luck with NP, soon even that market will be hard to break into too!
Picture yourself as a M/S nurse 10 years from now. Apply for the dream job. Find out a nurse with 2 years experience and 3 different jobs quit because the going got tough got the job instead... How do you feel? I'd be hot.
It's not all about you. Think of the big picture. It's your resume against 100.
Your resume that shows different jobs in different states in a short period of time. Your resume is headed right for the trash can. That's not antagonistic.
wooh, BSN, RN
1 Article; 4,383 Posts
There's no need to be arrogant.
You've had three positions in just a couple years, hardly any experience on tele med/surg, yet you could run circles around any tele nurse?
Sorry I'm not compassionate, but I guess that's something else you can run rings around me and my other floor nurse friends on...