I am a registered nurse who graduated this past May of 2011, and I have observed a very disturbing phenomenon that is taking place. About two weeks ago, I began orienting on a medical-surgical floor at a hospital in a new town about 3 hours from where I lived previously. I was interviewed over the phone and relocated for this position. The hospital itself is in a small little town about 40 minutes from where I am renting my apartment, which is in a larger suburb of a nearby city.
After a few days on the floor, I have noticed things. (1) The hospital has recently gone on a hiring binge to replace people who have left. Many, many new graduate nurses have recently been hired at this small-medium sized hospital. (2) I have heard staff complaining about high turnover and "people leaving after a year." I overheard a male LPN in the cafeteria ruminating over people who leave and treat the hospital as a "proving ground" before moving on to greener pastures, as it were. (3) The new graduate nurses from the local two-year school here are treated favorably by the other staff, who also were trained at that school. These are people who were born and raised in this town and tend to resent outsiders. People who relocated to the hospital, like myself, are viewed with high suspicion.
I have already been questioned by LPNs and to a lesser extent, RNs, about why I would move from my perceived-to-be nicer area (a wealthy, cosmopolitan area) to this tired, old factory town to work. "Could you just not get a job back where you were?" Or, "Do you plan to go back there?" And, "Why did you choose here?" And also, "Are you one of the people who moved here?" People have probed me for information, asking dodgy questions in the hope that I will "out" the fact that I intend to leave after a year.
It is true that I moved here for a job, and that the area isn't the ideal for me, but that doesn't mean I will leave right away. I don't know about all of you, but I think it is rude to assume that new graduate nurses who relocate to find jobs have secret intentions to leave the area after exploiting the facility for its experience. That may be true for many, many people. However, generalizing an entire category of people based on prior negative experiences that happen more than is common flies against what nursing philosophy. That is discrimination. Imagine if I started asking a black person "Do you plan to commit a crime here? I've seen a lot of people like you commit crimes, so I just figured that's what your intentions were too." People would be outraged, and rightly so. Well, if it is wrong in one situation, then it is wrong in ALL situations. I am an employee of the facility I was hired at, just like everybody else, whether I relocated and they didn't, and I do not deserve to be labeled based on a category I belong to. I don't need it and I don't deserve it.
You get to decide where you live and if your employer continues to meet your standards. I will tell you this, if the hospital and town were full of good people to work and live around, they'd be retaining more employees. I read posts of flabergasted RNs here on AN who do live and work in little podunk towns but have practically no stress from work (other than patient care type) are able to save money since cost of living is low, and feel that the town people are pretty great. They are flabbergasted to read of how bad other RN's situations are, as they have NEVER even so much as witnessed or heard tell of the kind of crap that goes down where I live. I say it's up to the town to prove to you it and it's hospital are worth a few years of your life, not the other way around.
While this is true to some degree, I think that if the attitude that comes across from the OP is, "I have high standards and you have to prove to me that you are worthy of me," I think she will have a rough time of it. There needs to be some give and take, so while I think it's important that the OP finds a good work environment, it's just as important for her to prove herself worthy of acceptance by the group.
You get to decide where you live and if your employer continues to meet your standards. I will tell you this, if the hospital and town were full of good people to work and live around, they'd be retaining more employees. I read posts of flabergasted RNs here on AN who do live and work in little podunk towns but have practically no stress from work (other than patient care type) are able to save money since cost of living is low, and feel that the town people are pretty great. They are flabbergasted to read of how bad other RN's situations are, as they have NEVER even so much as witnessed or heard tell of the kind of crap that goes down where I live. I say it's up to the town to prove to you it and it's hospital are worth a few years of your life, not the other way around.
I don't take offense to much around here, but the first bolded comment peeves me.
Have you ever lived in a small town? The towns are so economically depressed that one employer closing up shop can devastate the local economy. There is not much to do, and even people who grow up there don't stay. (I didn't.) The number of homegrown nurses is minimal, and the number of homegrown doctors is, well, about ZERO.
They are good people in a bad economic situation, outsiders often can't handle the culture shock of rural life, and natives with the wherewithal to get an education quickly leave. That's why they can't retain skilled employees; it's not because they aren't "good people to work and live around."
As for the second bolded comment, that's the fastest way to get labeled as snooty and unfriendly...and always remain an "outsider."
Take it from a small town girl (pop 5,000)...we are a nosy bunch. We all know each other and we know everybody elses business. And if we don't know, we make something up. We ask what we want to know. The boundaries are a little blurry (or a LOT blurry). You can open up and let them in and share your goals..that's what they do with each other, or you can do your time and move on. All you owe them is a good days work for good days pay. It may be hard to get used to but if you open up and share some of yourself they will actually trust you more. They want to know you and your business like they know each others. Thats why all the questions come your way. If you look at it in our kinda twisted small town way, its actually a compliment.
That's bordering on paranoia- you moved to a new place. People are curious and want to know why one would move from a supposedly wealthy, greener place to their own "run-down" place.
Nothing to it, answer the question as it is- you moved for wok. Face-value, try not to read in too much meaning than there is to it.
I don't take offense to much around here, but the first bolded comment peeves me.
Have you ever lived in a small town? The towns are so economically depressed that one employer closing up shop can devastate the local economy. There is not much to do, and even people who grow up there don't stay. (I didn't.) The number of homegrown nurses is minimal, and the number of homegrown doctors is, well, about ZERO.
They are good people in a bad economic situation, outsiders often can't handle the culture shock of rural life, and natives with the wherewithal to get an education quickly leave. That's why they can't retain skilled employees; it's not because they aren't "good people to work and live around."
As for the second bolded comment, that's the fastest way to get labeled as snooty and unfriendly...and always remain an "outsider."
Don't take it too much to heart- that's probably her defense mechanism. People have different ways of coping, that probably is hers. it may not exactly fit everyone's grid and possibly kight not endear her to people easily, but it's hers.
I think you are taking the questions too personally. They are curious about you as you are new and trying to get to know you. That said, you should be friendly without giving too much info. Keep your future plans to yourself!
Obviously if the hospital is in a small, dying town they are going to have trouble retaining staff that want to live in a thriving city. The hospital could improve retention by offering a retention bonus for at least a 2 year commitment. Hospitals used to offer that but with the down economy I don't know how many that still do.
I wouldn't feel guilty if you do plan to leave. Many RN's move from place to place looking for something better or a different field of nursing. That is normal and nothing to feel bad about. Think of it this way, this is a win-win for you and all the other new grads and the hospital. You get the valuable experience you need, they get help and then when you guys move on other new nurses will have an opportunity.
This is a blessing, considering so many new grads who are on here unable to even get a job! Relax and make the best of it, enjoy the time your there, learn all you can and make some friends!
Ok, lets not do the I'm special because I grew up in a small town deal. Nobody is special. The more people you meet if you get out of that small town or that big city the more you find that out.
Dudette,
I am originally a small town person myself. Yes, I have farm family, so I guess I have street cred.
I decide what I want for me and that's really all I think about. I've been in the small town and in the big city. That little town or big town or little hospital or big hospital can deal with it's own problems. I really don't give a rat's rear end about those problems unless I am being paid to find a way to solve their problems. Simply, I'm not interested. All I need to focus on is my career and my family and friends. So if retention is a problem for the small town or small hospital, they need to make the adjustment.
I must say I am getting such a total kick out of our Allnurses Peanut gallery. I just love it!!! This is what makes me come back to AN to just read some of the stuff, thanks Katie5! What a hoot.
I don't see how people being curious about you could be considered discrimination or how you would rank those comments -- intended to start a friendly conversation -- as being in the same league as derogatory comments toward people based on their skin color.
I also think you need to look up the meaning of "discrimination" in the dictionary.
That is SO something I would say ! Or, 'they're in the trunk, so I can check on them at lunch".....
Ok this one is a true story and not funny at all but there was a nsg student I went to school with that was also a single mother of 3. On the weekends (when we were at school or clinicals) she would have them stay in the car and she'd run out to check on them every so often. They were about 12, 10 and 7. She had no family in the area and could not afford a sitter.
She brought a thermos of hot water and cup-o-noodles for them to eat and a big jug of water or koolaide. She eventually went on to graduate and has a very nice home and a ADON at a nursing home.
Ok this one is a true story and not funny at all but there was a nsg student I went to school with that was also a single mother of 3. On the weekends (when we were at school or clinicals) she would have them stay in the car and she'd run out to check on them every so often. They were about 12, 10 and 7. She had no family in the area and could not afford a sitter.
She brought a thermos of hot water and cup-o-noodles for them to eat and a big jug of water or koolaide. She eventually went on to graduate and has a very nice home and a ADON at a nursing home.
Yikes... she's lucky she didn't get reported- good intentions or not
I don't see how people being curious about you could be considered discrimination or how you would rank those comments -- intended to start a friendly conversation -- as being in the same league as derogatory comments toward people based on their skin color.
I had the same thought. I think OP you are waaaaay too quick to find offense. Seriously, give these people the benefit of the doubt. If you are this easily offended, you will spend a whole lot of time being unhappy.
GM2RN
1,850 Posts
While this is true to some degree, I think that if the attitude that comes across from the OP is, "I have high standards and you have to prove to me that you are worthy of me," I think she will have a rough time of it. There needs to be some give and take, so while I think it's important that the OP finds a good work environment, it's just as important for her to prove herself worthy of acceptance by the group.