DON's going back to floor nursing

nursemaa · Nov 18, 2005

All I can say is...wow! That place obviously wasn't meant for you. Dust yourself off, be proud of your accomplishments and move on.

Were you only away from the bedside for the 5 months or was it longer? If it was only the 5 months I think you should emphasize the fact that your skills are still fresh and that you are committed to quality patient care, as evidenced by your improving the standards at your previous facility. Keep looking, there has to be something out there for you, with all the open positions that most facilities have.

I sure hope you don't end up working with anyone you had to fire....that would be terrible. Don't know how you could know ahead of time if any of them worked in a facility that hired you.

Good luck! The right job is out there for you. :)

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Nov 18, 2005

I got out of management and back into floor nursing about 3 years ago, and the only real difficulty I had with the transition was re-learning to take direction.......especially from this one department manager who's both lousy at her job and clueless about mine.:stone She doesn't have the slightest idea of what med/surg nurses do out there all day, and when it becomes obvious even to HER that we're all swamped, she does this fast fade into the background and can't be found.......until the crisis is over, of course. :uhoh3:

This is NOT how I ran my own nursing units, but I've had to learn to just shut up and let her do whatever it is that she does because she's been there for 25 years and I'm not going to change her. It's frustrating, you bet it is, but I just remember that I get to go home at the end of the day, and I don't have to take work with me, be on call, or work 60-hour weeks while getting paid for only 40.:)

bethin · Nov 18, 2005

I have stated I am willing to work as a floor nurse, (since nothing else is available) and find it hard to get a floor nurse job because "I am too qualified".

Isn't there a nursing shortage?? You'd think they'd be happy to have someone as qualified as you.

Good Luck!

Monica RN,BSN · Nov 18, 2005

All I can say is...wow! That place obviously wasn't meant for you. Dust yourself off, be proud of your accomplishments and move on.
Were you only away from the bedside for the 5 months or was it longer? If it was only the 5 months I think you should emphasize the fact that your skills are still fresh and that you are committed to quality patient care, as evidenced by your improving the standards at your previous facility. Keep looking, there has to be something out there for you, with all the open positions that most facilities have.
I sure hope you don't end up working with anyone you had to fire....that would be terrible. Don't know how you could know ahead of time if any of them worked in a facility that hired you.
Good luck! The right job is out there for you. :)

I have not ever really been away from bedside nursing, and I think that is one reason I am willing to take a cart. I have been in management over ten year of my 18 in nursing, and when there was a call out I would gladly take a cart..(even as DON) so that will not be a problem.. it's the politics and past employees I worry about.

Thanks

Bird2 · Nov 18, 2005

I have worked with management that had decided to go back to floor nursing and they did fine. Two continued to work in our facility without a problem. Although at first staff still tried to go to them with all problems. Both just stated clearly and politely who they needed to go to with any concerns and they did not have any problems with adjusting. Good luck to you.

nursemaa · Nov 18, 2005

Sometimes people are reluctant to hire those who have worked in management as staff nurses because they worry that the person will be very critical of how the unit/department is run, or that the person will make comparisons and tell staff "that's not how I would have done it". They worry that the ex-management person will undermine their leadership.

I'm not saying that's right, it's just the reality of it. They probably miss out on alot of good staff that way....

Blackcat99 · Nov 18, 2005

I wish you the best of luck. You were the DON and you did a good job. You then got replaced by someone's "friend." :angryfire That's totally unfair. Let's see how does that saying go "No good deed goes unpunished.":scrying:

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2005

I've gone back and forth between management and staff nursing. I've never had a situation where I came up against someone I had previously fired. However, if I did I wouldn't have a problem with it unless they started trouble. I was always very respectful and sympathetic to the person being fired and let them know that they were going because of their mistakes or behavior and not because it was something personal. (I have a young smart-alec neice who works as a manger in a retail store who fired someone recently with quite a lot of drama around it. The guy came back the next day and punched her in the face.)

When I've been desparate and looking for staff nursing positions I kind of play down my management or supervision role on applications because, as you've found, most facilities will consider you to be over-qualified. You will also be seen as a threat to those hiring you as they can't help but think you might want their job.

The biggest problem for me has been the frustration of watching my supervisors and managers dropping the ball and not handling problems like I think they should. It's a matter of style and skill, as I'm sure you know. However, my management background gives me enough skill to know how to pick up the ball and run with it in order to benefit myself. All I want to do is get through my shifts with the least amount of problems and go home and watch my soap operas. So, when I have, let's say, a problem CNA working under me that the DON seems to ignore, I know exactly how to get her out of my hair ASAP. I don't worry about the problems other staff nurses complain about, only my own. My shifts run very well if I do say so myself. Not too long ago I found a situation where another nurse was failing to give patients in the LTC their medications. It was very easy to detect and a nurse on another shift caught it also. The DON didn't seem to do anything about all the write ups (ammunition) I and the other charge nurse were giving her. I did take the bull by the horns and tell the DON, very nicely but matter-of-factly that I was collecting information myself and was planning to report the nurse to the Board of Nursing. The DON moved very quickly on this nurse after that and I suffered no consequences as a result of exercising some assertiveness. I pick and chose little projects I think will benefit the place and always let the DON know what I am up to and get her blessing first. Maybe I just found a good DON to work with, but I think the more likely explanation is that she's probably happy to have someone on her staff that is really a strong, autonomous charge nurse who can take care of problems and respects the chain of command and her legitimate authority. As I'm sure you know, there are many charge nurses in LTC who run to the DON with every single problem they encounter looking for the DON to solve it. You and I both understand that it doesn't work that way or we'd never get our administrative obligations done.

I don't know actual details about your background, but wouldn't a DON job be much less likely to be subjected to a rebel administrator who is also an employee of the corporation and who fires management staff at his whim within a larger corporation like Manor Care or Carondolet (spelling?)? At least you'd have someone above him to go to and try and get some relief of your situation.

Harleygirl · Nov 18, 2005

Daytonite-

That is a really crummy way for anyone to lose a job. I wonder what kind of legal leg they have to stand on however. If you have been there for 5 months, surely you are out of what a company considers a "probationary period". Even if you did stick around, why would you want to work for that kind of administrator anyway.

I am a DON going back to floor nursing. I am sick of the constant blame asssigned to the position. I replaced a DON that was very controlling and I believe charge nurses should have some autonomy but apparently they want someone to program them like robots and I will not do that.

I happened to get a position in psychiatrics which I love and I have lots of experience with dementia and mental illness by working in long term care the last several years. I would think that nurse managers might want a person with management experience because you have organizational skills, delegation skills, not to mention how to read people (from staffing issues). Many mature nurse managers see you as part of a team and they are releived that there is someone else on their team that will contribute ideas.

Personally, I am looking forward to not being on call 24/7, deal with schedules, daily call-ins, charge nurses and CNA's whining to you about all of the things they have to do and lastly all of the drama. It makes me feel good that I am not the only one out there who has this gut feeling that God doesn't want me in management anymore. Floor nursing is where I shine.

And if you do come across someone you did fire, it might benefit you to just approach that person and say that when you were in that position, it was required of you do fire that person, and that wherever you are working now the patients are number 1 and they deserve everyone to work together as a team no matter what happened in the past. Sometimes this helps smooth things out before they get problematic.

Harleygirl

Monica RN,BSN · Nov 18, 2005

I wish you the best of luck. You were the DON and you did a good job. You then got replaced by someone's "friend." :angryfire That's totally unfair. Let's see how does that saying go "No good deed goes unpunished.":scrying:

Thanks Blackcat.. I believe in Karma.. what goes around comes around..

My first day was really great. I did not see any of my ex employees... so off to a good start... :)

Monica RN,BSN · Nov 18, 2005

When I've been desparate and looking for staff nursing positions I kind of play down my management or supervision role on applications because, as you've found, most facilities will consider you to be over-qualified. You will also be seen as a threat to those hiring you as they can't help but think you might want their job.
I don't know actual details about your background, but wouldn't a DON job be much less likely to be subjected to a rebel administrator who is also an employee of the corporation and who fires management staff at his whim within a larger corporation like Manor Care or Carondolet (spelling?)? At least you'd have someone above him to go to and try and get some relief of your situation.

Yes I believe a larger corporation is a better plan. Unfortunately the comp I was with is small and has no corp support. They have 20 buildings but no corp backup.