Feels like a slap in the face...

[MECO28]

Hi All

I am a new graduate nurse who has worked for a hospital as a float CNA for a year as part of an educational program designed for nursing students to gain hospital experience and eventually work as RNs in the hospital. During this time I have received a lot of positive feedback from nurses and was told by staffing that a lot of floors request me. From the beginning there was an implication that I would be hired on as an RN when I graduated.

Well, I'm sure you know where this is going. Thirty-some RN residencies were posted. I applied, made it through the phone interview, and was scheduled to interview on my first-choice unit. I had an interview with the manager that felt like I was being shown the door before I even sat down and needless to say, I didn't get the job. Two of my dear friends and classmates who are external hires without medical experience outside of nursing school were hired for residencies on other units in the same hospital. (I am happy for them but dealing with my own disappointment)

I wasn't even called; I had to call HR to find out I wasn't hired. I have had nothing but good reviews and feedback at this hospital, I get along with all my co-workers so I just don't get it. I always thought that preference was given to internal hires. Anyone else have an experience like this before?

Please be kind in your replies. Constructive criticism is fine but I'm feeling like s*** right now and facing the very real prospect of unemployment since I'm pretty sure I can't work as a CNA once I become an RN, which will be this month providing I don't fail the NCLEX.

[nola1202]

i know it doesn't help very much, but something very similar has happened to a lot of us. it does hurt and it's very very hard not to take it personally. keep telling yourself that it isn't you, because it isn't.

some managers are jerks. give yourself the weekend to wallow, have a pity party, cry, stomp your feet, gnash your teeth, eat a whole pint of chunky monkey ice cream, and to use every single swear word you can remember ever hearing. then...

come tuesday morning, call and ask for a critique, have lunch with a friend, etc. in other words,

begin to put it behind you. things will get better for you.

[LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN]

Something very similar happened to me too.

I had worked as an ED tech for 3 years, 1 year was full time, then I worked part time while in NS. I did 2 clincal rotations at that hospital. I did my senior preceptorship in my own ED, so the manager and charge nurses could see how I was doing.

I never recived any negative feedback, it was all positive.

They put me through my ACLS class.

Then I graduated and passed NCLEX, I of course was applying other places, but I still hoped that they would hire me, I spoke with the ED manager who said that as soon as there were openings to apply and she would definatly consider me.

So after a few months there were openings, I spoke with my manager again, who said oh yes the positions are going live on Monday get your application in ASAP as we are only looking at the first 30 applicants.

So I applied, and heard nothing...

Then within the week that same manager was demoted to charge nurse and the charge nurse who I worked with the most was promoted to department manager.

So then I go to the new manager, who tells me to make an appointment to speak with her, but just so I understand the appointment is NOT an interview:confused:

So when I meet with her, she tells me that due to the re-arrangment of administration, she would not be able to hire me as a RN, because as a charge she oversaw the orientation process for the new grads and as manager she could no longer do that, and she feels that I would make " an excellent nurse" she dosn't want to set me up for failure without a propper orientation.

Okay that explanation makes sense, and I am extremely disapointed....... then she says this...

" I did want to let you know that going foreward we have a no new grad policy for the ED, but I did hire a new grad because she was 10 years EMT experience"

I sat in her office and just cried after she told me that, I couldn't help it. She had been my charge nurse the one who had given me my last 3 excellent reviews.

I stayed at that hospital for a few more months as a tech because I couldn't find work as a RN, I finally quit that job without having another one lined up because it was killing me to work as a CNA when I was a nurse, and I wanted to work as a nurse, and because I was working the same shifts that the new grad on orienation was and it hurt so much to watch them training her in areas I already knew, ie flow of the department, computer program, many things I had done during preceptorship....

So yes, many of us have been slapped in the face from our employers who we worked for as aides and it sucks!

[MECO28, BSN, RN]

Oh man, Love My Bugs...that is really, really crappy. I'm sorry to hear that you went through that but I appreciate you sharing your story. Like you, in addition to working on that floor (occasionally in my case, as I'm a float) I also did my intensive med-surg clinical (what passed for a senior practicum at my school) there.

I also forgot to add that one of the external hires is one of my best friends who would always talk about how lucky I was to have an "in" at the hospital. The other external hire is also a friend from school whom I could quite conceivably end up working under as a CNA because she got a job on a unit I float to frequently. I don't think I will be able to handle it for very long. In fact I'm dreading work tomorrow...esp. if I float to the unit I interviewed on.

[suanna]

It may not have anything to do with your interview or your evals. Many hospitals will not hire an RN to a floor when that person has worked as support staff. The problem being it is difficult to delegate tasks to the people who used to be your peers, and the staff that used to be your supervising RNs have a difficult time seeing you as a peer. I don't know this to be the case, but the hospital I worked as a "tech" with wouldn't even interview me until I had been off the floor for a year.