frustrated with not getting transferred

mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP · Nov 17, 2006

Usually there are HR policies regarding inter transfers, my suggestion is to try and find those.

Our policy states you have to maintain a department for 6 months before you can transfer. The only way for it to be denied is if you have a bad eval. during that 6 months or you have been written up - then it's 6 months from the time of write up or eval...if that makes sense.

santhony44, MSN, RN, NP · Nov 17, 2006

I agree, talk to HR. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me that you would have been given a job in a different area if facility policy said you couldn't transfer. After all, the person who hired you for the new area knew how long you'd been in the facility, right?

It may be that your current manager has a misunderstanding of policy. It could be that your current manager doesn't want to be short (or short-er) of staff.

You might also talk with the manager of the new unit. Don't say anything to put down your current manager, just express what you've been told. The new manager might also be able to push HR to help get the transfer done. Talk to HR first.

I'd go to HR before talking to the union. It could be that they are simply unaware that your current manager refuses to let you go and they'll remedy the situation for you promptly. If you get no satisfaction from them, or if they tell you the same thing about the transfer, then talk to the union. If nothing else, they might be able to get the policy changed for the future.

Six months is the longest I've ever seen a facility say you had to stay in one department before transferring, and I've seen exceptions made to that policy from time to time. A year doesn't seem reasonable to me.

SOREFEETEMPTYSTOMACH · Nov 17, 2006

My Advise To You Is Follow Hospital Policy And Finish Your Probationary Period. If Not, You Will Eventually Get A Reputation For Never Being Satisfied And Then I Can Definitely Tell You, You'll Never Go Anywhere.

I Was In Management A Short While But Also Worked With Several Gals Who Had Transferred So Often They Never Had A Grasp Of Any Department. You Have Only Been An R.n. A Couple Months. One Job Does Not Make A Career. It Takes Years Of Experience To Have A Career.

One Trend I've Observed Throughout The Postings Is The Tendency For Young Nurses To Believe If They Get A Job With Their Education, Then They Have A Career. Well,guys And Girls, Your Education Believe It Or Not, Is Just The Foundation To Build On. A Wise Instructor Told Our Class One Day There Would Be A Point At Which We Would Eventually Be Unable To Remember What We Learned In School As Compared To What We Learned After.

If You Get Your Feet In The Door Of Any Institution You Wish Then Work Toward The Position You Want By Biding Your Time And Accumulating Hours Of Experience.those Policies Exist To Ensure Adequate Time To Orient And Acclimate To The Personnel On Each Unit.

TazziRN, RN · Nov 17, 2006

My experience is that you need to finish your probation in the department in which you were hired, and you have to be there at least 6 months before transferring out. I know that's hard if you're unhappy with the unit, but your other choice would be to go to a different facility. What about cross-training to another unit? That way you could be floated over if that other unit needs help.

BSNtobe2009 · Nov 17, 2006

....and places wonder why nurses leave their facilities.

pong · Nov 18, 2006

Thank you very much for all your advice. Just to clarify....at the unit I am now, I enjoy working with the patients/clients and I have no problem(s) with my coworkers. I just want to grab the opportunity because I have applied to different hospitals or other places and what they are looking for is some Med-Surge experience. If I grab this opportunity being offered at this department, I can get Med-Surge experience which is a stepping stone. It is difficult being a new RN, so I am grabbing what is being offered because I have no acute care experience....I am not being picky. Has anyone been turned down at a job they wanted because they had no experience (or no med-surge experience, maybe)?